Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow up with my question in my Member’s statement to the Minister of Health and Social Services on the powers of the Minister under the health act. It does indeed describe the powers of the Minister and it says that the Minister may, and gives a whole list of items. Under (a) it refers to licensing, supervision and inspection of health facilities and social services facilities in the Northwest Territories to ensure that adequate standards are maintained for those facilities.
We have health centres throughout the Northwest Territories in almost every one of our communities. In order for those facilities to be functional, you have to have people delivering the programs and services. I’d like to ask the Minister what exactly she is doing with what’s happening in Tsiigehtchic. It’s been quite a few years since we’ve seen the service provided fully. I’d like to ask the Minister what she is doing to ensure there are going to be functional facilities in the Northwest Territories when it comes to health care facilities in our communities.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The act also allows us to set up boards and that’s what we operate under in the Northwest Territories. The community of Tsiigehtchic does have a health centre and it does have staff. It has a community health rep that works there year round. We also have physicians and specialists that visit that facility as well as the nurses who provide services for almost four months up to half the year.
Four months of the year is not an adequate service. If anything, like my colleague from Nahendeh, similar to the situation in Wrigley, Tsiigehtchic is in the same predicament. I had a verbal commitment from the Minister that there was going to be a position filled February 1st. I passed that on to the community, it was passed off to the community leaders who were being told something different.
I’d like to ask the Minister, as the Minister responsible for the establishment of health boards it also stipulates that the Minister, in regard to powers of the boards, by either directive or other written instructions issued by the Minister who can direct them to ensure that you have a full-time position in those communities to make them functional. Has the Minister submitted a written request or directed the health board to make sure that they have a full-time nurse in those communities?
For the record, I need to say that I don’t understand where the February 1st came from. The Member is well aware that we’ve been working through many hours in this House to work on our health care delivery system so that we have enhanced services in communities by changing the way we do things. That’s the plan under Foundation for Change. But as it exists now, we give our block funding to the regional health and social services authorities and they are regional bodies who share their resources to provide the best services they can for all of the communities.
Again, that is the problem. The Minister gives the monies to the organizations and walks away from them. She says here’s the money, have at ‘er. The directive is clear that the Minister has the powers to ensure that the health facilities and social services facilities in the Northwest Territories must ensure that adequate standards are maintained for those facilities. To me that means the services have to be provided at those facilities. If you give the money to the health board to take care of six health care facilities, they have to make sure that the people are able to operate those facilities, maintain public health and social service providers to have a place to work out of. I’d like to ask the Minister again what her department is doing to ensure these facilities are functional and adequately being serviced by the health boards by ensuring that the dollars we give them are being spent on people to operate those facilities.
Again for the record, our objective of health care is not about maintaining and operating a facility. Our objective of health care is to make sure that every resident in the Northwest Territories has access to the health care they need and the health and social services care. Now, we understand that may require and does require patients to travel to services when it’s required. For example, doctors or specialists and sometimes special nursing services. Sometimes it requires the health care staff to travel to the communities. I think when we’re talking about the essential health care services that we need to provide, we’re talking about making sure that every one of our residents, no matter where they are, that they have access to care. It’s not about operating a facility. It’s about making sure they have care. In Tsiigehtchic they have had nursing services for 89 days last year and that comes to at least -- I don’t want to screw up my math -- four and a half months.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Mr. Speaker, I’m not too sure what it’s going to take to get through to this Minister that we’re asking for full-time positions for those communities that have the facilities are requesting the program to be delivered with full-time staff. When can we see a full-time position reinstated in Tsiigehtchic using the Minister’s powers, if she has any, to get that position filled so that we can have nurses in Wrigley, Tsiigehtchic and other communities of similar size so that they’re treated no differently than Yellowknife where you’re developing a super clinic and all these things that you’re pushing for? Why don’t you find us a nurse for our communities? That’s all we’re asking for. Get it done.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories adopted an ISDM model back in 2003, and that was what had prompted withdrawal of full-time nurses in Wrigley and Tsiigehtchic. So it goes back to 2003. This is the delivery model that we are using. The Member knows that if we are going to change that, we could do that as a discussion in the House as a business plan, but, again, the Member needs to understand that our health care services are being provided by making sure that everybody has access to care. It’s not necessarily about what all the services are, because we know that we need to get the service wherever we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are addressed to the Minister for Health and Social Services, and I have some further questions about the supplementary health benefit consultations programs. I discovered just within the last hour that it’s a bit of a moving target, this consultation paper that they have out there. I printed the document shortly before I came down to the House and went back up to check it again and discovered that the document had changed in the half an hour since I’d been down here. So I hope that it’s now finalized.
