Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to speak about the Deh Cho Health and Social Services and having no board, but firstly I wanted to quote from the report on the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples that was concluded in 1996.
“Aboriginal people are at the bottom of almost every available index of socioeconomic well-being, whether they are measuring educational levels, employment opportunities, housing conditions, per capita incomes or any other conditions that give non-Aboriginal Canadians one of the highest standards of living in the world.”
This is the same for health in my riding. My riding is majority Aboriginal and coupled with the fact that health and delivery of health service is an entrenched Aboriginal right. My people in my communities want to see authority and autonomy restored once again over the Deh Cho Health and Social Services. This is empowerment of health by the people for the people.
They are very concerned and have no information on the plans by the Department of Health. What are the next steps with Deh Cho Health and Social Services? When will the board be in place? How long will it take? When will we have our own CEO?
I do want to add, I am glad that there is a commitment in this House that the CEO will not be from outside the Deh Cho. My constituents of Nahendeh and the people of the Deh Cho want to get back to the business of running the Deh Cho Health and Social Services by our people and by our own staff once again.
I will be asking questions of the Minister at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
