Debates of June 8, 2006 (day 8)

Mr. Speaker, after we leave this House today I would like to get somebody to go back and do a word check and see how many times we heard the words "under review" during the last eight days, because it was quite significant.

But, Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Minister responsible for perpetual planning. That’s his own phrase that I’ve stolen from him there. Mr. Speaker, the emergency response services in our communities, I raised this last time in the House, I asked for a measly $10,000 to give to our local emergency response volunteer group in Hay River so that they could come up with a proposal for what they need so that they could engage the support of industry, and the government, and the municipality and different departments, and this request was denied and yet we have hundreds of thousands of dollars to study other things. Apparently a comprehensive report has come out. I believe the Minister has briefed the mayor of Hay River on this particular subject, but I still don’t know exactly what the Minister is going to do to address these issues about emergency response volunteers. I don’t know what he’s going to do about liability. I don’t know what he’s going to do about compensation. These are all outstanding questions and I’d like some answers from the Minister today before we leave for the summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we’ve committed to come back to this House in the fall with a plan that’s going to lay out how we want to rationalize, as a government, this particular service and coordinate the efforts across the departments that are impacted; as well, be able to work with the communities on the best way to move forward both with the emergency response, the ambulance service, as well as the medical transport fees. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 94-15(5): Community Emergency Response Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a very comprehensive and thick report on this subject has already come out. Why is it going to take to the fall for this government to respond? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 94-15(5): Community Emergency Response Services

Mr. Speaker, we have to sort out a number of fairly complex issues, service provision, there’s a whole host of different models of what’s already in existence in the North and across different communities. There’s liability issues, there’s legislative issues that have to be addressed and there’s no one clear model to do this. So those are the type of issues we’re trying to come to grips with here in the next few months as we finalize that work. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 94-15(5): Community Emergency Response Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the meantime, there are people who are resigning from positions. There’s not a lot of clarity around liability, there’s been lawsuits that have been filed by the Workers’ Compensation Board. There’s just a lot of outstanding questions and I think the time is of the essence. What is the Minister going to have in hand by the fall that is going to actually not just see more review and more study, but something tangible in the hands of these folks who are offering these volunteer, but very, very important services to our communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 94-15(5): Community Emergency Response Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We intend to be able to come forward with some clear options of a layout and answer some of the questions as we see them as a government in terms of the liability, the role of Health and Social Services, which is the ultimate end user, what role MACA plays if any, the type of legislation we’re going to need, how do we address the liability issues. As we, for the first time, will be formally acknowledging that this is a service that we have a vested interest in, we have to be able to speak to the resource requirements, how do we support communities that are doing this through their town councils and community councils. We have some that are done on contract. So there’s a number of complex issues to sort out. We have to, as a government, have those answers or some options to those answers by the fall. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 94-15(5): Community Emergency Response Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that sounds like we’re going to be ready to examine options by the fall; we’re not going to be ready to implement any solutions. So could the Minister at least confirm that he thinks these issues will be resolved and addressed and a clear framework laid out during the life of this Assembly at least? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 94-15(5): Community Emergency Response Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue has been on my agenda now for the last year or so and I’m very committed to try to have these issues resolved in the life of this Assembly and a process initiated that’s going to allow us to lay out a plan of how we’re going to move to a more rational funded kind of arrangement where we recognize the costs and we work with the communities to come up with a service delivery model that is effective for different communities across the North. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Before I go on I’d like to recognize in the gallery Mr. Ray Anderson from Matco.

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I understand that they’re having a 40th anniversary celebrations, being in the North for 40 years, tonight actually. Also with him is his daughter Kelly and son Damon.

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