Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue and an important discussion. The reality is that, yes, there are drug addiction problems, but the alcohol abuse and the addiction problems caused by alcohol dwarf the drug problems. We are struggling to deal with the addiction issues related to alcohol. Are we trying to deal with the drug addictions? We are, as well. Are we prepared to look at that? Yes, within the fiscal limitations that we have. We have some plans already in place and if you quantify, the actual problem is going to be the first step, and then we have to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the programs we have are geared to the issue of addictions; mainly alcohol, but drugs as well. I would suggest that on the degree and actual specific issue we’re dealing with or degree of issue we’re dealing with, that the services we have here are a starting point. If it’s a situation where a person is thoroughly addicted and is into some kind of withdrawal program as opposed to dealing with the issues that may be assisting or feeding or causing her to support her addiction -- the family issues, the other issues that may be there -- then we have to look at...

Mr. Speaker, we have group homes, we have foster homes, we have arrangements. We have two facilities of our own as I have indicated: Trail Cross and the Territorial Treatment Centre here in Yellowknife. We have arrangements with a number of facilities in Alberta and in Saskatchewan. The issue that provoked this debate was the Member’s statement and vandalism and what happens when children in the community are out of control. Their family is the first starting point.

We as a department have learned a hard lesson where if we just arbitrarily reach in -- because there’s a concern and we yank...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member raises an issue that there is no clear answer to. If she’s talking about how do you deal with a near adult that is still 17 or 18, then I can tell you that it’s not the normal practice to apprehend. If they are involved in a drug bust, if they are from out of province and they are found doing crack cocaine in their hotel room, then I would suggest the issue that the Member raised is one that is not clearly a child welfare issue and that there are other factors. If it’s a situation where they are from out of province, then it is another...

Mr. Chairman, the issue of this funding, first let me just say this, that we have just started to see the forced growth pressures of fuel costs and we haven’t even really budgeted for it in any fixed number. But with the price of oil at $55 a barrel, before winter’s end our costs are going to be going up significantly as a government. In the case of the Inuvik facility, it was a new facility, there were estimates in terms of what it was going to cost and we had to prove what the costs were going to be to get funding. Normally funding is not given out on projections. Normally it’s based on...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we can have the debate on where we should be putting a facility if, in fact, there was agreement to build one. If the Member is suggesting that we should scrap any further development at the community level and use that money for O and M for example, I think that would take some discussion. If he's suggesting that the Legislature is prepared to vote Health and Social Services new money, of course we would greatly accept that. But the debate on should we have more institutions as opposed to community infrastructure is one debate that we've already had...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, almost three years ago now we embarked on a plan, a Mental Health and Addictions Strategy. We had three separate years in it that we were going to fund, and it focussed on the community getting in wellness workers, mental health workers, some supervision, and looking at trying to beef up the support at the community level where the most immediate good work has to be done. That's the plan that we've been working off of to date. There is no money in the plan for any new major facility development at this point. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a national issue that affects all the provinces and territories. Anybody that does business with the federal government and administers programs for aboriginal people has this problem. So, yes, it has been dragging out. It is protracted. The pace is glacial in getting it resolved, but we all have some new tables. The Prime Minister himself has set up a table to meet with the aboriginal leaders. There has been recognition, and there is going to be a table for the aboriginal leaders to look at the health agenda. There has been a blueprint for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t have an exact figure on hand, but I would like to note that the Member has raised a very important issue. It’s one that I know the Premier has raised at his tables. I’ve raised it since my tenure as the Minister of Health and Social Services with the three federal Health Ministers that I’ve had the privilege of working with over the last three years. It’s also an issue for the other two territories. It’s hopefully one of the issues that will be put on the table if we can get this working group together that there’s funding been identified for out of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the budget we do have about $247 million. We’re in the business planning process right now. It has been publicly announced that there are fiscal targets we are looking at as a government that there are restraint targets that we’re trying to hit as a government. Health, in fact, has to shoulder their share of that burden. So, Mr. Speaker, within that context, we rolled out, two years ago, a Mental Health and Addictions Strategy in response to the Chalmers report, State of Emergency. We’ve hit year one and two. Year three is on the books yet to be...