Sandy Lee

The MLA for Yellowknife Centre used the word “mismanagement” on Friday and I believe that’s the reason why he apologized today. I don’t know for sure. So I would like the Member for Great Slave to reconsider what he said.

As the Member knows, because that’s his background, and I understand -- well, he lets us know that’s his background -- the CHN program is run by Human Resources, so if he’s suggesting somebody mismanaged, perhaps the Minister of HR should answer to that. I am not disagreeing with the Member that we need to review this, but it is quite something else to say I don’t believe...

That program is broken into different authorities and different programs. We will have to undertake to get that. We don’t have specific amounts that attach to that bullet. That bullet is a statement of programs and services we do provide. Thank you.

It’s government money. It’s not federal funding. It’s part of the strategic initiative investment and Building our Future. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the Member that this is a big issue in our small communities. There are a number of seniors who are in need of housing repairs and I think it is a multi-faceted issue. I think it is something that the government, in different departments, as well as local leadership need to work together on resolving this. Because in so many of our communities there is lack of capacity, lack of tradespeople, lack of programs to repair some of the not just houses but lots of things that go in the house like a furnace and all sorts of things. It is something I think the government...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I did say I was referring to Community Health Nurse Development Program and I don’t believe we suggested that that was being delivered out of Aurora College. I would not question the Member’s knowledge of that area, I was simply answering the MLA for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could we get the Member to restate that question? Page 8-29 and he was talking about persons needing assistance to live at home? I’m not sure; if he could give us more information, we could answer that.

As long as I’ve been here, for 12 years, that issue has come up. I believe that suggestion has come up very regularly and it’s a decision that the Minister of Finance and government as a whole has to make in coming up and directing that taxation and setting up a direct program that flows from that. There are pros and cons in that, I believe. But it would not be our department’s decision but a government decision.

As the Member knows, all of the Ministers here work with the other Ministers when issues are brought up. When I was in Fort Good Hope we had heard from seniors about various issues, and on our return we had conveyed those concerns, whether it be housing or other departments. We’ve communicated those concerns to the respective Ministers. I will look into seeing how that was followed up, Mr. Speaker.

The Member knows that a Minister does not direct another Minister to do things, but, obviously, we work together to resolve issues that get brought up the by Members and residents. Thank you.

I don’t know where the Member is going with this; I don’t know what his point is. The Sahtu Health Authority gets... They have their budget to run programs. There is some cross-work that happens between the authorities. Stanton might ask Sahtu to pay for some of the staffing time, but I would like to know what the Member is getting at. Thank you.

I have to go back to the opening principle of this budget, which is we do not have a whole lot of new initiatives. So we do not have anything new, I don’t think, than what was there before.

Having said that, the Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority is working on a traditional healing project. We are looking to see what... It’s a study on how to apply some of the traditional practices into modern medicine. It’s not to replace modern medicine but to make more traditional healing practices compatible to modern medicine. We expect that will be done shortly and we need to look for ways to...