Bill Braden

Thank you. I guess I will take that one as notice, then, until the report comes out, Mr. Speaker.

On the clinical side of this question, my colleague from Hay River South told us, when she addressed this issue a couple of days ago, that 36 percent of our hospital admissions are for mental health and addictions related causes. Mr. Speaker, are we adequately resourced in our hospitals and clinics to deal with this disturbing and substantial problem in admissions and care in our hospital system? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As Mental Health Week comes to a close, I would like to bring to the attention of this House the concerns of many families and the victims of mental illness and professionals involved in health care service about the suitability of our own Mental Health Act. The NWT’s act was passed in 1988, Mr. Speaker. Today, it is clinically, administratively and perhaps even from a human rights point of view, significantly behind the times.

In most other jurisdictions, the foundation of mental health legislation has moved from the concept of where a victim of mental illness may be a...

Thank you, Mr. Chair and Mr. Murray. One of the big challenges that agencies which are familiar with performing or delivering this service here in Yellowknife have indicated, that to expect a similar level or calibre of service can also be delivered in Hay River is quite an expectation. This is not a slight at all against Hay River, Mr. Chair. It is simply a matter of looking at the different scales of economy, the size of communities, the levels of professional caregivers that are here in this city, and other duties that could not be supported in a much smaller community such as Hay River...

Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. That’s all for now.

Madam Chair, thank you. A bit earlier in this current fiscal year, 2004-5, 2005-06, we were able to flow $1 million, which came from the federal government, into the planning for a dementia facility here in Yellowknife. This was in cooperation with the Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors. It was a very welcome bit of funding work. Now, there has been also quite a bit of work going on to look into the state of facilities, of care facilities for seniors in other parts of the territory, as well, Madam Chair, in the last few months. This was all with the expectation that we...

Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. There has been discussion among other Members about the Novel housing proposal, and I think I share with every other Member an expectation, a hope, that this opportunity -- it’s an extraordinary opportunity -- can become something that, indeed, we will be able to apply that will make a difference for our communities. It is exactly the kind of thing, Madam Chair, that we can and should expect as a legacy from the Mackenzie Valley pipeline and with that context, a fair amount of information has been circulated about it. It’s still obviously, though, kind of...

Thank you, Madam Chair. This new committee process, under whose direction is it operating and to what level will our government be reporting, Madam Chair?

An aspect that should concern the committee, Mr. Chairman, is that with some of this new information that’s been presented, we now have been assured the information that we can be certain of is that 118 units are going to be built for the investments stated in the Minister’s opening address, not 185 units as the Minister stated; 118. I’m concerned that the Minister is overselling the program and, again, when I’m asked to consider my vote for any allocation, I want to know what I’m getting for it. The Minister is not giving us straightforward information here compared to what he said in his...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I’d like to sort of continue with the discussion I had earlier, and this is on the ambitious plan here to invest the $33 million in 185 housing units. Mr. Chairman, I’m still looking for clarification or assurance that this entire program can and is being committed to, regardless of the support of the federal government. I know I’ve asked this question once or twice in different ways here, but I’m still not getting the clarity that I’m looking for. Can this entire program be financed in the allocation of the appropriation that is requested here, or do...

Thank you, Madam Chair. It still doesn't help resolve my concern that by the time we get to the point where we have to vote the Housing Corporation's expenditures here, we may not know, even if we defer the corporation's detail approval, even if we defer it to the end of the month, we may not know in time. So I'd like to know what's plan B here. If the feds don't come through in time, is the Housing Corporation still going to commit to a $33 million/185-unit housing program, or just what is the extent of what we're able to do if the feds don't come through, Madam Chair? Thank you.