Kevin A. Menicoche

Yes, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Unanimous consent granted.

Mr. Chairman, with respect to the boiler systems, in Fort Simpson there’s been some debate and discussion over the last couple of years about the fate of Deh Cho Hall, et cetera. But now what we’re actually talking about, with two new boilers, we’re talking about the fate of our central heating system.

It’s been my contention in terms of reducing emissions and saving our environment…. Europe has been using central heating systems for decades now. For the most part, when we installed that in Fort Simpson and several other communities, the cost savings are there, the efficiencies are there, and...

Thank you very much for the opportunity to talk about a couple of the expenditures planned and most particularly the fencing projects. I wasn’t too clear on the reasoning for it. I know that the North Slave adult facility perimeter fencing and the North Slave young offender security fencing are planned here in the appropriation. I’d just like to know more about why it’s got to be in this appropriation and what the urgency is of expending it in this appropriation.

Mr. Speaker, just in terms of implementing this pay-direct drug card, I’d like to know: what exactly are the issues? Negotiations have been underway since 2006. It’s been a couple of years now. What exactly is the issue that’s delaying it for another year, to 2009? Mahsi.

In my Member’s statement I pointed out that the Yukon government has a better way of ensuring that their employees receive their prescription drug reimbursement in a timely fashion. I pointed out that the G.N.W.T. puts unnecessary stress on its employees who are already sick and need their medication to get better, to stabilize their chronic illness so they can actually make it to work.

New in the mail to me I’ve got an update from the Public Service Health Care Plan, Mr. Speaker, indicating that they are working at getting us a pay-direct drug card, but they’ve put it off for another year...

Mr. Chairman, thank you to the Ministers for answering that. This didn’t really answer the why question, I suppose, because I’m still uncertain. I know there may be some safety issues, but I’m not really convinced that there are really deficiency issues here. If the Minister, I suppose, can give further detail on that, because I’m not convinced that it has to be in this appropriation. Once again, I’m just unclear about the purpose of the expenditures right now.

I won’t be supporting the motion to delete. I believe that providing services to the communities in the region are an important aspect of delivering our programs and services to the residents of the Northwest Territories. That’s something that we should continue to focus on and continue to champion.

Our constituents and our people in the North want that service. They don’t want to be centralizing everything and moving education and health services back to Yellowknife, and that’s not the purpose of any central government, I believe. We’re on this path of devolving programs and services, and I...

Mr. Speaker, there are still employees out there using their cash, and it’s being tied up in the health care system, and it’s much-needed cash, especially in these times.

Can the Minister tell me when he can get back to me with the information he’s committed to? I think he mentioned about some kind of form that they fill out. I don’t know if that exists. Maybe he can tell me about it. I think that the important thing here is that a drug care card will be a lot more efficient and effective for our employees. I’d like to know when the Minister will be working on this issue so that employees get...

[English translation not provided.]

The G.N.W.T. drug plan is administered through Sun Life insurance. Its administration seems to be rather complicated. If an employee needs prescription medication, they have to pay the cost out of their pocket. Once they fill out the form and send it to Sun Life, they will be reimbursed for 80 per cent of the cost. It often takes two months for people to get their money. That is two months where people are short on their budget, two months waiting for reimbursement of a drug benefit they are entitled to.

Now let’s look at a chronic illness like diabetes...

In terms of all government-wide essential services such as health care, nurses, and emergency services, how will those be affected? Have assessments been done on those?