Sandy Lee

Mr. Speaker, the Member is well aware that we will be reviewing our interim appropriation in due course. I believe it is on the agenda. I would not be able to speak about what is in the detail of that.

I would be happy to talk to the Members about some benefits of consolidation of clinics in Yellowknife. It’s a project that has been going on for a very long time. It’s an idea I support. I look forward to having more discussions on that in due course, in the fullness of time.

I can categorically advise the Member that the nursery at the hospital is not turning into office space.

It’s their authority as to who is responsible for making their internal decisions about how to use their space in the most practical way possible with the resources they have. A means of doing anything larger than that, such as moving administrative offices out of there or reorganizing their work and units, would include planning on the part of this Assembly. The department is reviewing the space used there as a part of a human resource review plan that is being worked on.

I am aware of the fact that the space issue and the work safety issue were identified as some of the major issues. I look...

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for the question.

There is no question that Stanton Territorial Hospital is under a lot of pressure with respect to capital needs. It’s a 25-year-old building, and there has not been a lot of work done in that regard. Space has been an issue. Like all other capital funding processes, work is underway to review those needs and to try to meet those needs. There are not a lot of studies going on, but there is work in place to look at seven of the most critical areas, those being emergency, medical day care units, ICU, the diagnostic imaging place…. There’s a lot of...

Mr. Speaker, I don’t have that information, and I’ll be happy to get back to the Member regarding that, but I am not aware of that unit being turned into an office.

I don’t disagree with the Member with respect to the best use of the hospital. I’m trying to remind the Member that the resources that we put into all health care authorities, including their facilities, are decisions of this Assembly. It is my job to come up with the options and make sure that we have the right information for the Members to consider. I’m telling the Member again that this will be part of our discussion. Members know also that this is our first chance to make those kinds of decisions in the upcoming review process.

Mr. Speaker, the Member is aware, as well as all of us, that the option of moving the admin office staff out of there has to be part of the capital plan. All of us work together on our capital needs and where that money should go.

It is true that the facility is about 25 years old, and it has not gone through mid-life retrofit. But it is in line with all the other facilities that are looking for attention.

I could advise the Member that we will be look at the possibility of moving the administration office out of there as part of the plan for looking at the seven critical areas. That would be...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a number of people — my constituents, staff and family: Dr. Ken Woodley, Ms. Roxanna Baisi, Chaka Rukobo, Sonja Boucher, Ken Howie from UNW; and also some of my staff and family members who make it possible for me to do the job here: Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Greg Cummings; my Executive Assistant, Suzanne Desfosses; my Executive Secretary, Gail McCurdy; my Constituency Assistant, Carla Hanvold-Walker; and the best mom in the world, Mrs. Taejeong Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the Member is well aware, and everybody here is well aware, that we have just gone through a three-day Caucus planning session. We are to conclude that by the conclusion of next week. Coming out of that we will make priorities, as a Legislature, as to where that sort of project will fit into our overall objectives. So it will be very premature on my part to speak about that specifically because it involves capital planning process, as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we do have a consensus government, and we need to work together to achieve this. Mr. Speaker, I don’t have an exact dollar figure on the money that we spend down south for the treatment. I will be happy to get that specific information and get back to the Member. Thank you.