Tom Beaulieu

Mr. Speaker, the plan is the fieldwork for the forum would be done by March 31st. Soon after that we are going to select a group of them and maybe even have other people involved to write the report. Yes, there would still be time for them to expand some of their fieldwork if necessary. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We would have no problem directing the forum to visit with the shelters or any facilities where there was an attraction of people that had addiction issues, recognize now that their plan was to have public meetings, and advertise and try to draw people to the meetings, recognizing that they could only draw the people that were interested in the topic. Sometimes they don’t have that interest in some communities, but we are finding that in the smaller communities they are getting a lot of interest. Thank you.

Yes, the department has had some conversations with some of the key communities in strategic areas of the highway system that may benefit from having a service such as an ambulance service. We are working with an interdepartmental group, along with MACA and the Department of Transportation, to try to get the people trained. We are also looking at including one of the people that are required for emergency measures that would work in the ambulance under the umbrella legislation that Health is now trying to bring to the House as a legislative proposal. Within there, we would have the emergency...

Thank you. The department works with the Department of Education in healthy foods in schools and so on, hoping that this type of thing will carry on from the schools to the home. We support the anti-smoking campaigns like Don’t Be a Butthead as an example. We’re also in a federal campaign called Healthy Weights, so we deal with that as well. So these are some of the areas that we see as preventative. But just the whole nature of chronic disease management would be based on prevention that we feel is the best bang for the buck. Thank you.

Thank you. I apologize, I thought I said six of the NPs were funded through THSSI, and it is six NPs funded through THSSI. The plan is to, of course, continue to negotiate with the federal government on sustaining that funding. If that funding is no longer available, if that funding has been eliminated, then the department would have no option other than to go through this process of going through the mains to be able to see if we can’t get funding to retain our nurse practitioners in the system. So at this time our hope is that that funding will continue. Thank you.

Thank you. I don’t know why it’s taking this long, but I do know that we have a governance system where the health and social services authorities operate with a board, independent board or through a public administrator. So we are trying to set up a system now where we’re changing the governance.

As we stand up in the House here as Health Ministers to answer questions, there’s something that’s a little bit out of our control and that is that the management of the authorities. So we ask the authorities, we’ll work with the authorities and try to get that information. I will put appropriate...

Mr. Speaker, I will ask the department to provide me a business case on all three health authorities by the end of April. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I will look at the legislation and the whole governance around the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. As you and Members of the House are aware, each authority has their own governance at this time. I will look at that legislation, look at the governance surrounding that and see if it’s possible to appoint an advisory board through that model. If it is possible, I will certainly consider that. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize that addictions are a cost-driver in our various systems. Addictions are a huge cost-driver in justice, also a huge cost-driver in health and health outcomes of our citizens.

Yes, I am trying to make that a priority for the government, as the House knows. We are trying to work with various groups in the community. We talk a lot about addictions across the territory, whether it be alcohol, drugs, or even cigarettes, for that matter. We spend a lot of time talking about those addictions, so we are trying to do something about that. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, yes, I will commit to that. Thank you.