Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is -- and I think it’s something that everyone agrees in the Territories -- that we have one of the most, if not the most, generous benefits program under our medical travel, as well as extended health benefits. It is really important that we maintain the integrity of the program and that we make sure that everybody follows the rules. So anybody who is not approved under medical travel or extended health benefits is because they do not meet the program guidelines. That’s what we expect the staff to do with respect to this policy and...

I’m not sure what files he’s talking about and we can’t talk about private files here. I do want to say that our Medical Travel Policy, I don’t think he’s talking about the Medical Travel Policy because medical travel comes when our residents are approved for a procedure outside of the NWT and we cover for that. It comes from what the original procedure is that they were approved and our policy is sound. We found out that the policy was not applied properly and we made sure that whoever was approving those procedures was informed about the fact that those procedures they were approving are not...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have no doubt that the Members on the other side are... They are well intentioned; they want to do what is right for the children and increase support to the children and their nutrition programs. Perhaps it would have been better if we worded this not as a committee but nutritious food project, because this is something that all the Members have been asking for and this is what the intent of this money is, and the Department of Health and Social Services is working in partnership with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to see this project through.

De...

Mr. Speaker, the length of stay of a person who needs any medical procedure is determined by the providers and the physicians and health care professionals that oversee that. From time to time we have people who question how that is applied, but that is a normal part of our delivery system. We work to sort that out as they happen. My point is, anyone who is going to be donating an organ that requires, obviously they would require hospital and medical services, they will be covered. They will get the benefit of all services. Whether it be medical travel or any associated services, they will get...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government supports organ and tissue donations. We are involved with Canadian Blood Services, who is currently in the process of establishing a national registry so that it would help connect donors with people who need organ transplants.

The Member brought the matters that he is talking about today to my attention a few months back. There was a little bit of a hiccup there, but we did resolve that. The fact is, organ transplants are very rare in the Territories. Our residents do receive organ transplants, but a donator being from the NWT is very rare and I think...

Mr. Speaker, I think the Member is giving me too much credit. I don’t usually intervene and order anybody to approve an escort. I believe we have a program in place where it has a clear guideline as to who is eligible for medical travel and a medical escort. There are occasions, not just in organ donation procedures but in other medical procedures. There is sometimes lack of agreement on what is needed. That is just par for the course that we need to… That is part of health care’s delivery system that is managed by human beings. There is a difference of opinion as to what constitutes a need...

Mr. Speaker, anyone from the North who is interested in donating an organ, they will have to go through a very complicated medical procedure for any organ donation. That is definitely a medical and hospital care and so they are entitled to all of the coverage and medical travel that they would require. The benefits are there. Programs are there. I will make sure that staff know that that is an eligible service. The policy allows it. We just need to make sure that it is enforced. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know he’s been recognized already, but I’d like to make a special mention of Mr. Paul Harvey, who’s the president of Ekati. He and his wife worked here two years back, moved to Australia, probably transferred, but they liked it so much they moved back to Yellowknife, to the Territories, in my riding of Range Lake. So I would like to welcome him and his wife back. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the Member is touching on a lot of major issues that are the responsibility of various departments of this government. Like I stated already, I am and we are interested in hearing what the Construction Association has to say based on the gatherings that they had. I believe they are in the process of putting information together. We could always look to see how we can work together, whether it is land issue or attracting people into the North or dealing with the housing issues across the communities. Of course, we are interested in hearing that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated earlier, the committee was set up to do work across different departments to advance the objectives that were laid out by the 16th Assembly when we first met. We have been working on investing. We have invested in improving infrastructures, winter roads, highway improvements, airports. We have invested in energy initiatives, and the work of electricity review as well as hydro has come out of this committee. Those are some of the initiatives we worked on to reduce the cost of living in the North. Thank you.