Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I am going to speak about the planned closure of the Edmonton Municipal Airport. This definitely will affect my constituents directly. Should this become an eventuality, people from the Nahendeh riding will have to experience a time element important for emergency medevacs. This amount of time can be the difference between life and death.
We, of course, do not see yet any alternate plans to serve the people of the North. The media in Alberta has reported the tentative plans of using the Edmonton International Airport and ambulances, and then there is the report that routing northern medevacs all the way to Calgary. This does not make any sense to us. It might for Albertans, but not to us Northerners. We are stakeholders in this whole debate. We should be part of the process of developing a strategy to accommodate medical needs should they close this airport.
I think it is also important for Northerners to know what our strategy is. What will the Minister of Health and Social Services and our government do to best serve our emergency medical needs? Remaining silent on this issue is not an option. Saying it is a decision of the City of Edmonton is the wrong thing to do.
We must be vocal and we must have a good strategy to take care of our residents in the Northwest Territories. We do have some time; a couple of years at the most, I think. Before this happens we should use that time wisely and use every resource we have to develop the best strategy for our North and Northerners.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about the potential closure of the Edmonton Municipal Airport. This is a direction provided by the City of Edmonton that they have been taking and studying for some time.
I’ve met and talked with the Edmonton mayor, Stephen Mandel, and have expressed the concern of many Northerners. He says they have a plan, which begs the question: What is the plan that our Territory has and how does it work for our residents when it comes to health care? Is our government ahead of this problem or even trying to get ahead of this issue? Or is it on the heels waiting for the final knockout? Is the government’s plan a head in the sand or even, looking outside today, in the snow? Depending on the season, of course. Because leadership is not demonstrated by sitting and letting someone else make the decision for us.
I have asked the mayor of Edmonton to come to Yellowknife to talk to Northerners and he has told me he would. I’ve written to him to follow up and we need leadership from this government to encourage and certainly make sure he does.
Where is our plan? Change isn’t always bad, but I can tell you when it comes to the unknowns, it causes great concern. Does the City of Edmonton’s plan dovetail with our vision of future health care? I can tell you that there is not one person who doesn’t care about health care in one form or another. This summer, while I knocked on doors as I do each and every summer trying to get to as many as I can, many people said this issue resonates with them. This issue resonates all across the North in one form or another.
We recently saw Envision Edmonton hammer away at this problem. They had an opinion, so where is ours? The mayor of Edmonton had told me they have a plan to accommodate. My question is: Does that work for Northerners? Are we involved in the development of that plan? That plan may not be bad, that plan may not be good, but we have to be involved in it on the ground level.
We are not voters in the city of Edmonton, but I told the mayor of Edmonton that we certainly are stakeholders and issues like health care are significant issues that affect all Northerners. This issue potentially could change the way future health care is delivered in our North. Again for better or perhaps for worse, that change will be received with passion and concern. Right now it’s only driven by confusion. In an emergency when seconds matter, what is this government doing as time ticks away?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to speak again about the provision of health services and the changing landscape of those services provided to NWT residents in Alberta.
Back in May I asked the Minister of Health and Social Services whether or not she had written a letter to the Government of Alberta or the City of Edmonton outlining our government’s concern over the impending closure of the City Centre Airport in Edmonton. She said, yes, we have written letters. To make a long story short, it took over two months to get a response from the Minister. That was only after she was threatened by an ATIP request from my colleague Mr. Abernethy to produce the letters. The letters came and, lo and behold, none were signed by our Health Minister. Letters were written by senior management to other bureaucrats in Alberta and some consultant in Missouri.
The bottom line is that this Minister did not take a position to defend our government, our communities, and the health and well-being of the public here in the Northwest Territories. Given the fact that the Health Minister did not get out in front of the closure of the City Centre Airport in Edmonton, how am I supposed to believe that the Minister is paying attention to ensure that the appropriate operational plans and infrastructure are in place before our medevac flights are moved out to the International Airport? Who is speaking for us and the public? Is it the Minister or is it her staff?
The Alberta government is currently undergoing some major health care reform initiatives that will definitely impact the services that our residents will receive in Alberta. It could very well mean that all medevac flights are directed to specific locations, such as Grande Prairie and Calgary. How exactly are we a part of these developing reform initiatives in Alberta? What will be the impact on our residents here in the Northwest Territories? What will it cost our government?
The Minister stated back in May that we are deeply involved in making sure that we minimize the impact of the possible closure of the Edmonton City Centre Airport. Well, I hope the Minister will take a leadership role in ensuring that we get the very best services and results for the people of the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
