Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So there is no such thing as stress leave, then. In fact, if a person is on stress leave, it just falls under the category of medical leave and they would then, I assume, be required to produce some kind of confirmation from a physician that they are entitled to be off. So just to understand, there is no differentiation between medical leave and stress leave? Thank you.
I didn’t say that. I just said that anybody that applies for medical leave, there are some requirements. If it’s for more than three days, you have to get a medical certificate, and Human Resources or managers don’t have the medical skills to be able to determine whether it’s valid or not. So generally if it’s for a longer term, it has to be vetted through our medical process. I think it’s involved with Stanton Hospital. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I’d like to ask what is the length of time an employee can be off on medical or stress leave with full paid benefits. Thank you.
I think anything over three days would require a medical certificate and it’s based on operational requirements. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you. I don’t understand that answer, Mr. Speaker. If somebody is off on medical leave, is the Minister saying it could be indefinite? Like they could continue to receive full pay and be off on medical or stress leave indefinitely, or is there a time period at which some other type of disability-type pay would kick in? Thank you.
If you are an employee earning leave credits for the amount of time that you worked and the amount of usage that you have, you are entitled to so much sick leave. If you use more than you are entitled to, then you have to enter into other arrangements, either leave without pay or you go on disability. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
QUESTION 109-16(4):
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister of Health and Social Services in terms of the swine flu, the vaccine and the information. She said there was a 1-800 number to call for people who inquire for more information about it. Is this 1-800 number also being translated into the aboriginal languages for the people who want to use their language to get more information with regard to this flu?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The 1-888, triple eight, number for the flu line as well as Health Line have services available in official languages. Thank you.
So I am going to take it that when she says it’s available in official languages, that’s 24/7. Mr. Speaker, I will ask the Minister for the elders, in terms of elders’ care when this vaccine team comes into the communities, that the team would be going to some of the elders’ homes that are unable to get to the health centres, if they want to get their shots.
First, a clarification. The flu line is on during the day and then after hours, you are probably encouraged to call the Health Line. The second thing, Mr. Speaker, the flu action teams are flying to the communities. They will be working very closely with the local staff to make sure that local languages are available. I am also encouraging the staff to work with the local staff to see if there are any elders or any other residents in small communities who are not able to get out. We do what we can to cover them. We are also doing that for any other...We are trying to cover as many people as possible in any way possible. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, some of the people I talked to, in my previous meetings with them, are somewhat sceptical as to the vaccine, because there were so many different reports on it and studies on it. Is the department also going to be advising the elders if they do not want to take the vaccine, that they are encouraged to use the traditional medicines -- that’s one way also -- to see if this is an acceptable method by the health centres? I am not sure if that will be a message that this Minister wants to give. I want to make sure the elders are given this opportunity to see if they would also take their traditional medicines.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT chief medical health officer and myself were on CKLB this morning for two hours and we had excellent questions from people from all over the communities, all over the regions. Mr. Speaker, I am aware of not just elders in the communities, but in many quarters of our Territory people are seeking information. I would like to encourage all residents to find out where the flu clinic will be in their community and if they have any questions, including the elders, that they ask the staff those questions and that they get those answers. Then when they are comfortable with getting the flu shot, they will take it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Your final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would again go back to the elders, to the aboriginal traditional medicine, if that is something the Minister is open to saying is acceptable if people don’t want to take the vaccine. Some people are very afraid. Some of the elders go back to the 1928 flu epidemic and there is still lots of concern about that. There is a big scare out there right now. People should know that it’s also okay to take traditional medicines in terms of dealing with this flu epidemic.
I don’t think myself as Minister or the chief medical health officer, even, could say, could give that kind of medical opinion that they can fight this H1N1 virus by using traditional methods of medication. I understand what the Member is saying. I think on an everyday basis, we should do everything we can to keep ourselves healthy, including taking traditional methods, herb medicine or anything else that works for them, including washing their hands and everything. Of course, all those apply. But with respect to H1N1 vaccine, our government’s position is that the best way to prevent getting this is to wash your hands, sneeze into your sleeve, if you’re sick, stay home and, fourthly, please go and take advantage of the vaccine. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Speaker, I guess I am really unclear in terms of the Minister not supporting the aboriginal traditional medicine in terms of encouraging some people who would want to use this. I think it’s a view as to what is best for the people. I truly believe that what she is saying, this is the way to go; however, she hasn’t given enough evidence in terms of showing me that traditional medicine is next best to the vaccine shots that people are going to get. I guess I want to hear more encouraging words from the Minister in terms of saying to the aboriginal people and elders, yes, you can take your medicine and that’s something they would be free to do rather than try to scare them into taking the flu shots if they don’t want them.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, no one needs to take the vaccine if they don’t want to. What we are trying to do is give as much information as possible so that people will make informed choices.
Mr. Speaker, I am not saying that the traditional way of healing is not good. That is not what I am saying. What I am saying is I am not medically qualified to say that the traditional way of medication would fight this H1N1 virus.
Mr. Speaker, I think it is important for people to know that this is a new virus. Nobody is immune from this virus, because it is new. It has a behaviour that is surprising people. We are at the very beginning of this second wave. We don’t know where this flu will end up in four to five months from now. For all of the Ministers of Health in Canada and chief public health officers, in our opinion, looking at all of the data available, the best way to prevent major illness or death from H1N1 is to get the vaccine. That is not saying that you shouldn’t be taking any other precautions. If you like Echinacea, or if you have…I know the Member for Sahtu relies on traditional medicine. The juice that they give from the local trees, those are all good. Take that, but I am not qualified to say that that would fight the H1N1 virus. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Please provide a precise breakdown of health care provided to the people who reside in Tsiigehtchic.