On page 14 or 15, depending upon which document you’re looking at, the department lists three things that need change, three statements, and I feel them to be fairly definitive. I’d like to know from the Minister how these three assumptions were determined. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the changes were made in consultation with a public working group. They had a meeting and they were quite pleased, actually, with the information that they received. They had some suggestions for change and that was incorporated and it was reinstated. I don’t have the document right in front of me so I don’t know exactly what assumptions and what page she’s referring to, but if she could specify that I’d be happy to answer them. Thank you.
The three assumptions are: that all families should have a fair and equal access to Government of the Northwest Territories funded programs that assist with the cost of uninsured health services; that the structure of these programs can be confusing, this makes application for benefits or claims frustrating; a statement that we need a clear policy; a statement that we need a program that provides help to those who are most in need while maximizing our limited resources, and the assumption is that the uninsured health benefits are sustainable for the Government of the Northwest Territories without eroding other programs and services. Thank you.
That reads to be like some of the observations that we are sharing with the public and looking for their input. The Member is right in that this is, I wouldn’t call it a moving target, but it is a living document, it is a live conversation we are having about the extended health benefits with the residents of the Northwest Territories.
In our last time out it was quite obvious that not just the NWT residents, but people across the country are not very clear about exactly what’s covered under the Canada Health Act, what’s covered as extended health benefits, what options are there for them to look at other alternatives about paying for their costs, what’s covered, what’s not, and who is eligible. It’s different in every province and territory. In the Territories, we have three different programs under extended health benefits, so the aim is to have a dialogue with our residents and come up with a more simple and transparent program and one Extended Health Benefits Program for those who are not eligible for NIHB or Metis health benefits. Thank you.
Then to the Minister: if these are observations, then I am a little bit concerned. These three things are prefaced by a statement which says there are a number of things we need to change about uninsured health benefits. That doesn’t sound much like an observation to me. If the Minister feels that these are observations and if these are, indeed, observations, I’d like to ask the Minister, is there an opportunity during the consultation process, which is going to go on or is going on and has just started, is there an opportunity to amend these observations, as she calls them, modify them, add to them, delete them? Thank you.
Yes, the public has the opportunity in their town hall meetings to challenge the observations, facts, data, and they could suggest their own solutions about what we should do with the information we have. I think it’s really important for people to have a productive, and to be engaged in, conversation. They need to have lots of information. So we are looking forward to getting the feedback from the people about the information that we have there, what suggestions they may have and what additions they could add. That’s exactly what the public working group has done so far, and we look forward to hearing from the committee also. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Your final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
I can assure the Minister that she will hear from the committee, I am positive of that.
To the questions that are a part of the document, I’m very glad to see that the questions are there. We could argue about the content of the questions for quite some time so I’m going to leave that, but I am a little concerned that the questions don’t leave it open for changes to the observations. So I would hope that anybody listening to the Minister takes her point that all of this is possible and any comments will be accepted.
I’d like to ask the Minister, the questions and this document that’s out there for discussion, I’d like to know from the Minister how it will be distributed to generate the largest number of respondents and to get the greatest feedback. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to make it clear, because I think that going back and forth questions may sound like, you know, we are in any way not open to receiving anything. We are open to hearing from the committee members, public, any interested organization, feedback to that discussion paper and the questions we have and in whatever format they want to do.
