Michael Miltenberger
Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was a strategy that was done, an action plan for persons with disabilities, and the response has been worked on by the government across departments that are involved in education, health, housing and MACA. That response has been built into the various business plans of the departments. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the amount of time is obviously going to be dealt with on a case-by-case and need basis. There is no set formula that indicates an amount of time for specific concerns or issues or problems. So there are also the efforts that are going to continue on in terms of trying to expand the homecare services that are available to assist people to stay in their homes longer and more comfortably, but there is no set formula that dictates any given time. It is based on individual case need. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to assure the Member that I would never ever confuse her with anybody else.
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She doesn’t have to refer to me as Almighty; Michael is fine.
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She has raised a very specific issue from her information that she has obtained, so I will commit to follow up on the particulars of the two positions, but I would once again suggest that it is not because people don’t care, we have written it off, it is a waste of time. I would suggest that efforts are being made. There is funding for those positions for a reason, because those...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my job as Minister is to try to come up with some plans to, in a careful way, implement those plans after there has been proper consultation. We have done that with the mental health and addiction strategy. We responded to a fairly damning report in a state of emergency. We have committed to following the plan. We have implemented year one, year two. Year three is on the books. The Member now stands up in this House to say it has been a disaster. Let’s change that. I am saying, okay, if that is what you are thinking, then let’s have that discussion...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my recollection of the history of the Somba K’e is that they had an arrangement with Corrections Canada that was severed and that they were looking around for an alternate way to get funding. We did look at the facility. We did have people take a look at it from a technical and structural point of view initially for the possibility of a childcare facility. What came back was a number to bring the building up to appropriate code both structurally and from a program point of view of over $3 million, which exceeded the budget we had available to do...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to have that debate about the best approach, the numbers, the need, and is it the best course of action and the best investment to build a separate, standalone facility, or is it best to look at expanding the service at Stanton, and what is possible in Hay River, Inuvik and Fort Smith. The money that is allocated in the capital plan is clearly identified for urgent capital projects across the Northwest Territories. We have yet to find out the final numbers of what is available from the federal government for the new health care money. When...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the renovations in Hay River are slated to go ahead. We are just in the process of concluding a report that’s been looking at the facility review of all the facilities in the Northwest Territories on the acute care side, the long-term care side and the usage and anticipated needs in the future. Once that report is done, we will be moving ahead with the actual master planning for the mid-life renovations in Hay River. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the meeting, we will, of course, look at all aspects of this issue and how best to proceed with the fundamental issue: how do we encourage and educate people to make the right personal choice so that they don’t start abusing alcohol or start using the drugs that have been mentioned in this House today. That involves the individuals. It involves the parents, families as well as the community, so, when we have this discussion at our next meeting, we will make sure that we look at all those aspects. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct. In the North, we continue to, for example, consume and abuse alcohol at two-and-a-half to three times the national average. There is an increasing inflow of drugs from the South like cocaine and crack cocaine and probably crystal meth. Northerners have shown a prodigious appetite for those substances. It is not something that we have been able to turn around at this point. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there were interviews held just recently, and the person being interviewed didn’t pass the interview. So they are re-advertising that as we speak. So hopefully in the next few weeks we’ll get some successful applicants interviewed and staffed. Thank you.