Kevin A. Menicoche

The return of policing to Wrigley is piecemeal; there are slow baby steps; they do have two dedicated RCMP officers, yet they’re located in Fort Simpson and the plan is to eventually relocate them to the community of Wrigley. That’s the type of solution, that’s the type of creativity I’m looking for from the Minister of Health and Deh Cho Health and Social Services. Let’s start by dedicating a nurse to the community of Wrigley, and it does not have to be a resident nurse at this point but at least pay attention to the needs of Wrigley and pay attention to the needs of the residents of Nahendeh...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. What happened is the question I have for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Myself and my colleague Mr. Krutko thought we had certainty in the delivery of nursing services for our small communities. I was very happy with the strategy produced by Health and Social Services called a Foundation for Change. It supports enhanced services for smaller communities; for me, the return of nursing to Wrigley in 2010. Can the Minister of Health and Social Services tell me how can this be accomplished? Mahsi.

The Minister is going to have to explain how her commitment translates into real resources for those communities. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just a follow-up on my honourable colleague’s intensity with regard to his debate with Cabinet. He’s entirely right; our jobs as MLAs is to urge, influence and persuade government, and to that end we have many tools at our disposal. But the main thing that we do is to pursue the goals and interests of our constituents and communities. Just getting back to my Member’s statement, the goal of Wrigley and of mine is to see a resident nurse in Wrigley in the long term. However, I can see my way to relax this demand if at the minimum we enhance current services and...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I do have one more solution for the Minister. By having a dedicated nurse for Wrigley does improve the services for the rest of the communities in Nahendeh. Will the Minister work towards that and do that for our residents?

I’m glad to see there’s a bit of a plan in that strategy. However, as I indicated in my Member’s statement, when I first became MLA, to return nursing services to Wrigley was policing. Policing was the answer to returning nursing. That’s accomplished, Mr. Speaker. We’ve got dedicated RCMP; we’re looking forward to establishing a detachment by 2011. Yet I stand up here today and I still have no certainty on returning a nursing position to Wrigley. Can the Minister tell me why did we go through six years of establishing policing when, in fact, they will not follow up on the original commitment...

I would like to thank the deputy for that answer. I guess the frustration was that taxpayers from throughout the North don’t want to continue to see themselves paying out of their pocket for errors and, for lack of a better word, the situation that we are currently in with the Dehcho Bridge Project. People are still out there; they are absolutely convinced that this cost will not stop here and will be increasing. I don’t know how much assurance that the Minister or the deputy or the Transportation Minister can give us. Yes, we are 50 percent done and with this amended budget we can complete...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I just want to know from the previous item if that information shared with us on the timelines was able to be shared with the public.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just in terms of organizations or myself, contact with Public Works and Services when it comes time to award the contract, who would we contact on behalf of the residents and organizations about material and salvage material for special interest groups? Thank you.

I am glad that something like this can be worked in the terms of reference for demolition of Deh Cho Hall. I’m glad that the department has not made a decision that no material can be salvaged. So once again, perhaps I’ll just ask the Minister what is the timeline for developing the terms of reference for demolition of the Deh Cho Hall.