Secondly, we are going to -- now that the final document is on and because it went through some changes -- be distributing them as widely as possible. We’re going to put them on the website; we are communicating with the regional health authorities so that they can give it out to regions and communities; we are distributing to NGOs; we will have them in government offices; we will have them on cable TV, radio, everywhere, because we do want to have a dialogue with our residents about this program. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, Mr. Speaker, my Member’s statement was the education in today’s world and the education in Nunakput. The education in the world requires many resources, even through the buildings that house our students, the books, our basic supplies, all the school needs in today’s world. Much more is needed, Mr. Speaker. Our kids are increasingly left behind.
Mr. Speaker, this is Education Week across the Territories and across Canada. Considering all the unique educational challenges for our youth in Nunakput communities and considering that compared to the national standards of our students and the students are far below average in everything from the textbooks and per square footage for students and staff, Mr. Speaker, is the Minister looking into getting a report done with the Beaufort-Delta Education Council to see what’s needed in the communities of Nunakput? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if there is a report, it will be up to the Beaufort-Delta to produce one. And if they are, then we are looking forward to a report. At the same time, there is an Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative that’s underway. There are several meetings undertaken about the success of students and the programming, the schools and the enrolment issues. So those are the areas, the key target discussions that they are having. So if the Member can elaborate on the actual report that’s been worked on. I’m not sure what specific documents he’s referring to, if there is one. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, I’m asking for a report to get done in regards to the schools in my communities. The student-ratio is too big for the schools they are providing in the communities of Tuktoyaktuk and Sachs. I mean, I’m looking for a high school in Sachs Harbour that needs another whole classroom and little bit bigger facilities.
Mr. Speaker, I have eight kids in the community of Sachs Harbour that we’re failing them in the community of Sachs because we have nowhere to house them and no teachers to provide. Here this week, Education Week, we’re sending teachers down to Edmonton for basically a nice trip. Good job. Thank you. I’m really happy with all the teachers but, Mr. Speaker, for $50,000 we could salvage the students’ last two months of school. What is this Minister going to do, other than hiding behind the Beaufort-Delta education board? What is he going to do to fix the problem? Thank you.
We’re not hiding behind the Beaufort-Delta Education Council. We gave them the empowerment; we gave them the funding, because they’re the experts at the regional level. They provide us advice, recommendations, and also going forward on decision-making. So, Mr. Speaker, we’ve heard over and over from this Assembly and the First Nations assembly, First Nations community, the communities, that they want to have the power to make decisions. We gave them that authority and we have to respect that.
In my role as Education Minister, we do have the Education Act that we follow. All across the board, schools follow that. Mr. Speaker, with respect to the review that the Member is asking for, I need to work with the Beaufort-Delta Education Council and the superintendent. If they feel that there’s a need for that to happen, then, by all means, we’ll be more than happy and willing to assist in that area. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
You know, Mr. Speaker, they may be the experts in regards to what’s needed in the communities of Nunakput in the Beaufort-Delta, but, Mr. Speaker, sometimes we have to give direction. He’s the Education Minister. I have eight students in the community of Sachs Harbour not being educated right now that I want something done. They have two months left in the curriculum. They’re done school in May. What’s he going to do? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I have to correct the Member: we do not have eight students out of school. As of today we have one student that went back to Sachs Harbour, one student from Sachs Harbour that’s enrolled in school and supported the independent study, the other seven students are in school. A total of 10 students; sorry, a total of seven students. So, Mr. Speaker, these students are in school, second semester, and there’s only one that went back to Sachs Harbour for personal reasons. This is accurate information from the superintendent of the board of education council of the Beaufort-Delta. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s good that they’re getting the job done, getting those students back into school. But, Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is we have to start providing services to the communities of Nunakput instead of looking for handouts and table scraps in regards to this government’s allocation of funds for the education system. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister come up to the communities with me and see firsthand what’s going on? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I would be more than willing to visit the communities of Nunakput and other communities as well, just to visit the schools, the board chairs, the board councils. Those are ongoing initiatives that we are currently undertaking and we are making commitments to visit all schools. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
