Debates of November 28, 2007 (day 4)

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Ms. Lee.

Further Return To Question 40-16(1): Emergency Health Services Response For Rural Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely. I make a commitment to be in Tsiigehtchic at my earliest possible opportunity; perhaps in January. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Supplementary To Question 40-16(1): Emergency Health Services Response For Rural Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I’d like to ask the Minister if she can also ensure that the resource people who are responsible for health care delivery in the Inuvik region are present at this meeting so they can respond to the community by way of a community meeting so that the resource people are present along with the Minister. But if I can ask the Minister, could she give me a more general date and time, like the first week in January, so we can sort of nail it down so I can forward it to the community and the chief of Tsiigehtchic? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Ms. Lee.

Further Return To Question 40-16(1): Emergency Health Services Response For Rural Communities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, absolutely I will work with the Member to make sure that we have all the resources and staff necessary from the Beaufort-Delta authority who could be there with us. Secondly, I am looking at the first week after the holidays in January as a travel time to go to the Inuvik area and Tsiigehtchic and the surrounding communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Justice, just with regard to the national issue of tasers. I’m just wondering, is the Minister aware of any change in operations or, I don’t really want to say review there, Mr. Speaker, but is the RCMP in the North more sensitive to this issue now that it’s been raised at the national level for use in the North?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Lafferty.

Return To Question 41-16(1): Taser Gun Use By RCMP In The NWT

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are aware that there’s national events that are happening with regards to the taser gun. But with our jurisdiction in the Northwest Territories, we’re quite small and quite low with the incidents to that matter. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 41-16(1): Taser Gun Use By RCMP In The NWT

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps the next question, I know I thought I saw it in the newspaper, but how many incidents in our northern territory of the use of taser was recorded? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Lafferty.

Further Return To Question 41-16(1): Taser Gun Use By RCMP In The NWT

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ll certainly make an effort to check with my department and be willing to share with the Member on the stats. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 41-16(1): Taser Gun Use By RCMP In The NWT

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As well as if he can also request the stats on the use of pepper spray as well, because that’s just as serious. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Lafferty.

Further Return To Question 41-16(1): Taser Gun Use By RCMP In The NWT

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, we will provide the Member with information on stats pertaining to pepper spray and also the taser. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll try not to forget my question halfway through this time.

---Laughter

My question is to the Minister of Human Resources. I’d like to start off by thanking him for his statement on human resource efforts and acknowledge all of the hard work that the staff at the Department of Human Resources have put in. Now, listening to the statement, something strikes me as being missing and that’s there was no mention of poor morale in the public service.

Through conversations with my constituents, it’s obvious that there are pockets of poor morale within this government. There are silos where there are problems. Is the Department of Human Resources going to conduct any surveys or studies on the public service as a whole to identify those silos or areas where poor morale exists and put in plans to address them so that the services that are being provided to the public are the highest quality? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister responsible for Human Resources, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Return To Question 42-16(1): Public Service Morale

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the honourable Member for his observations about morale in the public service. As I said, human resources are our most important asset. This is an area which is difficult to quantify. In the past we’ve used employee engagement surveys. This is something that we will be doing, I understand, in the near future. The last employee engagement survey that was undertaken was in 2006. At that time the results of the survey indicated that most of the employees were satisfied with the responsibilities of their position. I think that’s probably the best way to determine the morale of government employees. Otherwise we’re just relying on the observations from individual employees. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.

Supplementary To Question 42-16(1): Public Service Morale

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the problems I see with a survey that’s conducted over an entire public service is it gives you a general or an average, which would suggest that maybe morale isn’t awful, but maybe not that good. But it doesn’t identify those pockets where there are toxic environments. Is there any way that you can dig deeper into the surveys broken down by area in general to identify those areas where there is a toxic work environment where a significant amount of work needs to be done to bring up the morale and improve services to the public as a whole?

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 42-16(1): Public Service Morale

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Certainly that's an area that we are looking at. I think we would like to undertake a process of many surveys so that we can, it will give us the ability to focus in on specific problem areas and help us to react to them more quickly. As the Member knows, the problem with engagement surveys is getting people to respond. Generally if we get a third of the employees to respond, we think we're doing good. If similarly we target specific areas, we would have to take that into account. But this is something that we are definitely looking at doing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.

Supplementary To Question 42-16(1): Public Service Morale

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I acknowledge the difficulties in doing those types of surveys and how often individuals who are upset or have poor morale may not be willing to respond to them because they don't feel that it will do any good. I encourage the Minister to get out there and have people get out and actually meet with staff, and go out and meet with those staff and encourage them to actively respond to those surveys under the understanding that they are confidential. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, although I may be strong on the Justice side of the concerns of dealing with the drugs and alcohol when I talk about wanting to bring forward the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, I'm also a firm believer that it's part and parcel with treatment programs. So, Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services in that regard. I'm aware of no formal policy that has a follow-up program for people who go out for treatment, Mr. Speaker, so my philosophy is it's a lot cheaper to call people and ask them how they're doing as opposed to wait until they need treatment on a relapse. So would the Minister of Health and Social Services investigate this problem and move forward in developing a policy so we have a follow-up procedure for folks who go through treatment programs?

