Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My opening comments on the budget this year, as I indicated in the House before, my concern with the escalation of our operating expenses, over the last 10 years we’ve seen our budget double in the 10-12 years since division. Our population hasn’t grown anywhere near that. I know we have lots of demands, especially from this side of the House, on things we need to do, but we need to curb some of that spending as well.

When we were discussing the issue of our borrowing limit, one of the indicators I had indicated was the budget at that time was $1.2 billion and we need...

Can the Minister answer me the question of the financial investment that the department is looking at committing to this Midwifery Program?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my Member’s speech, my questions will be for the Minister of Health today. After a review of the Midwifery Program is completed, when will the department deliver the commitment of the Midwifery Program?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today’s Member’s statement will be about the happiness that I am having with a lot of my friends who are expecting children. However, the difficulty is they are having to travel to Yellowknife or southern destinations, Grande Prairie, Edmonton, to have these children, because in Hay River we cannot deliver babies.

My question today will be to the Minister of Health. Now that the Midwifery Program has been completed, I am looking to know when we can see the implementation of these recommendations to put the delivery of children closer to home. The Midwifery Program review...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my speech, this is important to Hay River, and to seniors that require these long-term beds it’s very important. Can I get the Minister’s commitment of when the department will attend a public meeting and explain to the public of Hay River what is going on with this facility?

In our briefing about the new health care centre, the department indicated that the 10 long-term care beds were not in the current facility design. Will the Minister commit to replacing those beds? We have more demand than we have beds currently in the long-term care facility. So will the Minister commit to that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In today’s Hub, my local newspaper, I was quoted on a discussion that I had to have with the press about our new health care facility in Hay River. This should be an exciting time for our new facility; however, there are many people in the community that are concerned that this new health care facility will be downgraded from the current hospital that we have today. The residents of Hay River are concerned that they will have to travel to Yellowknife and southern areas to have blood work, patient care and medical services done, because the facility is being downgraded...

My only concerns are he indicated that the facility would be completed before their midterm review for the upgrade of the facility at Woodland Manor. So there’s a year or two where these beds are going to be out in the cold, or these people. Where would we be putting them? I know at Woodland Manor we currently have a wait list. So we’re talking about 10 beds that we’re currently supplying at the hospital and we have a wait list of five. So our demands are at least 15, and like I indicated in my Member’s speech, the aging population in the Northwest Territories and Canada is growing. So our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I was discussing the new health care facility in Hay River. My questions today would be for the Minister of Health, pertaining to the new health care centre and our existing hospital. My first question would be: Can the Minister explain to me what the difference between a hospital and health care centre are and is Hay River being downgraded?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to congratulate the 33 participants from Hay River who will be attending the Arctic Winter Games from March 4th to 10th. I’d also like to thank all the coaches that helped them get there and those coaches that are helping them participate at the games.

Along with a few Members here at the Legislative Assembly, I have the honour of being a former member of the Arctic Winter Games team. I’d like to encourage all the athletes out there to go for gold, but remember to have fun, and go Team NWT!