Debates of March 2, 2006 (day 40)

Mahsi, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Premier.

Further Return To Question 503-15(4): Appointment Of Regional Superintendents

Mr. Speaker, the regional superintendents of the Executive will report directly to the deputy minister of the Executive or the secretary to Cabinet. That person reports to me. The executive directors will give us regular reports on the activities in the region and that will include any description of any difficulties they’re running into. They will certainly have the authority to call together all of the regional superintendents or any one superintendent if they feel there is an issue and report on that. Mr. Speaker, if there are difficulties or problems or crisis happening, then it will be brought to my attention very quickly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my Member’s statement today, a constituent had a massive heart attack yesterday and was medevaced to Edmonton and the wife was very upset because she couldn’t jump on the charter. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Honourable Michael Miltenberger. Just what is the department’s policy for family members to jump on the medevac charters? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. The honourable Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 504-15(4): Medical Escort Policies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a medical call and it sometimes will depend, I’m not familiar with the circumstances that the Member has raised in the House here, but depending on the type of plane and who is on it and if it is of a special plane that has a team of specialists on board versus just a regular charter. So there’s a number of factors to consider, but it’s initially a medical call. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.

Supplementary To Question 504-15(4): Medical Escort Policies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time I was told that the attending physician made that call that she couldn’t jump on the charter when I found out yesterday. Mr. Speaker, given the nature of a patient’s condition, I would like to ask the Minister why wasn’t the wife allowed to jump on the charter because of the patient’s condition? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Minister Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 504-15(4): Medical Escort Policies

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not familiar with the particulars of the case, but as we raise these questions in the House, my staff up in the office is making notes and will be following up on the particulars so that I can address those issues with the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the past few days I’ve been speaking on the travel with medical travel and I’ve paid particular interest to the case of a lady from Inuvik who had experienced some difficulty while being transported in a taxi. My intent, Mr. Speaker, is not to blame anybody. It’s to see if we can find the problem and find solutions. That’s why I’ve been questioning Mr. Miltenberger. Providing on-the-ground transportation should be an essential service. It should not be a business and a lot of people give him business then they will tend to cut a few corners so they can make a buck and you can’t blame them. So I would like to ask the Minister if the department does regular reviews on the provision of ground transportation services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 505-15(4): Medical Ground Transportation Services

Mr. Speaker, there’s three components to the issue of transportation. There’s the issue that comes up with highway rescue, there’s the issue of ambulance services and then there’s the issue of ground transportation within communities for non-emergency or routine access. In some cases, like in Inuvik, there is a contract with the health centre with a private businessman. In Yellowknife, Stanton has a contract for the ground transportation with a local taxi outfit and it’s a routine pick-up and delivery for non-emergent care and that’s within the purview and mandate of the authorities, or, in this case, Stanton. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 505-15(4): Medical Ground Transportation Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Minister for that. When I speak of on-the-ground transportation I’m usually referring to all of them because they all, as far as I’m concerned, are linked. So there’s 147 new positions going into the government and there’s 98 of them in Yellowknife alone. Would we not be able to allocate two of those 98 positions whose only function will be to pick up medical patients? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 505-15(4): Medical Ground Transportation Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What we are doing is we’re doing a comprehensive review, as I have indicated in this House, on the whole issue of ambulance services, and that document is going to Cabinet here in the next few weeks then at which point we’ll be looking for feedback from the Members. We’re interested in trying to look at rationalizing and improving the service and better coordinating it to deal with issues like liabilities, standards, training, so that as northerners we have a common sense and understanding of what can be expected in communities in this particular area. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 505-15(4): Medical Ground Transportation Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated when I opened my questioning, that I wasn’t looking for anyone to blame, I was just looking for some answers so we can come up with some type of solution. In speaking to the family members of the lady that had the trouble, you know, they’re also looking for answers. So I’d like to ask the Minister, has he asked for an inquiry or an internal investigation into the incident to be sure that further incidents like this don’t happen again? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 505-15(4): Medical Ground Transportation Services

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve had discussions with the deputy about the need to backtrack on a step-by-step basis on this whole incident so that we can have that assurance, we can review what transpired, when, the times, and ensure that if there’s things did not work accordingly, then we make the necessary adjustments. So, yes, I’ve had discussions with the deputy and asked that that work be done. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources just for public record on what the bison recovery management plan that this government intends to follow through on. Maybe the Minister could just provide this House with information on the results, I guess, of the last meeting that we had this afternoon with some community members on how the Hook Lake bison recovery project is going to be handled over the next few months. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Villeneuve. Minister Miltenberger.

