Sandy Lee

Mr. Speaker, I believe we did look into this, as the Member has brought this forward before. The variable in the cost that we need to look at is that we already pay for staffing the facility, the X-ray machine and we have just invested in DI/PACS and other electronic health equipment in Simpson, for example, for the entire Deh Cho region. Whether 10 people use it or 100 people use it in a month, there are fixed costs involved in this facility. It is the same with Stanton. If a number of residents decide to go down and use a B.C. facility, it results in us paying twice for the same service, so...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure if I can convince him that the wall behind you is grey, I don’t think any information I give him can convince him of anything, but let me say, and like I said today, and I’ve given a lot of information already, Mr. Speaker. We have had a two-track process when it comes to the respite care program. We’ve had a pilot project in YACL for Yellowknife only. We’ve had a three-year pilot project outside of Yellowknife. I am suggesting that it is time now for us to look a territorial respite care program. We have heard from families in Yellowknife who are saying...

One of the first expansions of respite care programs outside of Yellowknife was started in Inuvik. We have been working with the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities to do that. We had to lay out the foundation to begin that work, Mr. Speaker. It is our desire and wish that we can have this program in all 33 communities. What I’m saying is, practicably, I would be… Well, I wouldn’t be able to meet the commitment if I said we will do 33 communities next year. What’s important is that we have it in our action plan. We have laid the foundation. We have staff at the department who have been...

Mr. Speaker, earlier today in Members’ statements, almost every Member spoke about the need for respite care, whether it be for persons with disabilities or elders. We have a lot of people not just in Yellowknife as we know of, but we have a lot of individuals in our small communities who need assistance in a similar way. This is why the Department of Health and Social Services, over the last three years, has created and expanded a respite care program for communities outside of Yellowknife. What we propose to do is I would like to have one territorial respite care program. We are going to...

That is the challenge of this government and all governments across the Territories for the next 10 to 20 years. There is no simple one-word answer to that. We need to work on prevention. We need to work on a long-term care facility strategy so that we have the right facilities in all different regions. We need to enhance support in small communities, especially for home care and respite care while we wait and while we don’t have all of the programs that are readily available in larger communities. This is why this department, and for the last three years I, as the Minister, have introduced...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Foundation for Change is an action plan for the Department of Health and Social Services. It has a number of things that we need to undertake. But Members here know that we don’t necessarily have the dollars attached to that. The action plan guides our budget planning, capital planning and other decisions we make. We are working to implement the action plan as soon as possible, but the speed and the accomplishment depends also on the money available. Thank you.

Let’s just be clear that this House will debate the budget for 2011-2012. I will include the money from the federal government.

Mr. Speaker, let’s be clear about one more thing, which is that we are committed, this government is committed to having one territorial respite care program for families in need of a respite care program, which would include Yellowknife families. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we could do that. I will undertake to look into that specific situation and get back to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Members for their comments on the motion. I would also like to thank the respite care families and their children and clients who came to the gallery today. As this motion is a recommendation to the government, we will consider and respond to the motion accordingly.

Mr. Speaker, over the past two weeks there has been a great deal of concern regarding the Yellowknife Association for Community Living’s respite care program funding. Respite for families with disabled children is important for many who are currently in the program and will continue...

The Member knows that in the February budget session we debate the 2011-2012 budget. Thank you.