Debates of June 2, 2004 (day 18)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pursue a further question on the Member's statement that I made earlier today. As I stated, Members here often express our frustration of the fact that when we are presented with a budget so much of it is locked in. One of the things that are locked in is the care for these clients in southern facilities for various causes. It could be for a disability or for some other cause, and they're just locked in. We don't revisit it, we just pay whoever it is that we're paying, and for some of it a lot of money. This facility that we're talking about in Edmonton, we have 10 people in this facility and we're paying more than $1 million. I would submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that is a critical number of clients as well as a critical mass of dollars that would allow us to do our own thing in the North. Often the case is made that we have two clients here and two clients there and it's not enough for us to have to hire all of the resource people that are needed, but I don't think that argument can be made here. So I would like to know from the Minister how much thought he has given, or his department has given, to see how we could repatriate these clients to the North so that money can be spent here and the services can be given in the North by northerners. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 197-15(3): Repatriation Of Disabled Clients In Southern Institutions

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of repatriation and providing, as a government, services to the people we serve within the territory is not a new concept. If we look back to 1967 when the government came north and the services that were there then and the services that are here now clearly indicate that we have been evolving over the years and decades and that there are a tremendous amount of services we provide in house, be it in education where we now can do college or some university accreditation, or in health and social services where we have group homes, we have childcare facilities, we have facilities for seniors and the tertiary level care services we provide at Stanton. So it's not correct to say that repatriation is just an issue that just popped up today. In this particular case there's an issue with a group home in Alberta and we're dealing with that issue. Are we looking at repatriation? Yes, we are. Are we going to put it into our longer-term plans? It's there; we're trying to do as the Member, my colleague from RWED, indicated. We are currently under a number of fiscal restraints trying to look at realizing some savings, and within that context we are trying to operate and we are going to look at this particular issue. I've indicated in this House to the Member for Hay River South that we are going to look at some immediate possibilities, as well as the longer term. So, yes, it's on our radar and, yes, we're acting on it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 197-15(3): Repatriation Of Disabled Clients In Southern Institutions

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I sense a little bit of contradiction in the answer that he gave, Mr. Speaker, as he is saying that this not a new issue, but he is also saying that he's going to look at the long-term plan, and I'm telling the Minister that's not good enough. Mr. Speaker, I understand the Minister has found the notes, and he's budgeting $3.1 million for 25 adults next year, and $4.1 million for 35 adults the year after. I'm telling you that is enough money for us to have our own facility in place whether we are using existing buildings, and the Member for Hay River South mentioned the adult group home in Hay River is totally underused. There are only three people who are staying there. I understand there is a facility in Simpson. I understand from the Member for Sahtu that there is a seniors' home sitting empty in Deline, and I have already given an example of a brand-new facility in Inuvik that is housing one person. So I'm not satisfied with a long-term plan. I want to know if the Minister has looked into this, and if he hasn't, would he do it today? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 197-15(3): Repatriation Of Disabled Clients In Southern Institutions

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is no contradiction, and I'll do my best to satisfy the Member, as difficult as that sometimes may be. The reality is, as I've indicated, Mr. Speaker -- and this is not just a case of putting a roof over somebody's head -- we're talking about clients, many of them with complex, multiple needs that are very specialized. So I think it's an overgeneralization to say let's just round them all up and stick them into every available space we may have up here willy-nilly, regardless of what their needs may be. So, yes, we're looking at this and we're going to do it in a careful, measured way. We're looking at some short-term possibilities; as well, we're going to look at the long term. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 197-15(3): Repatriation Of Disabled Clients In Southern Institutions

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Surely that's not what I'm suggesting, for the Minister to do anything willy-nilly. I don't mind breaking out into a song, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction,"…

---Laughter

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…as long as I'm doing that on behalf of my constituents and people of the North. Mr. Speaker, he has not answered the question about whether or not, first of all, he knows about these four facilities. Have any of the hundreds of staff that he has under his supervision looked at these buildings? Has that come onto his radar screen? Could the Minister commit to look at these buildings and see if they are at all usable? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 197-15(3): Repatriation Of Disabled Clients In Southern Institutions

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the level of the Member's satisfaction is the level of detail I don't think I really need as the Minister. However, I will attempt to respond once again. These are very specialized placements, they're not necessarily institutions, they're supported living, there are multiple needs, some of them very complex that require specialized care. Are we looking at this? Yes, we are.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 197-15(3): Repatriation Of Disabled Clients In Southern Institutions

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not asking any of the Ministers to satisfy me…

---Laughter

…I'm asking the Ministers to do their jobs and use the money wisely. Mr. Speaker, I want to say that I'm not looking for all these 25 or 35 adults to be put together. I understand that they all have different needs. But we know for a fact that it was enough, it was satisfactory to put 10 people together in a facility in Edmonton. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for us. Would the Minister consider putting them together into any of these facilities we have? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 197-15(3): Repatriation Of Disabled Clients In Southern Institutions

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is not a facility with one huge roof like Wal-Mart. We're talking about individual living accommodations and supports for people with complex needs. I have indicated to the Members involved that I would be happy to look towards arranging a tour down to Capital Health in Edmonton to look at all our health services…

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…and all our social services that we contract with them. We did it in the last assembly and it was a very informative tour for myself and the Members who went along, and I would be willing to look at arranging that again. We are looking at the individual needs, the individual clients. The intent is to put them into as home-like supportive living as possible, as opposed to any kind of major institution where they are just housed with dozens of other people. That's not the intent here. We are trying to respond to individual clients, many of whom are very complex. Thank you.