Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we all know, programs and services are essential to delivering services throughout the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, the reality is a lot of our communities are losing programs and services which are either being cut back or phased out altogether.
Mr. Speaker, I’m talking about the nursing position in Tsiigehtchic where we have a health centre which, again, is not functional because you don’t have a full-time nurse to maintain and operate and provide the essential service.
Again, Mr. Speaker, cutting back at the Joe Greenland Centre in regard to moving it from a level three facility to a level two. There again, we’re cutting back programs and services in our community which is essential for the care and the well-being of our residents.
Mr. Speaker, standing up here time and time again, regardless of making Member’s statements...(inaudible)...petitions, or in most cases, getting motions passed from my colleagues in this House to support these initiatives and to keep them in place so that we can have programs and services that other people take for granted.
I think, Mr. Speaker, it’s imperative that the Government of the Northwest Territories has a universal health system that works in all communities in the Northwest Territories, that basically encompasses the importance of not only our front-line nursing staff but the regional centres and also Yellowknife in regard to how health care is being provided. But, Mr. Speaker, once you start taking positions out of our communities, regardless if it’s a nursing position in Tsiigehtchic or closure of the long-term care facility of the Joe Greenland Centre, this has a detrimental effect on the whole delivery system in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, time and time again petitions have been filed, as I did again this week, which was basically given to the Minister of Health January 11th in Aklavik, in which a public meeting at which over 100 people were in attendance, in which a lot of commitments were made and a lot of discussion took place. Again, this government made commitments publicly on exactly how they’re going to continue to deliver programs in regard to elderly programs in Aklavik through the Joe Greenland Centre. Again, that is the commitment we made.
I think, Mr. Speaker, it’s important that this government realizes that when you talk about independent living, day programs, and all of the essential programs, you need to run such a facility as the Joe Greenland Centre, commitment is not only a verbal commitment, it needs a financial commitment.
At the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister of Health exactly where we are in our commitment to our communities.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
