Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table the newspaper clipping from the Northern Journal dated January 31, 2012. The article is “Matrix Program Fights Addiction.” It is a great story about the things that are happening in Fort Smith, Fort Simpson and Fort Providence about working on and combatting drug and alcohol addictions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I have to take issue with that particular last point which is saying detox is available across the North. I’m sorry; that is not exactly true. As we all know, the only place with any detox treatment here is at Stanton Territorial Hospital. As I repeated many times over, Stanton is not defined as a detox centre. It is a central wellness for folks. We should be putting people with addictions in an addiction treatment centre for detox.

My point here is we need bold action. This government needs to wake up from its deep slumber and take some action. Will the Minister be willing to develop a plan to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to return to the issue of a residential detox centre required here in the Northwest Territories. I’d like to state for the record, of course, if you really care about this issue, even from a Yellowknife perspective, I want to emphasize it doesn’t matter where the building gets established, where we provide residential treatment for people who have detox needs. I mean, the fact is if we can put it in a regional centre, I would certainly support that any moment that that issue comes forward for any type of a decision.

On that note, a residential centre is much...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d like to move a committee motion. I move that this committee recommends that tablet computers or other similar electronic devices be considered as a type of laptop computer/hand-held device, subject to the existing conventions in the House regarding electronic communication devices. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I like the last phrase the Minister said, which was he is prepared to be part of something that goes forward here. I am going to offer a quick pro quo to this particular subject. If the Minister is willing to do something, I will stop nagging about it every session. What I am asking for now is that he diverts some of that $6 million and develops a plan. Just because he shut down the detox centre, it didn’t shut down the issue. The people are suffering from these particular things. It didn’t just magically go away. The reality here is simply this: Would the Minister be willing to divert some of...

I’m not going to deny the need for spiritual connection both within one’s self and certainly with the land on a lot of people. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. We cannot shoe horn everybody into the on-the-land program and call that a solution. What facts does the Minister have at his hand or with his arsenal defined as the department that he can provide this House and say and show that an on-the-land type of program would help people who suffer from things like crack, heroine, speed and other types of problems that require medical support, not just spiritual support? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement again today will be regarding addictions and treatment options that need to happen here in the Northwest Territories. Yesterday I spoke at length in my Member’s statement, and as I said then and will say yet again, the Minister does like stats, so I need to remind him on a couple of them.

Eight-nine percent of people in our jails struggle with addictions, and from a hospital point of view, at least 350 people are hospitalized a year because of substance abuse. The problem with addictions is it preys on everybody in the context, it doesn’t require a specific...

It’s no reason to give up, just because we don’t think we can solve the whole problem. I mean, that’s part of the reason why we’re here, to keep fighting this problem until we get it solved or we get the problem moved forward to a solution. One of the Sally Ann representatives talks about the types of addictions being treated here and he calls it, sort of, the stage two portion of the problem. We’re not focusing in on the root cause or the root solutions to the problem.

As many of us all know, due to research that I’ve done, the territorial addictions centre, the last one that closed down...

What’s stopping the Department of Health and Social Services from finally taking up action on this particular problem, getting their focus correctly on the issue and start planning for an addictions centre here in the Northwest Territories? It could be in any region, and the planning and execution of this plan could start in this government and be a hallmark by the end of this government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleagues, I, too, would like to recognize Mr. Ed Jeske, a Yellowknife senior in the constituency of Yellowknife Centre, and at his side, as always, the true and vigilant, lovely Vivian Squires, and talented, of course. Finally, I’d also like to recognize a good friend. His name is Bill and he’s here with his wife. So that’s Bill and Helen McIntosh. They both hail from Belleville, Ontario. I’d like to welcome them to the Legislature. I believe they’re here visiting family. Thank you.