How many times this past year has the doctor provided care in the community, when the visits were scheduled and how long did the doctor stay in the community?
Also, can I get a breakdown of how many visits per year has a registered nurse been to the community and how long was the visit?
And finally, does the health and social services board provide care in the means of mental health counselling, and does the dentist visit this community?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I wish to table the following document entitled the Department of Finance: Strategic Action Plan 2009-2012. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Status of Women Council of the NWT Annual Report 2008-2009. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 1-16(4), NWT Capital Estimates 2010-2011; Tabled Document 18-16(4), Supplementary Appropriation No. 2 (Operations Expenditures), 2009-2010; Tabled Document 19-16(4), Supplementary Appropriation No. 3 (Infrastructure Expenditures), 2009-2010; Committee Report 1-16(4), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 Annual Reports; and Committee Report 2-16(4), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on the Review of the Auditor General on Contracting for Goods and Services in the Northwest Territories, with Mr. Krutko in the chair.
I would like to call Committee of the Whole to order. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 1-16(4), Tabled Document 18-16(4), Tabled Document 19-16(4), Committee Report 1-16(4), and Committee Report 2-16(4). What is the wish of the committee? Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The wish of the committee today is to deal with the infrastructure budget for the departments of Transportation and Public Works. Thank you.
Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
With that, we will take a short break and then deal with the Department of Transportation in Committee of the Whole.
---SHORT RECESS
Sergeant-at-Arms, could you escort the witnesses in?
For the record, Mr. Minister, can you introduce your witnesses?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Margaret Melhorn, deputy minister of Finance; Russ Neudorf, deputy minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Welcome, witnesses. We are on Department of Transportation on page 9-2, department summary, so we will defer that. Are there any general comments in regards to Department of Transportation? Infrastructure investment summary, page 9-2. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just for clarification, are you asking for general comments on Transportation?
General comments, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The comments I have would be on the projects that we have ongoing in terms of the long-term investment this department here is having in the Northwest Territories and the amount of work that is going to be carried out in different parts of the Northwest Territories and the challenges that we have with the projects that are before us. I want to ask the Minister in terms of these projects being done on time. There are certain unforeseeable incidents or circumstances that delay some of the projects. That is part of the nature of doing business in the Northwest Territories. I guess I’m going to ask the Minister somewhat in terms of the confidence of having this department carry out most of the projects through the scheduled time that they said they were going to do them.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister from that profile.
Mr. Chairman, the Member’s question of whether we have confidence that we will be able to carry out the projects, of course we have confidence in our staff. We will have to qualify that by stating that this past year and this year coming has produced a large number of projects, a very large budget, probably the biggest budget in our department’s history, and it’s really put a strain on our staff to deliver them. But we’re quite pleased to state that 80-plus percent of our projects that are on our books are either at the tender stage or are in the actual construction stage. So we will probably have some carry-over, but I think we’re doing very well in terms of getting all the projects out and in the process system. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don’t need to go through a list of projects that have been delayed or put over for another year, because of some of the work that wasn’t done or was overlooked, maybe. I do know that there’s very competent and capable people doing these projects and I’m grateful for the amount of infrastructure dollars that are going into the North, especially into our communities in terms of transportation. You can see the priority in terms of the federal government in terms of the dollars that this department is receiving in terms of funding for much needed infrastructure in our communities and the challenges by the people in the North here, by this department, to have these projects completed. I think this department has a fairly good record in terms of being completed on time. I’m not too sure how much is on budget. They state that they have their projects fairly on budget when they do go with the projects here.
So I guess what I’m looking at is in terms of the amount of work that’s being done here and the challenge, I guess, in terms of the money that’s going to be allocated here and the staff here. I know there’s a need for engineers in the department. One of the things I always note is there are engineers needed right across Canada in terms of transportation. So that’s why I asked. Sometimes we don’t have the resources when we want them. We certainly need engineers. Engineers are spread very thinly across the North here. I’m just noting an observation here in terms of this much needed profession here such as engineers in this department here. That’s what I’m asking. Are there other creative ways, rather than to exhaust the existing staff? You know, use contracting out to maybe engineering firms, that we have a good plan to keep these projects on the books, on time and on schedule. Because I know there are some projects that are not quite following what we said we were going to do. That’s my concern.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Michael McLeod.
Mr. Chairman, the Member is correct; I think historically we have had some challenges filling some of the positions for engineers and project managers. Our senior staff over the last year or so have really worked hard to improve that. We had the opportunity to hire a number of people in the technical area. I think we’re probably better positioned now with the people that we’ve brought on stream and some of the work being contracted out. So we are in a good position to move forward. We don’t expect it’s going to cause a lot of concern now that we’ve staffed up.
I have to admit, though, that there are some things that are causing delays, such as weather. We had some discussions already with the Member for Nahendeh about work that was delayed due to rain and wet weather that just couldn’t be done. So those kinds of things are unforeseen and we’re probably going to see more of that as time goes by.
For the most, and in response to the Member’s question, we are doing a lot better than we have historically. We’ve been able to fill a lot of our positions and we’ve been able to contract a lot of the work out also, so it’s really put us in a good position to move forward on these projects on our books. Thank you