Return To Question 506-15(4): Hook Lake Bison Management Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would say that we had a good meeting at lunch with the chief and the Metis president and some councillors and the Member himself. We’ve agreed to a number of steps. We had a good meeting where we came to an agreement. It’s a difficult, sensitive issue. There’s a letter being drafted that I’m going to sign off that’s going to be given to the chief and the Metis president so that they can, when they return home tonight to their communities, they can let the people know in fact what has transpired. At this point, Mr. Speaker, without making this more complicated than necessary, the chief and Metis president or the Member hasn’t seen the letter yet, which will reflect the meetings, and the people in the community of Resolution have not, as well, had a chance to hear anything from their leaders. So while I would like to be as open on this issue as possible, I’m sensitive to the fact that I wouldn’t want the people in the community to find information out in the House maybe before the leadership has had a chance to carry that message home. If the Member is of the opinion that we should pursue that question, then I would be happy to share some of that detail. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 506-15(4): Hook Lake Bison Management Program

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I realize the sensitivity of the whole issue is reliant on what the reaction of the community is going to be once they receive that letter and the notice of what the government intends on doing, but I think it’s in the public interest. You know, I don’t think it’s any big secret that we should contain or retain any information that I think that the public is entitled to, including residents of Deninu Kue, whether it’s heard here in this House or later tonight at a meeting with their chiefs and the president of the Metis. I think if they did hear it through this House, that they can go to the meeting tonight with some idea of basically what the letter is going to contain and, hopefully, maybe present some ideas and suggestions as to how the community should react. Would the Minister be able to provide that information? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Villeneuve. Minister Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 506-15(4): Hook Lake Bison Management Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Then with that understanding and feedback from the Member, I would be happy to inform the House that at the meeting at lunch we agreed that firstly that the project to depopulate the herd would continue and it’s still under quarantine and considered infected, and in fact they found another infected animal yesterday, I believe. We’ve committed to meet again on the 23rd in Yellowknife with the Metis president and the chief and the Member to talk about the issue of what may be appropriate for compensation. We’ve agreed with the community that we would negotiate with the band and the Metis, for the band and the Metis and the community to do the rehabilitation of the site that’s required, and that we are going to proceed with the process of moving a number of the animals down to a facility and a home where they will be slaughtered and tested, and the meat that is deemed to be healthy and clean will be put for sale and we will look at returning those proceeds to the community. I believe that, in a nutshell, Mr. Speaker, is highlights of the key points that we agreed to. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Hook Lake Bison Management Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that information. Just with regards to the proceeds of the sales of the good meat that’s going to be going down to Lacombe, could the Minister provide some information on any assurances that the proceeds will actually go back to the community and not get gobbled up by the department, or the administration, or the bureaucracy? What kind of reassurances or guarantees can he provide the community in saying that they will get all the proceeds from the sale of the meat? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Villeneuve. Minister Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 506-15(4): Hook Lake Bison Management Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That commitment was made to the leadership at lunch today. I’ve indicated here in this House on the record that that is the case and that particular commitment will as well be included in the letter that I will be signing off and giving to the chief and the Metis president for them to take back to the community tonight. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 506-15(4): Hook Lake Bison Management Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just with regards to the depopulation of the herd in general. I know some of the leadership have expressed some dismay in the way the practices are being carried out, the depopulation practices, and they’re saying it’s disrespectful and should not be done in the way that it has been done in the past. Can the Minister maybe inform this House the current practices that the department is exercising in the depopulation are going to be more respectful and just basically more respectful for the animal itself and for the community members? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Villeneuve. Minister Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 506-15(4): Hook Lake Bison Management Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was agreed that we would continue with the process and it was agreed, as well, that, as the Member indicated, there was one area that was of concern and that is if an animal has been found to be diseased it was agreed that there would be a specific site now used where the bodies of the animals would be taken to and burnt as per the requirements under the legislation and policy. So that was agreed to and it was recognized that we wanted to provide that certainty so that the community was aware and we all had the same basic understanding of how that particular part of the process would work. In regards to the rest of the project, we will continue to be very careful and respectful in our dealings with the community as we have been to date. That one area was identified and we agreed how to rectify that at lunch today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to continue to ask questions to the Minister of ENR regarding the caribou problem as I see it. In the Minister’s own words, we don’t know the exact numbers out there, but I propose positive suggestions out there, such as issuing a third and fourth tag to potential hunters who want these. So would the Minister consider those ideas and come back with a response? It’s a positive suggestion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Miltenberger.

Return To Question 507-15(4): Caribou Management Policies And Procedures

I thank the Member for his interest, but not at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 507-15(4): Caribou Management Policies And Procedures

Mr. Speaker, that was a horrible response, Mr. Speaker. You know, his little wishy washy responses, Mr. Speaker, are quite offensive to hunters out there who are resident hunters, Mr. Speaker. We need to be very clear. Earlier he said, well, you know, we have a learning curve. So he never even answered the question of what happens in an honest mistake. What if a hunter, a resident hunter shoots a cow instead? I need a clear response what the Minister is going to do and instruct his enforcement staff when that case happens, because it will happen.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 507-15(4): Caribou Management Policies And Procedures

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I listen very carefully to all the Members’ questions and I try to respond in a clear decisive way. He asked some questions, I did answer them. He may not like the answers, but that’s different than not answering the question and I believe I’ve been very clear. If in this process we’re going to be cognizant that there are some new guidelines coming into place, some new measures and there may be a learning curve and some time to make sure that everybody is up to speed and aware of the circumstances, and we’re going to have that in mind as we implement the interim measures. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 507-15(4): Caribou Management Policies And Procedures

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At least the Minister is consistent. I didn’t get an answer on that. So if a hunter goes out there, shoots a cow, what happens to this guy? Does he lose his truck, does he lose his gun, does he go to jail for two years? What happens if an honest mistake is made and an honest hunter is faced with the choice of hiding the meat or ignoring it? What happens? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 507-15(4): Caribou Management Policies And Procedures