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Return To Question 43-16(1): Addictions Treatment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m aware of at least in Yellowknife there are lots of programs being provided by NGO organizations at the Salvation Army, other counselling services. There are aftercare follow-up being done. Perhaps there’s not as much as we would like to see. I think that’s one of the big pieces that we’re working on as Caucus as a whole and 16th Assembly in terms of coming up with the plans and putting more focus on dealing with addictions and mental health issues. I look forward to having a lot more discussions about that and how we go about reaching them and how we improve the whole continuum of services available in dealing with addictions and mental health issues. So, Mr. Speaker, thank you, thank the Member for the question.

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

Supplementary To Question 43-16(1): Addictions Treatment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this isn’t something I’m always going to say, but it’s not just about Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the fact is…

---Applause

…places like Poundmakers have a short little form. It is called the three-month follow-up and they do a yearly follow-up and several other types of follow-up. So running into somebody at bingo or at the store is not a follow-up, Mr. Speaker. I would like a formal policy developed so we have our treatment folks that we contract out to have a formal procedure to follow as what I would call a follow-up program. Would the Minister commit to looking into this and establishing a formal program? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Ms. Lee.

Further Return To Question 43-16(1): Addictions Treatment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can assure you I was not in any way suggesting that any follow-up was being done in bingo halls. Mr. Speaker, the part of the Mental Health and Addictions Strategy of the North has provided a number of positions that work with the whole continuum of care. There are about 69 community wellness workers all across the Territories and there are lots of other addictions workers, counsellors. There are lots of programs that have been put into place. Understandably, I would like to review, as a Minister, how we are doing in that regard. If there is room for improvement, I think that there is lots of interest on the part of the Members, being that we are a new Assembly, that we want to get into prevention. We want to strengthen the programs available for treatment and addictions strategy at all spectrums. So, Mr. Speaker, I am willing to work with the Member and the House to see how we could improve this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Supplementary To Question 43-16(1): Addictions Treatment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does "I am willing to work with the Member" mean that, yes, they will do this? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Ms. Lee.

Further Return To Question 43-16(1): Addictions Treatment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With all due respect to the Member, this is a highly complex and difficult issue. It is a huge area dealing with addictions and mental health issues. It needs a very comprehensive and focused energy on the part of this Assembly. I am willing to work with the Member on aftercare, before care, prevention, treatment and everything else that has to do with addiction strategy. So, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working in that regard. I don’t think it is a simple yes or no question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 43-16(1): Addictions Treatment Program

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would, first of all, thank the Minister for her commitment on that, but the fact is that it is not a difficult process because I have a two-sided paper. If they are looking for a lengthy bureaucratic approach, I will walk across the way and hand them the paper. We could do this today. We need a policy today so we can start this mechanism today. It is not a lengthy one. Would the Minister clearly say yes they will move forward on this and have something so we can discuss maybe in the next session in February? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Ms. Lee.

Further Return To Question 43-16(1): Addictions Treatment Program

Mr. Speaker, I have to tell you, I don’t really know what it is that he is talking about. I think he is talking about aftercare program. I state that, again, Mr. Speaker, that is an important part of addiction strategy and mental health issue. I am willing to work on that. If the Member wants to provide me with any information that he would like me to look at, I would be happy to look at that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, the Honourable Sandy Lee. I would like to thank the Minister for her recent visit to Hay River and her tour of all of the facilities that fall within her department in Hay River. We had a good look around at things. I have heard my colleague talking about some of the working conditions and structural conditions at Stanton Territorial Hospital. Of course, I can’t fail to mention that we have some huge infrastructure challenges with the hospital located in Hay River. Now the Minister has had a chance to have a first-hand look at those. I would like to, first of all, ask the Minister if the $14 million capital carry-over that was identified in the last government’s budget for as a class of an estimate for either redevelopment or renovation of our health facility in Hay River is still on the books today? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Return To Question 44-16(1): H.H. Williams Memorial Hospital Renovation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to, first of all, thank the Member and yourself for the invitation to visit Hay River facilities. I had a well programmed, productive visit to Hay River a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I did visit the facility. With respect to the capital program, Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that project was in the books as a renovation project in the last budget for 2008 and 2009. Since then, with the work of the public administrator, there is a need to look at that as more of a new capital project. That is what is in the works. We are going through the capital planning process, so there has been a change to the nature of that project, but it is not defined yet. It is in flux stage yet and we are reviewing all of the capital projects as a Cabinet, I believe, in the days coming. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 44-16(1): H.H. Williams Memorial Hospital Renovation

Okay, I am not liking that word flux stage, Mr. Speaker. We had a $14 million capital commitment from this government for either the renovation or replacement of the hospital in Hay River. Has the decision definitely been made that we are talking about a replacement versus a renovation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.