Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to be clear, no decision has been made on this at all. We're just exploring opportunities, and I mean absolutely I think this is a big deal. It could be perceived as two-tier healthcare, which we don’t want to create, but we have to make sure that remains affordable. So this is absolutely something that I would have a discussion with the social committee before finalizing or moving forward.
Thank you, Minister. Do we have any further comments or questions on supplementary health programs? I see none. I would call this activity. Health and Social Services, supplementary health programs, operations expenditure summary, activity total, $33,513,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed
Thank you, committee. Next we have a series of information items beginning on page 184, funding allocated to Health and Social Service authorities. Comments or questions? Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On page 184, I notice we're looking at a $1.5 million increase over the three authorities there. Could the Minister explain how these numbers were calculated? Because some regions seemed to have disproportionate increase compared to the collective, so if the Minister could please explain that process. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. These are accumulating totals of the previous pages; everywhere where it says basically transfer to authority, this is just the accumulated total. The Member is right; that's true. Some regions, like the Sahtu as an example, have a number of positions being added to cover the long-term care. Hay River has one position for their facility as well, so there is some growth in some regions of the Territorial Health Authority compared to others.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for his answer. I guess I'm just looking at the NWT Health and Social Services Authority. You've got an increase of $716,000, and then the Tlicho had $607,000, and so I'm trying to understand. We have four communities in the Tlicho and one in Hay River, and then the rest is the Northwest Territories. So I see an increase, but I see it as a disproportionate. Is there a rationale for this? Is it just because there are new beds or new jobs that are offered, or new services that weren't accounted for before? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think to understand the increases and decreases you have to go through each line because there are offsets, there are sunsets, there are reductions, there's forced growth. There are a number of things that are included in this. What I can say about the Tlicho is there are a number of beds being opened in the Jimmy Erasmus Long-Term Care Home, but the same is true in the Sahtu which is in the larger number, even though the larger number appears to be growing at a slower rate. If you factor in the sunsets and the forced growth and then the additional positions and all those types of things, it's more like a wave than a direct line as far as how these totals are attained. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the Minister for the clarification. It's helped a lot. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I wanted to ask the Minister if the recent agreement with the federal government is reflected in work performed on behalf of others or is it reflected somewhere else in this budget? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister. That's on page 186. So I see no further questions for page 184. We'll skip that. We'll get to 186 after 185. We'll go page-by-page for these information items. Do we have any comments or questions for 185, Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, lease commitments? I see none. We'll move onto page 186. Mr. Beaulieu, continue.
My question, I see home and community care as one item here. I see mental health and addictions, but as an information item, so I'm just wondering if the recent agreement signed with the federal government is reflected as work performed on behalf of others or if it's reflected just within this overall budget somewhere else?
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the agreements haven't been signed. They're not recognized in this budget. Once they've been signed and we actually know what's going to be allocated on a fiscal year basis we'll be able to update probably by way of a supp in the future. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Nothing further.
Anything further on worked performed on behalf of others, pages 186 to 188? We can return to page 155, the total department. There are also some information items on pages 156 through 158 associated with it, including position summaries and revenue summaries. Comments or questions first. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, before we finish discussion on this area, I want to address three areas in which the Regular MLAs would like to see some additional investment, and I'm just going to go over them briefly. There have been detailed questions. First, we're looking for additional money for our Youth Mental Health Strategy to help young people who are facing mental health issues and also perhaps concurrently addictions. We are looking for additional money for the anti-poverty fund which would extend the good work this fund does at the grassroots level to combat poverty in our communities which as we know the poverty is at a very high levels.
Finally, Mr. Chair, we are looking for an investment in homecare. We know that the Minister is currently working on a continuing care plan, but we also know that homecare resources are stretched very thin right now. For example, there are fewer homecare resources in Yellowknife than there are in the Beaufort Delta, so that we know an investment is required sooner rather than later. Certainly that's what I've heard very consistently from my constituents, and they're talking not only about nursing but personal support workers as well. So as I say, before we leave this page I would like the Minister to again consider these specific areas of investment that we have requested, and I'm pleased to answer any questions that he may have arising from this. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Recognizing the time is now 6:00 p.m. I will rise and report progress. We will resume this discussion tomorrow and will be taking more questions and comments on this section, but being 6:00 p.m., we don't have the authority to go past 6:00 p.m. So I'd like to thank the Minister and his witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. I will now rise and report progress.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 261-18(2), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2017-2018. I would like to report progress and, Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.
Do I have a seconder? Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Carried
Orders of the day for Wednesday, February 15, 2017, at 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers' Statements
Members' Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Commissioner's Opening Address
Petitions
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
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Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act
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Bill 13, Marriage Act
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Committee Report 6-18(2), Report on the Review of Bill 7: An Act to Amend the Revolving Funds Act
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Tabled Document 261-18(2), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2017-2018
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Masi, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Wednesday, February 15, 2017, at 1:30 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 6:05 p.m.
