Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I would just like to clarify a number of issues. There was the equivalent of 14 positions a number of years ago put into Stanton that were to be held as supernumeracy positions, as the deputy minister characterized them yesterday, so that new graduating students and those on preceptorships and requiring mentoring would have those positions without taking away from on-the-floor nurses. So very clearly, we have tried to allow for that fact. I just want to repeat, we are not just better training the staff we have, these are all new positions that we are...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we’ll, of course, look at any proposal that’s brought forward, but I would indicate here that I will engage in the initial discussion of the clear way to deal with this initially is to try to provide the comfort and support necessary to get the alternative services there for birthing so they can have the majority of their babies born in the community. We will look at what is being proposed by Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, but I will continue to make my best case to the board and community that birthing services involving midwifery is a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have yet to see the report, so I have no idea what the specific recommendations are. But I can tell the Member that as we plan in our budget that's before this House, for example, to deal with all the program issues as they affect communities, we build in forced growth. If we have a new initiative, we try to account for all the needs and requirements of communities. But I have yet to see the consultant's report or the specific recommendations. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the recommendations in the Chalmers Report haven’t been fully assessed and we are working on our response of how we are going to incorporate those. What is in the budget, though, is the third year funding for the Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, which we haven’t fully implemented yet pending the outcome of the Chalmers Report, which will give us some flexibility to be able to respond to some of the recommendations. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as I indicated in this House initially, yesterday when the question came up about the Stanton renovations, there’s a link with the three projects, Stanton, Hay River and Smith, in terms of trying to have the work being done in terms of the master plan and design done in a coordinated way. The money is still in the budget. The last time I met with the board, there was a concern to see -- given the fact that in some people’s mind it may be better value for money -- to look at building new versus renovating. When the final assessment was done of the health...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I first met Father Pochat, who was an oblate priest back in the early ‘60s when I had the good fortune to go to Grandin College. At that time, he was instrumental…He ran the program. As I went through that program, so did may esteemed northerners whom we all know: former Premiers Kakfwi, Sibbeston, Antoine; former Member of Parliament, Ethel Blondin-Andrew. There are hundreds of people who have gone on to very productive careers: chiefs; businesspeople; good, strong government leaders; our secretary to Cabinet. He was tremendously instrumental in the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I can appreciate the Member’s concern and frustration because it is an issue that, as I have indicated, gets a lot of traffic with MLAs through the Minister of Health’s office. The circumstance is as the Member said, it provokes a response and it’s not always as cut and dried as it would seem, that’s why we end up with these calls that something hasn’t worked. What I will commit to the Member to do is we will layout what we are doing, what we are going to do to improve the service. As well, we will come back with our assessment, a specific written...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's not enough time during this forum for me to outline all the things that we are doing, but I'd like to reassure the Member that we are doing we think all that is required. We're going to be coming forward here by the 15th with a whole slate of interim measures; we're looking at redoing the census numbers this coming year and the following year; we've been working very, very closely with all the renewable resource boards up and down the valley and, as well, our partner jurisdictions to look at making sure we have the accurate information, keeping in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we spend in the neighbourhood of $1 million a year on agency nurses. We do have plans to mitigate that. We have invested millions of dollars in the Northern Nursing Program at the Aurora College. We have been in a state of transition for the last 18 months. This coming spring, we anticipate, are planning, and are very glad to see about 24 nurse graduates that are going to be graduating with their four-year degree and nursing certification that we are going to be making job offers to. As well, we are looking seriously at ways to set up permanent float...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, there is money that’s been put aside for this winter as we continue to work on a longer-term homelessness strategy or strategy for the homeless. There’s some money that’s been identified for Yellowknife and Inuvik and some in Hay River. As well, there’s a fund of $150,000, I believe, that’s been set aside for small communities to use on a case-by-case basis should there be circumstances that arise as there has been over the last number of months. It allows us to, on a short-term emergency basis, deal with those individuals that are called absolutely...