Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Diabetes is a chronic disease. The department has a plan around chronic diseases which includes diabetes. We recognize that diabetes is increasing by 200 people per year across the Territories. We have not only developed a plan but are actually doing some work in healthy eating, exercises and so on that will combat diabetes.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’ve had no specific discussion about any Health Canada positions being transferred into Yellowknife with the federal Minister.

Yes, we are prepared to do that. We’ve had discussion. Due to the lack of funding that we’re able to provide, they have not signed a contribution agreement. We can go back and speak to them again and see if they will sign a contribution agreement to remain open. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We’ve had discussions with the Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities on their funding and advised them that the funding would not be increased due to budget pressures that we’re all facing. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to present the Department of Health and Social Services main estimates for the fiscal year 2012-2013.

The department’s main estimates propose an operations expenditure budget of $349.9 million which is $5.4 million more than the 2011-2012 Main Estimates. This increase of 1.6 percent consists primarily of forced growth increases for existing core programs.

The Caucus of the 17th Legislative Assembly set as one of its five key priorities “to ensure a fair and sustainable health care system by investing in prevention, education and awareness and early childhood...

We are working with Education. We are working in the schools. We do provide some funding to the schools. We’ve done some funding directly pertaining to food and people’s hearts and so on to make sure. We’ve also had discussion at the Joint Leadership Council, which is the public administration chairs of all the authorities, about trying to introduce curriculum to health at the high school level. In the elementary or primary school there is health taught in the schools to the younger ages, but at the high school, at this time, I think there is some curriculum that needs to be developed in order...

The NWT Diabetes Clinic was open here in Yellowknife. We’re reviewing the reason why the Diabetes Clinic is not open right now. There is a call across the Territories to have the Diabetes Clinic reopened in Yellowknife. Also in the new health centre in the Sahtu there is a plan to have a diabetes program in there.

I’m prepared to do that after the federal budget is approved.

I can give that direction to the staff not to ask the people to do fundraising to continue operations.

I recognize that the handivan program is very vital to persons with disabilities and seniors. The handivan program is a municipal responsibility, so that’s something that we could have discussion with the municipality, but generally it could be also dealt with directly with the municipality. Thank you.