Thank you, Madam Speaker. My questions this afternoon are for the Minister of Health and Social Services on the issue of the announced transfer and the decision to move the TTC, the treatment centre for behaviourally disabled youngsters, from Yellowknife to Hay River. The Minister said on Friday, in relation to another issue, that it makes sense to have the services as close to the people as possible. At the risk of taking his message or his intent out of context, I really do believe that in this case there is a very strong similarity. Madam Speaker, 75 percent of the young residents are from Yellowknife and north, yet we are looking at moving the facility to a community that is even further away. If the idea is to have the services as close as possible to the people it serves, how do these two square? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 41-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, dialysis is a requirement when you have been diagnosed with that need and it tends to be there for the rest of your life unless you get a kidney transplant. That’s somewhat different than the assessment and treatment services that TTC provides or Bosco provides through TTC, which are assessment and up to two years of possible treatment in a residential setting.

Madam Speaker, you can also look at the numbers in the North in a number of ways. Between 30 to 40 percent or 60 to 70 percent of those accessing the program were from communities outside of Yellowknife. What we have is an opportunity here to move a program to a community that has the capacity to do the job. I have indicated in this House the rationale why last week and that rationale still stands. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 41-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre

Bill Braden

Great Slave

Madam Speaker, in relation to the comments about the ability of Hay River to provide the services, I am getting some very strong messages, very solid information, that indicates there would be a real ripple effect, not only for the Territorial Treatment Centre, but a number of other related services in my community in Yellowknife. So I want to ask the Minister again to justify why this decision has been made. According to media reports, the requests aren’t before this House yet, but some $3 million will be sought to pay for these changes. Why are we being asked to accept this proposal now, this plan, this decision? Why are we being asked to accept this decision now when there really isn’t a solid plan in place that would explain how we are going to deal with the consequences? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 41-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as I indicated in this House, a decision has been made to relocate TTC to Hay River. It’s going to be a process that is going to take some time. There are some renovations to be done. We will come forward in the business planning process with the details of the move. I have also committed in the next day or two to provide this House, the chair of the Social Programs committee and her colleagues, with information that got us to this point. That is the process and this is going to take some time. The business plan is where we intend to come forward with the transitional steps we are working on at present. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 41-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre

Bill Braden

Great Slave

Madam Speaker, one of the things I will be looking for to test the Minister’s rationale and his explanation can be found in a policy document, Health and Social Services establishment policy, which was last revised in May of 1999. This policy lists seven principles, Madam Speaker, the seventh of which says, “All activities of the health and social services system should support an approach that places the needs of people first.” Will the Minister be able to bring us a rationale that is going to support this principle, this people-first principle? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 41-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we always put people first, and this program delivered by Bosco Homes is going to be relocated to Hay River to provide the same service. We will have the same expertise that we currently have with Bosco Homes, the folks they can tie into with their broad network outside of the Northwest Territories. So there is no diminishment, in my opinion, in the program quality. We would definitely not jeopardize any northerner, any child, in care for any reason. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 41-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre

Bill Braden

Great Slave

Madam Speaker, the first principle, huge principle, of this Assembly, not just the Department of Health and Social Services or any department, all of our attention should be focussed on people first. In this particular situation, Madam Speaker, I am not convinced that we are going to be honouring this principle. Will the Minister rescind this decision until a business plan is placed before us and the people of this community to prove that indeed we are going to be making this move and still honour the principles and the mandate that we have to supply this service? Will the Minister back off on this plan? Thank you.

Back off!

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 41-15(4): Relocation Of The Territorial Treatment Centre

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my ears are still filled with the echoes of the debate in the last session of this House on a similar circumstance that was put forward by the Member for Hay River South on a circumstance that is somewhat related to this in terms of their community and the impact on their community. Unfortunately, the reality is that in this case, not unfortunately, but the reality is in this case, Madam Speaker, we are tasked to carry out a certain project and a move and we are doing that, and we will come forward in the business plan to lay out the detail. We will be proceeding under that direction. Thank you.