Debates of October 18, 2006 (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to address my questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services again. I'd like to just state that in listening to the workers, I just feel that there are so many issues wrapped up in this about the hospital, at the Stanton Hospital, and various issues that are coming out of that. It involves many different units, many different professions, and whatever it is that's happening there is causing an exodus of very valuable, long-term not only health care professionals but hospital staff in general. Now, I understand this is a very sensitive issue and I don't think it's to the benefit of all of us if I get all the details in the House here. What I am interested in though, and the feeling I get, is that those workers need to be able to express what is going on without fear of being reprimanded or without feeling in jeopardy of their jobs. They have gone through all the procedures. They have gone to the union, they have gone to the management, and I don't think enough is happening in that regard and it shouldn't be. The Minister, of course, has to listen to his staff and he listens to us, but how is he listening to what's happening at the ground level? I'd like to know if the Minister would be willing to then ask the deputy minister and who's sending that, whatever they do, that they must prove or they must have a mechanism there that they're talking to the front-line workers. I want to know, I want to get assurance from him that he will make sure that he'll get a direct report from the front-line workers at the hospital, every one of them, every group anyway. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 124-15(5): Dialogue With Employees Of The Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll commit to the Member that I'll work with the deputy and we'll ensure that steps are taken so there is consultation in a free and open environment with not only the management but the staff; as she indicated, unit by unit. We will compile that information and we will look at what comes out of that and how best to respond to that particular feedback. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 124-15(5): Dialogue With Employees Of The Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I could tell you that these issues have been going on for quite a while. I have been listening to it for about a year and a half and, you know, it's just building and building and I don't think it's in the interest, actually, of the operation of the hospital and delivery of the health care services that this be continued any longer. I understand the extra impetus that the Minister and the department put on when session is on. It's nice. We could use this productively to shed light on issues that have been going on for a long time. So I want to set some time frames to the tasks that the Minister has undertaken. Could I get a commitment from the Minister that he would provide to us preliminary findings within the next two weeks? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 124-15(5): Dialogue With Employees Of The Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we will provide our preliminary findings within two weeks.

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

Supplementary To Question 124-15(5): Dialogue With Employees Of The Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to add one more thing to that, Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the Minister's willingness to work on this. I need to mention the fact that there are some employees, and it's the case anywhere, where they are scared of bringing points forward. If consultation is to take place in an effective manner, and a substantive manner, in a positive manner, all efforts have to be made to make sure that people feel free to talk and that they are part of the building process and not fingering or blaming. So could I ask the Minister for a commitment to work with the DM and the senior management, that they will take the necessary steps to make sure the workers feel not intimidated and that they're free to put their input into what they think is wrong with the operation of the hospital, or what their working environment is like? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 124-15(5): Dialogue With Employees Of The Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Clearly the Member must have been a negotiator at one time. I/m not sure how many questions she has left, but, yes, I'll commit to that as well. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 124-15(5): Dialogue With Employees Of The Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you. I'm going to go by very good…You know, sometimes we succeed here and sometimes not, and I have to tell you that the survey or whatever the HR department did in working out the questions to get at the concerns of the correctional services I thought were excellent. So I'd like to ask the Minister if he could review with us about sort of detailed methodology about how…He should talk with the senior management, whether it's by survey, or by interview, or by meeting; if he could work with us, from the Members on this side, as to what the plan is so that we could have some input into that process. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 124-15(5): Dialogue With Employees Of The Stanton Territorial Hospital

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we're going to be compressing a lot of activity here in a relatively short time frame, but as soon as we have an outline of how we intend to proceed, I will share that with the Member as the chair of Social Programs for her use and to be able to disburse to share with the other Members and for their feedback. Thank you.