Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, May 13th, 2010, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Tabled Document 30-16(5), 2010 Review of Members’ Compensation and Benefits, be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Minister I agree with that philosophy and I said that. But there are other alternatives. There are other alternatives which are out there that are not being considered. That’s because the policy is not being opened to change. That’s what’s required.

As to the fairness if what is being implemented applies to all residents of the NWT, this policy implementation will not be inclusive, it will not be fair, it will not be equitable, because it does not apply to all of our residents. It applies to a portion of our residents.

I want to ask the Minister why she is not...

I find it hard to believe that after three years in Cabinet the Minister didn’t realize that policies could be publicized. But there we are. It is what it is. I did note that the Minister mentioned fair and equitable two or three times in her response. I’d like to mention to the Minister that on March 24th of this year the Minister stated in a statement that the existing program is exclusive, unfair and inequitable. I’d like to know from the Minister how she considers that the proposed changes, which will put financial hardship on only some of our NWT residents, is going to make the new...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t get constituents all that often, but I’d like to recognize constituent Larry Adamson up there behind me. I, too, would like to recognize Mr. Ed Jeske, a former colleague of mine. Welcome.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Members of this House and the general public know that the Standing Committee on Social Programs is currently conducting a review of the Child and Family Services Act. I want to provide some of my comments on a very successful round of community consultations which committee undertook last month.

Over a period of three weeks, we visited 10 communities: Ndilo, Lutselk’e, Hay River, Fort Liard, Fort Simpson, Inuvik, Fort McPherson, Ulukhaktok, Tulita and Yellowknife. We held 10 town hall meetings. We had the opportunity to meet community leaders and discuss their...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are addressed to the Minister for Health and Social Services today. I mentioned in my statement that a discussion paper was released relative to the supplementary health benefits changes a little while ago. In speaking to the Minister in committee and in the House, the Minister has maintained from the outset that this discussion paper is objective, that there’s no predetermined outcome. But I guess I have to disagree, and I think other Members do as well. The other day, in reference to the public and the public’s response to the information in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, life is never dull in this building. Something is always happening. Sometimes we know it’s going to happen, sometimes we don’t, but there is never also any shortage of opinions no matter what the topic.

Today I, along with other Members, will speak to the controversial issue of changes to our Supplementary Health Benefits Program. I feel like we’re jumping from the frying pan into the fire. We’ve spent the last several months sizzling in the pan over the very controversial bridge issue and we will now jump into the fire with the supplementary health benefits...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this bill asks us to approve spending $165 million on the Deh Cho Bridge. It’s a yes or a no decision so it should be seen as a simple one, but as we heard through our discussions on Tuesday afternoon, it’s anything but simple. There are many, many questions from Regular Members which remain as yet unanswered, not because Ministers don’t want to provide the answers but because they can’t. They don’t have the information to pass on to us. Negotiations aren’t finalized so the status of the Bridge Corp is unknown. Deficiency tests aren’t completed so the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister for that. I already knew that number. She is referencing the number of people who are currently accessing the system. There are others who are not. I think it is incumbent upon the government to estimate those people who are not currently covered, who are not currently accessing the system so that we can then know what kind of costs we are incurring.

I would like to know from the Minister... We are going to have consultation. We are going to consider input, presumably. We are going to make a decision and draft a new program. I would like to ask the...