Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a committee motion. I move that this committee strongly recommends that the government take immediate action to increase overall funding for addictions and mental health program delivery initiatives, including funding needed to implement the mental health and addictions plan and community wellness plan.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The motion is in order and is being distributed. To the motion. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This motion is as a result of committee deliberations that we never felt the government really achieved the 3 percent expenditures for mental health and addictions prevention and promotion, and this is one aspect of it. As well, I am pleased to move this motion because during my recent constituency tour in January, many of the community wellness plans were being approved by the communities of Nahanni Butte, Trout Lake, Wrigley, Jean Marie and, for the most part, Fort Liard as well. What this spoke to me about was that they’re very pleased, they worked so hard and worked with the Department of Health and Social Services working towards these wellness plans. However, they found that once they started combining their wellness plans in all aspects of health and prevention, addictions and mental health, that the funding pool wasn’t really enough.
So what this motion speaks to me about, and I’d like to champion and put on the record, is that more money has to be delivered to the communities on the ground. I’ve spoken in this House; as well, I’ve done a Member’s statement for the community. As an example, Trout Lake gets their community wellness planning, they get their addictions and mental health funding, I think there was one pot, it’s about $5,000, but almost $2,000 of it is used for travel. So as a result, they only got $3,000 for on-the-ground programming for the community and it doesn’t go very far. So by combining the pots, it’s still there, but at the same time we’ve got to take into account that travel into remote communities. Of course, there’s still travel for specialists for Hay River and Yellowknife. At the same time, when you start going to remote communities, you’re talking about air charter, higher costs of accommodation in those communities.
So that’s why I like this motion, I champion it and I’ll look for full Regular Member support as we move forward with this motion, Madam Chair. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called.
---Carried
Committee, we are on page 8-31, Health and Social Services, activity summary. Mr. Bromley.
