Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve been approached by a constituent in my community with an idea which I am completely in favour of, and that is to extend the Domestic Violence Treatment Option court program to Hay River. This is another innovation that is so far only available in Yellowknife but could also be done elsewhere.
A person who is charged with violence against their spouse can take responsibility for their actions and enrol in a treatment program. To be accepted, the offender must plead guilty, the Crown and defence lawyers must agree that diversion from Territorial Court is appropriate, which means low-risk cases. The offender attends a pre-court meeting with the treatment team, the lawyers and bail supervisors. If all goes well, the offender begins an eight-week treatment program. It is designed to address the emotional and psychological causes of domestic violence. Additional counselling is available to work on related programs such as drug or alcohol addictions. The offender and the treatment team must report progress back to the court. The offender’s progress is fully reviewed by a judge before sentencing.
This program has great potential. It is all about rehabilitation, changing destructive behaviour, and rebuilding families and communities. I would like to see the Domestic Violence Treatment Option court expanded to Hay River, which would also benefit the nearby communities. In order to be successful wherever such a court is set up, it must have the resources necessary to assist the offender with rehabilitation. It must be effective. It cannot become a way for chronic abusers to reduce their sentences without changing their behaviour.
I do have faith in people and in the innovative work being done by our Justice department and courts, and would like to see Hay River benefit from the expansion of this program to the South Slave.
Later today I will have questions for the Minister of Justice on this topic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON
EDMONTON MEDEVAC AMBULANCE FACILITY
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not more than two weeks ago, the residents of NWT woke up to the new GNWT medevac program for patients who normally would be transferred to the downtown Edmonton municipal airport were now being taken to the new air ambulance operations at the International airport. What is interesting is that our Minister of Health and Social Services, in a recent press release announcing this new service, indicated that they have achieved their goal in improving the quality of patient care. I’m not sure about you, but adding over 35 minutes to the backend of patient travel is not, in my mind, improving one’s chance of survival. I believe the Minister owes the public an explanation on how this service is somehow improving our quality of care.
Furthermore, the residents are now reassured that the Alberta Health Services air ambulance facility is located in the same building as the STARS Helicopter. One would only assume that our critical patients will be whisked away to the nearest hospital by helicopter, right? Well, it appears that since the launch of this program, the STARS Helicopter has not been used once for any critical care residents. One has to ask, why use the soothing sounds of such an opportunity when in reality it is really only lip service?
Adding insult to injury, our Department of Health and Social Services and our Minister have also failed us in not addressing some of the other key barriers of this so-called new quality of patient care. What about the continuity of patient care? We now have multiple paramedic practitioners during the patient transfer. What new risks are we now exposing the patient? What about the increased risk of communication errors? Multiple practitioners, multiple patient records, multiple verbal communications all add new exposure risks to the patient transfers.
What about the lack of cultural needs for our patient? Northern patients have northern cultural needs. Our patients are unique and will these southern paramedic practitioners understand these challenges?
Finally, what about all the extra undue stress for their patients? The entire medical event of leaving the North, your home, your language, and being handed off like an orphan at the door is very traumatic in itself. Will this new magic carpet triage centre offer and create the same trusting environment of the original door-to-door service we once had? Many do not think so.
The residents of NWT deserve better. We are not orphans to be abandoned at the door of the bus stop. We deserve top-line health care, not Third World health care.
Of course, I will have more serious questions on this topic later today for the Minister of Health. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
