Wendy Bisaro

Okay. Thank you. That’s fine.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is an increase in staffing at community health authorities of seven positions. I wonder if I could get some explanation, some rationale for the need for these changes. I want to say I don’t begrudge the health and social services authorities from getting more staff, but I’d like to know why we’re cutting positions in headquarters and increasing at the authorities.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I hate to belabour this issue of staffing, but I do have a couple of questions.

Information that the standing committee was given by the department some time ago indicated that all 17 positions we have on the new table were to be eliminated in ’08–09. I just would like to get clarification from the Minister whether that’s a typo. If it’s not, how do we eliminate two people we haven’t yet determined?

Did the Minister expect a response from Regular Members to his briefing? Did the Members not hear the request for a response if there was one? Why do we seem to have such difficulty understanding each other? Where is the notice from the Minister that was requested in our letter?

Yesterday’s announcement to me is, unfortunately, another example of the high-handed attitude of this Cabinet. They seem to have little regard for the input of Regular Members, as evidenced by their actions.

All I want is a chance to hear, and comment on, what the government is going to do, before my constituents do.

Okay. I am having a bad day. I did have a question, as well, on this page. There are two numbers, a 1 and a 2, that reference notes, I presume. But I don’t know where those notes are in the document. If they’re important, I guess I need to know. What are they referencing?

Thank you. That’s great. That’s good.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wanted to, unfortunately, review the Telehealth positions. I got confused with the numbers, and where they are, how many they are, and how many we’re going to be left with. I thought I heard that there currently or were four Telehealth coordinator positions and that the budget is going to leave us with one in Inuvik. If I could get that confirmed, please.

Thanks for the information. I thought I heard the Minister say there is a position in Fort Smith, but if I look at the numbers on page 6-10, Fort Smith is going down by one. I’m getting confused again.

Thanks for the explanation. I just want to explain that we have data that says 15 positions and then we had data that said 17. I think that’s where a lot of the confusion came from. I think I finally understand.

I did want to ask a question. There is an indication of reduction in the children and family services area. I wanted to ask how many social workers are currently employed within children and family services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When we discussed the Department of Human Resources, we had conversations and discussions at length about affected employees. At that time some Members referenced aboriginal employees.

I have a question for the Minister of Human Resources in regard to some other employees. Of the employees designated as “affected” in the 2008–2009 budget reductions:

How many of these employees are women?

What percentage are women of the total number of affected employees?

How many of the affected employees are single women?

What percentage are single women of the total number of affected...