Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to talk today about the ever becoming more famous Supplementary Health Benefits Policy of this government. Mr. Speaker, we have to start at the beginning and say, why change the policy? Some are saying because it was a decision of a previous government the policy was changed. Now we are just on the implementation end of that so we have to proceed with it. That is what they told us about the Deh Cho Bridge too. It wasn’t a very good reason.
Mr. Speaker, I think we need to look at this very carefully and very critically. What this debate on the supplementary health benefits has done inadvertently and unfortunately is made it look like in order to help people in a certain income bracket who are not beneficiaries of other health insurance that in order to help them, we needed to reduce the services to another group of people and we all know that, being the seniors of the Northwest Territories. This is the picture that emerges, that we want to take away from this group to give to this group. Mr. Speaker, that is pitting people against each other and that is not a good premise for how we are doing this.
Unfortunately, that is just the tip of what this policy would actually do. If this policy, if implemented the way it is laid out right now, proceeds as it is, in fact, there are going to be people who will opt out of third-party insurance in order to participate in this government. I know the government means well by expanding it. By expanding it, though, they are giving people the opportunity of not participating in employer health insurance programs and different things where they do pay premiums and to get this from the government at no cost. What is the cost? Who has to add up the cost? Who has quantified what the cost of that is? We can’t afford mistakes.
As long as we get a great idea, we see a mosquito on the window and we take a sledge hammer to kill it. I am sorry. We have seen this happen with board reform. Oh, we are going from 70 to seven. What it does is it takes what is in it, the essence of some very good ideas, and just blows it out of the water because we try to capture and bundle too many things within one policy.
Mr. Speaker, I know I don’t have a lot more time left, but I just want to caution the government, I beg the government, I beseech them to please look at all the ramifications of this, not to look at this in a superficial manner, please, because we cannot afford to spend millions of dollars unnecessarily, not with the kinds of challenges and demands that we have on our health care system today. Thank you.
The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to speak about the direction the Minister of Health and Cabinet has taken on the supplementary health benefits.
I’d like to begin by saying that the hypocrisy in this building sometimes is really something to behold. On Tuesday, May 10th, I stated the Health Minister was being arrogant and ignorant in her handling of the supplementary health issue.
Hansard is a very valuable tool, Mr. Speaker. Back on October 21st, 2005, Ms. Lee herself can be quoted as saying, “I urge this government to start acting like a responsive and responsible government, not an arrogant dictatorship of majority.” Mr. Speaker, back on October 26th, 2001, Ms. Lee was called on a point of order referring to a special committee report as a palace coup. In her speaking to the point of order, and I quote, “I have discussed this with my constituents and the words actually come from my constituents.”
Mr. Speaker, is this not how the system works? We listen to our constituents and the public. We are the voice of the people of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, and I’d like to remind Minister Lee of that. Her handling of the proposed changes to supplementary health benefits has, and continues to be, abysmal and embarrassing. Certainly the government must be listening to the valid and genuine concerns put forth by many of the Regular Members on this issue. Why is it that no one on that side of the House seems to be hearing us? Why is it that Cabinet is intent on silencing the public outcry on this issue?
Mr. Speaker, it will be a very sad day in the history of our Territory should Minister Lee and the government proceed with the changes to supplementary health benefits. My belief is they don’t know how devastating these changes will be in some of our residents’ lives, especially during the greatest time of need. If escalating health care costs are as big of a concern as we all know they are, why on earth would we put forth changes that will undoubtedly cost us more as people continue to dump third-party coverage? The plan is asinine and needs to be reworked.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, as if the plan itself is not bad enough, the administration and subsequent costs to government will certainly be more than our government could bear. Thank you.
The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
