Thank you, committee. I’d like to turn your attention to 8-7. We’ll be deferring this until after consideration. Page 8-8, Health and Social Services, information item, infrastructure investment summary. Any questions?
Agreed.
Thank you. Page 8-9, Health and Social Services, information item, revenue summary. Any questions?
Agreed.
Page 8-10, Health and Social Services, information item, active position summary. Any questions?
Agreed.
Page 8-11, Health and Social Services, information item, active positions, health and social services authorities. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to ask the Minister, is he responding to the oil and gas boom activity in the Sahtu region. Other departments that have indicated to me how they’re going to respond to the emerging needs of the Sahtu in the oil and gas activities. We know with the lifting of the restricted liquor sales in Norman Wells have increased the records of the RCMP and crime stats, and the community itself shows a lot of alcohol abuse. Crimes have gone up quite considerably and the health care systems are taking a real whack in terms of taking care of the people. I want to know how the Minister is responding to the increased number of employees, in the short time of working in the Sahtu, with other issues that are quite sensitive. I know that the health workers in Norman Wells have told me they’ve seen increase, they’ve seen the devastating effects of the unrestricted liquor sales in Norman Wells, and also the nurses in the other communities. Is the Minister looking at these two fronts, the oil and gas activity and the unrestricted liquor sales in our communities? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Yakeleya, I’m going to let the Minister respond to that. Just so that you’re aware, we’re on active positions and health and social services authorities, so we’re on 8-11, but we’ll ask the Minister to reply to that one question, but I’ll ask you to redirect future questions to the page. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have not put additional positions into the health and social services authority in the Sahtu. We have essentially looked at the Sahtu in the greater picture, in the territorial picture, as we’re trying to address what we think the issues are going be. That is that there will potentially be an increase in alcohol-related issues.
We do have regular updates from the CEO from the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority. There’s a requirement for us to respond specifically with personnel on the ground, and then we will have that discussion with the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority because that would have to be an internal reallocation on a temporary basis because we don’t have any new positions targeted in the Sahtu for this at all.
I’d certainly look to you for guidance and if I want to continue on with asking questions to the Minister regarding positions, I could go to another page and hold off and ask him some more specific questions. I am just raring to go.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. I see you may not have any questions specific to the active positions on this page, so if that’s okay, maybe we can continue. Health and Social Services, information item, active positions, health and social services authorities. Any questions?
Agreed.
Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that committee reports progress.
---Carried
I’d like to thank Minister Beaulieu here today and I’d like to thank Ms. DeLancey and Ms. Mathison. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could escort the witnesses out of the House. Thank you very much.
Can I have the report of Committee of the Whole, please, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 9-17(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2013-2014, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. A motion is on the floor. Do we have a seconder? The seconder is Mr. Beaulieu.
---Carried
Orders of the day for Friday, February 22, 2013, 10:00 a.m.:
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Opening Address
Petitions
Report of Standing and Special Committees
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
First Reading of Bills
Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Territorial Parks Act
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Tabled Document 9-17(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2013-2014
Bill 1, Tlicho Statutes Amendment Act
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Friday, February 22nd, at 10:00 a.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 5:48 p.m.
