Sandy Lee

As I stated to the Member for Great Slave, one of the criteria for the new funding is for us to exit THAF funding. This new funding ends at the end of 2012. We fund doctors, we fund midwifery, we fund diagnostic imaging. We fund lots of other things under THAF right now and we’re finding ways to work out the details on how we spend THSSI funding. Part of transitioning means system change as well. This is why it’s important for us to get details on exactly what the federal government has asked us to do with THSSI, what we have agreed to do.

Once again, the respite care is a small program that’s...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve been working with all the authorities to come up with a comprehensive plan on transitioning from THAF to THSSI, because the pot of money we’re getting from the feds is not the same, the criteria is not the same, the amount of money that we’re getting is not the same. It was important that we work with the authorities to come up with a plan; a plan so that we don’t work to cross purposes, that we do a full analysis of how we’re spending this money. It did come as a surprise to me that this letter went out and it was communicated in that way. I have a commitment...

I have to agree with the Member that all of the programs that we fund under THAF are very valuable programs and the programs that we will be funding under THSSI are valuable too, and anything that we will not be able to continue because of the criteria and lack of funds, I need to let everybody know that THSSI funding is a lot less than THAF funding. So we will be faced with discontinuing and not being able to continue on with some programs. That’s why it’s important that we find time to discuss in detail what this transition means, and I totally respect the role that the Standing Committee on...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure if that information is not before the House. We know -- and I want to be totally clear -- that having Yellowknife Health having advised YACL that this funding will not continue, that is public information. We need to address that, but I believe the information on business plan and the future budget issue is not something that we could discuss in detail.

For the benefit of the Members, Mr. Speaker, as I stated to MLA Abernethy, I will be coming forward to the Standing Committee on Social Programs on the detailed information about THSSI and I think we will...

Mr. Speaker, the Member and the Members across have an input. We have a consensus system of government here where we see all of the details of these funding mechanisms.

THAF funding was for five years and it was to expire in March of this year. We were able to extend the program with the federal government, which we appreciate very much. The federal government is supporting us in a big way. But the new funding program or package is not identical to the first THAF. It is an extension and it has a specific criterion that has earmarked all of the money that they are funding. The extension of THAF...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a program that Yellowknife Health has been funding the Association of Community Living. I believe in talking to the authority, they wanted to engage YACL so that they could have discussions on how to go forward in light of the fact that the funding will expire at the end of 2011. I think we should give them time to discuss and look at options. I believe that is what they are doing. Thank you.

Just two points on that. The first point, I will commit to get back to the Members on how the accounting was done in terms of the comparison between BP and the new funding we’re getting, because we did just go through the BP process. There’s a program there, money for respite care, and we are bringing new money under THSSI under supplementary appropriations. So there are some accounting rules that we had to follow that I would get the Member the detail on.

The second part is, I want to tell the Member, and I’ve said it again, THSSI funding is a lot less than THAF. So we are going to see...

That funding is multi-million dollars over five years. THSSI is a multi-million dollar proposal for the next two years. We have just finalized this. I’m not trying to confuse anybody or evade answers in any way. This is a complicated package of funding that we received from the federal government. This is why I’m making a commitment from the Members on the other side that I will come to them with the full proposal so that we can have the entire picture of what the new funding looks like and get an explanation of where respite care would have fit or should fit or doesn’t fit. We’re just working...

Absolutely. I’d be happy to meet with the group. I was there when this respite program wasn’t there and it was one of the things that Standing Committee on Social Programs, that I used to sit on, are good for. I understand the value of this program. We have to look at this in the context of the financial pressures that we are in. I want to say again to the Members and the families and the authority and YACL and everybody out there, that I am committed to looking at everything we possibly can to see and look at all options possible. We need to work together to finance this. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I think it would be very helpful when we have detailed discussion about THSSI funding and what is included, because we are subject to the rules and the funding that has been negotiated between the federal government and territorial government.

Like I stated before, the federal government has extended THAF as THSSI for us to transition and exit other programs. There are very, very specific criteria on how we should use that funding. So I will be bringing that forward to the standing committee. That just got finalized, the federal Minister just announced that. We’re just in the...