Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to be clear: are the professionals employed by the Northwest Territories government putting our citizens first or the private contract that they’re providing to Nunavut?
Case by case is pretty thin, to be honest. A parent who has a child with autism can only receive a few hours a week for OT therapy as well as speech therapy. The problem is that the amount of time a week they receive for therapy here in the Northwest Territories is what is provided in Alberta for one single day.
My question once again is: would the Minister be able to look into the situation and develop a framework so these parents accessing money through Yellowknife Health and Social Services can use some of that money to access more — and private — speech and OT therapy that’s available?
Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize a few guests in the gallery. We have a group visiting from Lacombe, Red Deer, Alberta, visiting family and friends. Their names are Ken Morton, Norma Camman, Ben and Marg Linkletter, Everett and Marion Joselyn. As well, in the gallery, we have Ed and Joan King from Lloydminster. Welcome to the Northwest Territories.
I move that this committee recommend that the government provide a comprehensive response to the report within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just in closing I want to say that this side of the House has spoken in favour of this. I certainly appreciate the Premier’s point of view, but the issue really comes down to the fact that, while tinkering’s okay and adjustment’s okay, if this BIP doesn’t evolve, it doesn’t need to exist. The thing is, it’s not evolving, and that’s what we’re asking for. We’re saying we think it needs to evolve to properly exist, to be implemented out there for the business community so they can access it fairly and reasonably.
It won’t take long. Someday I’m just waiting...
I wasn’t sure what part of the yes was part of the answer. The issue really is infrastructure projects under the Government of the Northwest Territories. If they go over time or over budget, the construction groups that usually develop those projects are the ones that get the bad rap. I think they can be part of the solution. I just want to make sure, when we look at this aspect of timing, from design to implementation and development of these infrastructure projects, that these groups are included.
If the Minister could just make it clear that, before any policy is set in stone, he will...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of our problems with our capital projects is that they quite often will go over budget and run over the time schedule. Some of the things that have been identified are making amendments to our policies and trying to figure out how to run it a little more efficiently and certainly spend better dollars. I’d like to ask the Minister of Public Works and Services: have they done any work on developing a policy to meet that end?
Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize a friend, Steven Veness. He’s up there with Tricia Melanderford.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a written question for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Would the Minister provide all the details and information garnered by way of consultation and research use to develop a policy specific for treatment offered to children with autism?
Would the Minister provide such policies developed and used by the Department of Health and Social Services specific to the treatment and care of children with autism?
Would the Minister provide all details specific to working arrangement and agreements with service organizations and other governments that...
It was important to get that on the record, because I want to ask the Minister: what is he doing for public consultation to ensure that we’re getting good products out there? Has he made any efforts to contact the Association of Architects, the Maytag organization, the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as well as the NWT Construction Association and finally the Arctic Energy Alliance? What work has he done to consult with these organizations to help work in partnership to deliver better product, more efficient product...