Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my statement I talked about trying to be innovative, exciting, and maybe even in some ways courageous about trying to find housing solutions. I did point to two different types of Ministers, which is, you know, one could be municipal and certainly one could be housing. But I think I'm going to go to my favorite Minister today which would be the Minister of housing. I'm saying today.

So that said, Mr. Speaker, I'm going to focus in on the area of my statement that talked about Rockhill. Mr. Speaker, the reason I specify that and this particular Minister is...

Well, now that I have the mic and I have nine minutes and 45 seconds no, no, Madam Chair, I'm going to pass, in all seriousness, on this page. And I'll raise it as needed. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I am thinking this is a bigger picture which is people can't as the Minister has acknowledged, the systems don't talk to each other so there must be a standard of care on how we are packaging this information, whether we are emailing it down to them, or we're sending it with a constituent or we're sending it in a secure bag. Like, what's the practice of the department in these particular cases if files can't be emailed or systems can't talk to each other, they must be able to work this problem out. And it can't be an individual constituent based on the fact that the Minister has...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, you know, I didn't have a question but I always questions, so I am ready to go. So I think that I'll ask the Minister of health here a question here with respect to medical documents when people go to Alberta.

So, I have been a constituent approached me, and I am sure I am not the only one, Mr. Speaker, so it is important to get this clear on the record, which is what's happening. When constituents travel to Alberta, their doctors don't seem to have their information and they are told they can't send them. So what the department doing in the context of interim...

All right, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that answer. According to Global University Systems Canada, it says Canadian universities represent a formidable economic force with far reaching impacts. Mr. Speaker, we can only get to that and achieve those types of things if this mandate for the transition portion is funded. Therefore, if it's going to be part of the marching instructions and directions, will it be supported with some type of financial support specific to transition? Thank you.

All right, mucho gracias, Mr. Speaker. All right, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of education had mentioned in one of her comments yesterday that the most significant tool at her fingertips is the mandate that is issued to the board. And so the board I'm referring to is the Aurora College board. And she said the next letter is coming out approximately July and even the interim letter may or may not regardless, we're almost at July have the direction of the mandate of which tells the college to work towards switching to a polytech.

My question for the Minister is will the new mandate letter, issued...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to vote in favour. I just want to say that was one of the best answers that replies to a motion I've ever heard from a Minister. As a matter of fact, I'm overwhelmed. I don't know, I'm looking for the Kleenex box to cry.

That said, obviously I'll be voting in favour to support my colleague and my community members who face this challenge day to day. And that's all I wanted to say. Good job, Minister, on that response.

Okay, that's good. Is there any thoughts or knowledge with the Minister it's always weird, call him the Minister of Justice and Premier the Minister and the department as to what type of timelines or logistical challenges that may delay the timelines? I am looking to get a sense of how soon or what are we talking about. Thank you.

HON. R.J. SIMPSON:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I mean, wouldn't the Minister want to know how documents go from the NWT to Alberta and hence, you know, it would be nice to know from a constituency point of view that it may apply to other Members but the issue is that if the systems don't talk to each other, I would think that the Minister would know how they communicate their medical health information in today's environment of security information and the details, so I would think that there would be a practice and process in place, and that's what I am asking for. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While constitutents are showing up at referrals by doctors to doctors in Alberta without the information some there must be some type of standard practice, including package and process that's going on now, because we can't or being proposed now, because we can't have people being sent on medical travel. What a waste of money to send them there without the information. So, what is currently being done by the department to help fill this or solve this problem? Thank you.