(Inaudible)…Culture and Employment, Mr. Speaker. In the goals of the department here, on goal five it says “Northerners will actively participate in communities and societies to their fullest.” Then later on in the binder it talks about the different opportunities that the department is going to initiate throughout 2010-11. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to ask the Minister in terms of the programs and training, as I spoke in my Member’s statement, in terms of training of young people. Can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment tell me what’s been done to prepare and implement training programs related to the Mackenzie Gas Project, Mackenzie Valley Highway or even the projects, and when will these programs become available to the young people in the Sahtu?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, through our Department of Education, Culture and Employment we do provide various subsidies and also training programs to the communities, whether it be apprenticeship, occupational certification that falls within the Apprenticeship Program, Occupational Program, Training on the Job. Mr. Speaker, we also provide Labour Market Development programs to the communities. That essentially involves building essential skills, self-employment, training on the job, apprenticeship, and youth employment and so forth, Mr. Speaker. Just recently we signed off with the federal government the Labour Market Agreement for those individuals that are youth and also that don’t qualify for EI, and work experience, skill development, community initiatives and building capacity. Mr. Speaker, these are just some of the training programs that we offer to the communities and there will be more in the other departments as well. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister did talk about the Labour Market Agreement. Also in the binder that I’ve been reading, the department is going to be developing a new framework, multi-year annual plans and program guidelines. I want to ask the Minister in terms of this initiative going forward in terms of involving the people in the Sahtu. Would he involve the people in the Sahtu in terms of going forward to have training programs in place, implemented and ready to go within the life of this government for the young people in the Sahtu region?
Mr. Speaker, by all means. Those are consultations that we need to have. We do have representatives at the regional levels; not just Sahtu region but other regions. We depend on their expertise because they’re fully aware of the community needs, the community programming, and what’s needed, what’s lacking. So those are areas that we need to have continuous consultation and dialogue with the Sahtu region.
Mr. Speaker, yes, we will have a dialogue with them. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, as I said in my statement, we have a high population of youth, young people under 25. It’s actually 45 percent of our population in the Sahtu that needs some attention. I want to ask the Minister in terms of helping the students in our regions, in our communities, to help them get into Aurora College programs in our communities under the Apprenticeship Training Program and working with them in terms of putting this Labour Market Agreement together so they could see people be productive members of society and to their communities.
Mr. Speaker, yes, we’ll definitely do what we can as a department, but I would encourage the Member to assist, as well, identifying those organizations that would pick up these apprentices. It’s almost as challenging a task for us as a department to seek out those organizations that are willing to take on these apprentices, but we’ll do what we can to train those individuals and provide subsidies for them to be trained as an apprentice. But at the same time, if the Member can assist in this area, that will be very helpful as well. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister is asking if I can assist. I can certainly do that, Mr. Speaker, in terms of going forward with putting programs in place for young people. I can do this through the request from myself in terms of also the leader from Fort Good Hope in terms of having a Sahtu education symposium where part of this discussion can be on the agenda in terms of going forward, and actually have other leaders to assist to make sure we get training on the ground for the people in the Sahtu.
I can commit to the Member that I am willing to work with them on this symposium that he’s referring to. He did bring that to my attention and I believe that’s going forward. I told him, if we’re invited, we’ll certainly be part of that ongoing process. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement today I talked about the relationship of this House and how we propose ideas and sometimes, if not most of the time, we feel like they get shot down. Mr. Speaker, I am going to have questions for the Premier, who I think is best suited for this type of question.
Mr. Speaker, I try to be a stalwart defender of consensus government, but sometimes, if not most of the time, it feels like it’s a one-way valve. I would like to ask the Premier what he does to advocate particular issues on our behalf when we raise them such as new schools or, sorry, we want schools repaired, we want nurses in our health centres. What does he do as a Cabinet policy to help us advocate those issues with those types of boards that are either duly elected or duly appointed? Thank you.
