Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, there are a number of factors that were discussed over the last few days. Very clearly, the government, as I stated in this House, has a position and a policy on decentralization and looking at trying to move things out of Yellowknife that is equitable, fair and spreads some of the government resources around. This program can be provided outside of Yellowknife. There is a community, Hay River, that has that capacity. The program is just going to be moved. It’s not being dismantled. It’s not being structurally changed. The contractor has indicated that...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my recollection is that the evaluation will be completed at the end of this month, the first part of June. In the meantime, the department is continuing to fund the program as well. We are not arguing the merits of the program; we are looking at how best we can maintain it in Yellowknife and look to expand it to other communities, as well, where it is an issue. We are also working through the business plan and some of the money that may come to us, God willing, when the federal budget is finally passed, will allow us to put some more funds into...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, clearly in this case, as the saying goes, the proof will be in the pudding. So we will move the program and it will be demonstrated that it was a good move. To speak ahead of time is hypothetical. I can also speak with some assurance that I could never, at this point, in my mind, be able to adequately convince the Members from Yellowknife that moving this program met their rigorous standing or their desire to make sure they protect their constituents. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the Member for his vote of confidence. I would also like to point out that when it comes to flexibility and being responsive, and I like to think creative, it is Health and Social Services in the last few years that has come up with midwifery legislation, nurse practitioner legislation, that has moved to do a facilities review that is going to make sure that the renovations to Stanton go ahead, that consolidates the clinics in Yellowknife, among other things, in addition to the work we have done with alcohol and drugs. I would ask that the...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, one must be clear that Hay River is one of the largest communities outside of Yellowknife and it has a very high level of educational facilities. It has a very high level of health care services. It’s about a half-hour or 40 minutes across the lake to Yellowknife to access specialist services that may be here at Stanton. Very clearly, we will be working with the involved agencies to make sure that the transition is a smooth one.

I want to point out, once again, that Hay River has a history or providing service to children that goes back many, many years...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, in fact it’s Dr. Gus Rozycki and the Member asked me what experts we’d discussed this with and who had we talked to. We’ve had discussions and I’ve personally met with Dr. Rozycki as well as Mr. Bowerman, as has the deputy and the staff of the department. We’ve had the discussion with the service provider who, in our opinion, is eminently qualified to deliver the service and they’ve indicated to us that they are prepared and willing to work with us to relocate the program to Hay River and deliver that same program in Hay River. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I am acutely aware that any change in service delivery that affects communities has impact, especially in the involved communities. This program is going to continue to be delivered by Bosco Homes. They are going to continue to provide the high level of service that they have provided in Fort Smith all these years. The Premier stood up in the House yesterday and indicated that by the end of this day we will have packages for the Members that will lay out the documentation that got us to this point and that will be ready as promised. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will commit to provide the Member with the information. I will go back to the department to see what they have planned for the summer to address some of the issues on the table and the initial work that has been done by the working group. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, like the Members opposite, the Members on this side of the House are very concerned about the wellbeing of children. We’re all parents or grandparents or both and we’re very concerned about that. We’ve looked at this situation carefully. We looked at all aspects of it, in my opinion, and we’ve made a considered decision based on that.

Madam Speaker, I want to reiterate again that Hay River has the capacity to house this program. The contractor is going to set up the program in Hay River. We’re not dismantling anything. We’re just changing the location of...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, today is World No Tobacco Day, a day set aside by the World Health Organization in 1988 to bring attention to the enormous global impact of tobacco use. Tobacco causes 10,000 deaths a day worldwide and is expected, in 15 years, to overtake infectious diseases as the world’s leading cause of death and disability.

The enormity of this problem has lead to the creation of the framework convention on tobacco control, in the first ever global public health treaty. Canada lead in the development of this treaty and ratified it in May 2005.

Here in the Northwest...