Statements in Debates
Would the Minister be willing to provide the details of the questions I’ve asked earlier about the details of what their insurance is, the premiums, things like that — those types of details? I won’t repeat every one of those questions, but would he be willing to provide that detail to me?
I’ll go on to my next question, which is the $133,000, after he’s done.
Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services on the issue of aftercare to persons who have undergone addictions treatment, I quote from her letter to me dated February 5, 2008, which I tabled yesterday. The Minister says:
“Following discharge, as part of the post-treatment plan, the client is expected to take responsibility for contacting the referral service to ensure that ongoing treatment and support will be provided at the community level through the Mental Health and Addictions counsellors….”
I would like to ask the Minister what the letter means...
Mr. Chairman, I was just going to reaffirm that I hope the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is taking this seriously, the increase, and that I too – Mr. Ramsay beat me to the punch –- think that this is now a serious demonstration of how we could fix some of our expenditures and our problems associated with that.
On top of that, a lot of people know that this would bring a new and much higher profile to the college, that I think it requires and is also hungry for, because I think this college now wants to continue to grow. As well, it has potential, I think, of migrating towards...
Mr. Chairman, I’ll start with this one. It looks like we have a $33,000 increase to fund increases associated with salary and life and disability insurance for our Territorial Court judges. If we ask ourselves aloud: how many judges do we have in the Territorial system? We have four. Over 12 months, that works out to be a lot of money as an increase just for insurance.
I’m just wondering maybe if the Minister can break down the detail. It looks like almost $600 per judge per month as an increase. That seems like a lot of money just for an insurance sum. Did something change? Is something...
What does it cost to hire one of these professionals if we were to staff them at Stanton Hospital? Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, changing gears but on the same subject, you said recruitment of family lawyers. Would the Minister be able to provide the details of the staffing levels of those who are were practising family law in the legal aid system. How much would this $403,000 change or add? Would that give us one lawyer or two lawyers? Would that give us a full complement, et cetera?
Mr. Speaker, we’re asking for a simple process. The Minister can set forward an initiative, a directive, by saying “Create a consultation process that phones people once every three months, six months” — whatever the Minister feels appropriate — “to re-engage folks.” We’re throwing money away if we send them out for treatment and we don’t help them follow through. Treatment is a lifelong process. We just can’t say, “Here’s a pill. Take it. Good luck. See you later. You’re on your own.” I want to see that we follow up with people. It’s a good investment for people; it shows the government cares...
Mr. Speaker, in November I raised the issue of follow-up on treatment programs for individuals. My questions were directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services. The Minister wrote me back, just a couple of days ago, in response to my concern about not having a follow-up process. One of the statements in her letter to me basically put the onus back on the person who’s sought treatment programs and basically said it’s their obligation to work through this process, and if they want to call in for support, it’s up to them
Mr. Speaker, my concern is that the Minister is taking, back to my...
I wasn’t 100 per cent clear on the Minister’s answers there. Did he say he would take into consideration those two areas of concern I raised: the way increases happen in the context of the amount; and further, about helping people get out of their leases if they’re built into contracts and they have to leave the normal municipality they live in?
Mr. Speaker, today I raise the issue of concerns I have with the Residential Tenancies Act. I know it’s coming forward eventually, and let’s hope it comes forward in this Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, the issue is about concern with protection, and the fact that I, not unlike in many other constituencies hereabouts in Yellowknife and throughout the Territories, have many rental units. It was told to me that someone was forced to sign a lease of…. I don’t want to belabour the circumstances, but it was like: you sign here and pay this much, or basically get out if you don’t like it, and the cost to...