Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to provide further details on the process that we are taking to implement the recommendations from the Supplementary Health Benefits Joint Working Group surrounding updates to the existing Extended Health Benefits Program.

The recommendations that were made by the Joint Working Group require varying levels of additional research and planning before implementation. We plan to move forward as quickly as we can while ensuring we have done our homework.

We will immediately begin working with the Department of Human Resources, and later on, other employers in the NWT...

Mr. Speaker, yes, as a matter of fact, we are communicating right now to sit down together and to less politicize this issue and have the facts prevail and have my officials sit with YACL and work out a resolution. I say it again, that we will find a resolution to provide assistance to YACL. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, everything that comes through Health and Social Services is highly charged and highly emotional. There are always more demands than supply of money. I just want to clarify the information on funding, because some Members seem to be not clear on that, Mr. Speaker. We just approved the business plan that we cannot talk about. I agree that there was money approved for that for next year, money being discussed, but that hasn’t to do with this funding arrangement we have with YACL. The THSSI funding we just approved in supplementary appropriation yesterday has...

Mr. Speaker, the Member is quite incorrect in saying $250,000 is there for 2011-12. The budget for THSSI for 2011-12 has not been decided, so I don’t understand where he is getting that information from. The supplementary appropriation we approved yesterday is for 2010-11, because even though we have the funding from the federal government, as a government we are dealing with it as a supplementary appropriation. We have a budget in the books for respite care, but that is not, and $250,000 that we approved is for 2010-11. We don’t have a budget for 2011-12. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member knows he’s asked me lots of questions about the deficit of our department. I’ve indicated many a time that we have a health and social services deficit. It’s in the multi-millions. We are not able to expand any programs. The respite care program was a pilot project and it was time limited. Thank you.

That’s the first time that I’ve heard of the six clients that the Member is mentioning. I will be happy to undertake to get those names and get information from the authority as to what work we are providing for them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently, the palliative care or support for elders or those who are suffering from other medical conditions in small communities are supported by local health staff and home care staff. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I expect that we will resolve this way before Christmas in the very near future. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Member’s comment. What I propose to do is work with the association. I am committed to communicating directly with them so that we can sit down and have a dialogue about how we could come up with an agreement. I could tell the Member today that I am committed to finding a solution out of this situation. I understand. I have told the parents who have talked to me that no one has to convince me of the importance of this program. I am a little hesitant to address this publicly, because, Mr. Speaker, every day I get asked by Members and the public for additional...

Mr. Speaker, it is not semantics. It is not semantics. I am not changing the wording there. Mr. Speaker, I hear the Member and I tell the Member now, there is no money for respite care for 2011-12. The money we approved yesterday for $250,000 is for 2010-11. Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority was proactive in approaching YACL to say that there is no money there up to March 2011 and can we work together to come up with a plan.

Mr. Speaker, having said that, I am willing to work with YACL to see how we can transition. They were given six months’ notice to tell them that we do not...