Sandy Lee

Thank you. Absolutely, Mr. Speaker. We’re talking about health care benefits to make all of the programs and the service benefits available under supplementary health and to provide it without co-payment provided to everybody who lives in the Northwest Territories would make it an insured service. That would make it like any other program under the Canada Health Act and I understand that’s what people want us to do and we have reviewed that and it’s not something we are able to do, because the government has to focus on insured service. Insured services are doctors’ services, nurse services...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, my understanding was that Cabinet documents were not to be made public. I have learned since that this policy was already signed. It is not a paper under discussion in Cabinet, so it was able to be released. Secondly, I’m hearing here, and Members outside, that somehow, I just have to say that, Mr. Speaker, we have been open-minded about this policy. I had this policy in front of me, I wanted to look at whether or not what is being proposed is fair and equitable and we believe that the newest changes that we are suggesting would be generous. It would...

To a certain extent that’s happening under the existing program. That is not new. We have learned that a lot of government employees who could extend their extended health benefits after their retirement for $25 a month have opted out of that because the GNWT covers 100 percent with no questions asked after they turn 60.

Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is there are a lot of people who make less than $50,000 who don’t have insurance coverage that covers basic dental and vision in the first place. So we are looking to cover them. Yes, Mr. Speaker, everybody says extend the coverage, but don’t...

It is important for everyone to know that there is a policy already in place to protect privacy. Every health centre has that, every authority has that. We already have policies and procedures to protect privacy and medical information and confidential information. This is not a case of breach of that procedure. It is a situation where one out of 10 numbers that they pressed was switched and it just happened to be the other number was CBC.

Mr. Speaker, we understand accidents do happen. We will look to see what other measures we need to take to make sure that this doesn’t happen again, and we...

Mr. Speaker, the effect and the picture, the impact that we are drawing here is that for 80 percent of the non-aboriginal NWT population, they will have as good or better Supplementary Health Benefits Program than what they would have if they work for the Government of the Northwest Territories. That is a good program. That is a generous program. That is a fair program. For the rest of that population, 20 percent, they will still be covered. We are still generous. We are asking that they will start paying a premium starting at 20 percent, but no one will pay more than 45 percent. Anybody in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously this was a serious error. It was an accident. There was a 10-number digit that they had to dial and one number went amiss and it happened to be CBC. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the person is very upset. We are investigating this situation and the person is more upset that it got aired in the media. So I would not want to talk in detail about that.

What I do want to say is that every health authority, health centre, Department of Health, my office, have very strict guidelines on protecting the privacy of the individuals that come into our contact, not to...

I think I would have to undertake to get more information on that. I am aware that there are a couple of cases, but these things have a way of taking a long time. I can’t tell you exactly when it started or where it is. I don’t have all that information in front of me, so I will undertake to get back to the Member on where -- I can’t remember exactly what she asked -- but I will have to undertake to get back to the Member. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the Member is the loudest and the greatest advocate for fiscal responsibility. The Member knows that we don’t have all the money we need to do all the things that our people ask for. The Member mentioned in his statement that $2.6 million is small chump. I don’t know. As the Minister responsible for the biggest budget department, the Department of Health and Social Services, that sees growth between 6 to 8 percent, $2.6 million is not a small amount of money. That would allow me to set up a specialists’ shop at Stanton; that would pay for a number of nurses; it would pay for a lot...

Mr. Speaker, I think those are the similar questions that I got when I did the Minister’s tour with Minister Lafferty through Monfwi. In Wekweeti and Whati we had some questions and we were able to clarify having a discussion.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important for everybody out there to know that when we are talking about supplementary health benefits, we are not talking about what people know to be a health care coverage. Everybody in the Territories and Canada, you go and see a doctor or nurse, get a surgery, have a baby, have a hip replacement, all those are health care services that...

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health and Social Services appoints members to this… It’s not a panel that exists throughout the year. It’s formed when a complaint is moved to that board of inquiry and a panel is selected from individuals appointed by the Minister. The panel will include at least one doctor who is licensed to practice in the NWT, one doctor who is licensed to practice in a province, and one member of the public who is not a doctor. So it’s usually made up of three members on that board. Thank you.