Debates of October 18, 2006 (day 10)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to get back to my Member’s statement. I want to talk about the importance that this government places in the area of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, what I think has been allowed to happen here in the last little while is the government is diminishing the value that health is in our territory. I don’t believe it is fair to our residents that the government continues to allow this practice to happen. I mentioned it earlier. Across the country, a Health Minister is a Health Minister. His other responsibility is not the environment. I think it is such an important piece of this puzzle that I have to ask the Premier some questions today about how this all came about. I guess I would like to start, Mr. Speaker, with how did the Premier decide on the Cabinet assignments after the split of RWED? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

Return To Question 117-15(5): Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, let me say that we are not the only jurisdiction in which the Health Minister also has other portfolios. When I look at Prince Edward Island, it is Social Services and Seniors, but they are separate departments. I look at the Yukon; the Minister is also responsible for WCB. I don’t know all of the jurisdictions, but, Mr. Speaker, whenever I assign portfolios, then I have to look at the interests of the Ministers and also whether or not I feel that they can carry the workload. All of the Ministers in our government carry at least two portfolios, including myself. Some carry three. Mr. Speaker, some even have four in terms of responsibility for specific issues. But, Mr. Speaker, I look at the interests of the Minister, the ability to be able to carry the workload and allocate accordingly. Of course, with only seven on Cabinet, it is a hard task to have everybody have a fair workload. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 117-15(5): Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it speaks volumes about the government’s outlook on health and social services here in the Northwest Territories when we spend 30 percent of our budget in an area like health and social services and we don’t have one Minister looking after it. I think that is appalling. It should just be completely unacceptable that a Minister can hold a portfolio of the environment in addition to something as important and as critical as health and social services in our territory. It behoves me as to how this could be allowed to happen, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Premier, he talked about workload, does the Premier believe that the present workload on Cabinet is evenly distributed? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 117-15(5): Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Mr. Speaker, I don’t know. It is always of opinion on whether it is equal. I am sure some Ministers someday feel very overworked and others may feel that, well, we haven’t had a lot of issues in my department or whatever recently. Mr. Speaker, it is as equitable as I can make it right now, in my view. Mr. Speaker, if I take the Minister of ECE’s responsibilities, well, it is ECE, which is a big department and a very important department in our government, as is Health and Social Services, but he also holds the position of Government House Leader. He is also Minister for the Workers’ Compensation Board, for Official Languages and the Status of Women. That is a big workload for one individual to hold. Is it equitable? Is it fair? In my view, I think all of the Ministers are doing an excellent job in being able to manage their portfolios and recognize that, at times, some do get very busy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 117-15(5): Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just last week the Minister of the Environment was away basically from his responsibility with Health and Social Services for a week attending FPT meetings, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Premier. How does his government go out to the people of the Northwest Territories and say health and social services is important when they don’t have one Minister looking after something so important as health and social services? I think it is appalling, Mr. Speaker, and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 117-15(5): Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think all of us on this side view Health and Social Services as a very important department. There is no question about that. We also consider environment to be very important. I tell you, in the case of the Minister, the Minister is there. I can vouch for him. He is there at 7:00 in the morning. He is there at night. I will talk with the Minister about whether he has had to miss meetings of Health and Social Services or Environment because he is just too busy with other tasks, but, Mr. Speaker, I don’t think I will have a perfect balance in terms of workload on Cabinet, but I am confident that the Ministers are all carrying their workload in a good responsible way. That is not trying to degrade the responsibility of health or social services. They are both very important. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 117-15(5): Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again I will get back to this. I think that the Premier and this Cabinet are eroding the responsibility that they have to the residents of the Northwest Territories by not having one Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. I am not saying that the Minister can’t do the job or his work ethic or anything like that. What I am saying is that we need one Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. He shouldn’t be saddled when other Ministers don’t have as much of a workload. That is what I am getting at. I want to ask the Premier, if he is not going to take steps to remedy this, does he need some help from me or other Members across from him on this side of the House? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 117-15(5): Ministerial Portfolio Assignments

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me say, as well, to add is that we do have other Ministers as well who take on responsibilities to health in the health field, as an example, as well as in other areas. If I look at the responsibilities that are health related out of the Department of Human Resources that Minister Roland, as well as being Minister of Finance, the Minister of Public Works and Services handles. I find that there are nine different areas where Human Resources has taken on some responsibility on recruitment, training programs, bursary programs and so on. But, Mr. Speaker, I will look at this. I always listen carefully to what Members are saying in this House and certainly take all of that as good advice on how we carry our workloads on this side. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.