Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of traditional healers. Dean Green is still there and Besha Blondin.

Thank you. There are 15 people on the overall waiting list for long care treatment. Right now we have five people on the waiting list to go into the Territorial Dementia Centre. That’s just added information.

I think that we need to use the units in Fort Smith. I recognize that people that need care because of cognitive issues are in the Northern Lights Home right now in Fort Smith, but to build a new wing and not have the money to operate it is not acceptable. We’re going to come back to the government as a department to try to get money to continue or expand the operations of that wing. Thank...

I think I have the authority to make changes here. I have no doubt in my mind. But the housing authorities are working on it. That’s the thing. We conduct safety surveys with Workers’ Compensation Committee on a regular basis. They do audits on a regular basis with the authorities. I’m not sure this is an issue of authority. I think it’s an issue of how to address the problem.

We have a situation where we’re providing 24/7 care. You can’t go home at 5:00. The hospitals have to keep going. We are in an environment where we’re operating 24/7, 365 days a year, and in addition to that we have one...

Mr. Speaker, November is National Adoptions Awareness Month. It’s an opportunity to recognize families in the Northwest Territories who provide a remarkable service to children.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that the NWT has been a world leader in recognizing Aboriginal customs and culture when children need a family. Our legislation recognizes that our people take care of our children within their families, extended families and the community.

Mr. Speaker, adopting a child is a very rewarding experience for families, but most importantly, it brings joy and stability to the child. It brings life and...

Mr. Speaker, that’s a good idea. Yes, I too will encourage that. Thank you.

Thank you. Working with the health authorities and the department, there are many strategies in place to mitigate the risk including training staff programs to return to work for injured staff, and also putting in the occupational health and safety committees in all of the authorities to try to address this issue. Thank you.

There are 12 people. We started off with 14. I could name them. In Beaufort-Delta we had asked Hazel Nerysoo, Lawrence Norbert, Freddie Carmichael and Ann Kasook to sit on that and two of them dropped out, Ann Kasook and Freddie Carmichael. In part of the meeting tomorrow we’re going to discuss the possibility of replacing them.

In the Sahtu/Tlicho we have Paul Andrew, Marie Adele Rabesca and Charlie Neyelle. I understand that Charlie Neyelle is contemplating not participating.

In Hay River/Yellowknife we have Jill Taylor, Laurie Sarkadi and Frank Yakimchuk.

In South Slave we have JoAnne...

Mr. Speaker, I realize that in the health centres, the health centres can dispense drugs but not prescribe. I think one of the things that nurse practitioners can do is prescribe drugs. I don’t know the details of that right now. I’m a little bit mixed up on the dispensing and prescribing. My understanding is what I have heard from the health centres is that they can dispense from the health centre, but only a nurse practitioner or a doctor can prescribe. Thank you.

We didn’t think of on-line questions to work in alongside of this forum, but it’s a good idea. I’ll discuss that with the forum in the morning when I meet with them.

If this is an issue, and I believe it is – the Member is bringing this up and we don’t want that to continue – I will talk to the department and we will relay the message to the authorities that we need to make some changes so that this type of thing, where an elder has to leave a community to go get a prescription drug, is a common thing that is renewed all of the time. Making them jump through some hoops in order to get a prescription is not necessary. We will address that issue. Thank you.