Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, understanding the experience and certainly sharing the frustration is much appreciated. Mr. Speaker, I have seen people sort of challenge these on their own. I know a particular father out there who has a child who is handicapped. They are challenging people face to face who park in handicapped parking. I fear for them because one of these days it is not going to be just two people arguing in a parking lot. We need some type of trepidation that sends a message. Mr. Speaker, what can the Department of Transportation do at this stage to help sort of build up this issue to make sure...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My same question stands. Is this the same area under primary care division or public health division where we get into the diabetic treatment? If so, what programs are being presently offered and what new programs are being contemplated in this budget cycle year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to use my Member’s statement to sort of paint a picture about an experience that was brought to me by a constituent. Could you imagine your life if you were handicapped or a child of yours was handicapped? Moving around in this city is difficult enough with a child who is in a handicapped situation, but could you imagine how difficult it is from time to time finding parking spaces and you pull up to a parking lot to find that the vehicle occupying that space doesn’t have a handicap placard?

They came to me with this concern, and I’ve seen it many times...

Just one last thing -- sorry -- on this particular file. Has our Health Minister ever written the federal Minister of Health in regard to this specific concern? Would the Minister be willing to provide any correspondence if the department did so, and would the Minister be willing to provide any response as to how the federal government has provided her in her action to help address this problem? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, this may not be the time or place in the context of that level of detail, but I’m just trying to understand if it’s a year-by-year agreement, what are we actually negotiating or renewing if it sounds like it automatically renews at a flat escalator of 2 percent? I mean, I’m just trying to understand what are we renewing. Thank you.

I appreciate that answer but, with all due respect, I think that’s an issue of semantics where we’re saying something similar. Ultimately, I think that it goes back to the question why are they funding us that particular case and on what basis are they funding us that particular case? Thank you.

Thank you for clarifying which page my specific question would be on. Seeing how it is related, I’d like to continue. What is the present formula that causes us to get $21 million for that type of care in this particular budget cycle? What type of inflationary factors are built in? As I understand it, the territorial government services cost more than we’re being paid. In other words, did we put in a particular figure and did the federal government respond with a particular figure and, of course, what would that figure be? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under revenue summary, I’m just curious as to finding out what particular money is built into this bottom line here that emphasizes the money paid to us through our NIHB figures. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, with the budget before us some things sort of pop out and I’m certainly pleased to see the evolution of our downtown clinic. Through this budget it will help support that. Our budget also supports the soon to be opening dementia centre, which is excellent news and I think it is a step forward in the treatment of people with this chronic ailment. It’s certainly a good thing to see that we have a facility that’s up to date with an appropriate way of helping people through this problem. The day shelter, there will be funding for the day shelter or drop-in...

Thank you considerably for that excellent answer. That’s the type of information I was trying to get at: what do we provide for weight loss assistance or support for people with diabetes? Again, this is one of the areas a constituent of mine has been denied on the basis that it would be offered locally. I’d like to know what area that that would be new for this coming year. Thank you.