Bob Bromley

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the Minister’s comments. I assume from that, that obviously she is a participant on that committee and that she would express that sentiment strongly that we would fight. I always think it is progressive to the Minister on my recommendation to the Minister to take it or leave it, would be to write and be on the record right now of the Prime Minister and whoever the Minister is dealing with on these negotiations.

My next question is on the specific issue of macular degeneration. It is an issue that leads to blindness in people. It has come up amongst my constituents. I...

Thank you Mr. Chairman. My other question, my second question, is, I think that the working group and Members agreed to a number of principles and high amongst those principles is making sure that everybody is under the fold somehow to get coverage. What is the plan going forward for providing coverage to those who don’t have coverage now and is that going to be part of the 2011-2012 activity and budget? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just suggested the wording needs correction there because it says very explicitly for primary, secondary and emergency care provided by physicians, and now I am understanding that is for other operating costs and nurses. If that is correct and the Minister can agree to that, I am clarified. Thank you.

Maybe is there a figure that we can point to as our costs for physician services in the budget here? Is that the physicians inside the NWT/outside the NWT?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d just like to quickly follow up. As the component the Minister just recognized, one of the largest of the health and Social Services delivery costs, that’s physician salaries and benefits. I’d like to request of the Minister what are physician salaries and benefits in comparison of that with other jurisdictions in Canada, by category, of course. I think that’s information that we’ve expressed an interest in for some time now. I appreciate that we’re managing this talent better and making some good advance on how we’re able to maximize their contributions to really...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will keep it short here. This is my last question. I guess I would ask the Minister to be prepared to give the Standing Committee on Social Programs, perhaps, a briefing on how the department is fulfilling that obligation the Minister made to Members. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciated the Minister of Health and Social Services’ commitment almost a year ago when we passed our resolution on the Anti-Poverty Strategy for her department to play a key role in an NWT-wide Anti-Poverty Strategy. I realize the Department of the Executive is the lead, but I am wondering how the Minister is directing her department to play a key role on this strategy and what sort of work is happening towards that. Mahsi.

Thank you. I appreciate the Minister’s comments, all of them, and also his commitment to consider that. I think it’s a good suggestion to work with the City and this could be done through the Capital Area Development Plan Committee. So I think that would be a great opportunity to reduce the cost as well. The City may be willing to participate. Can we expect that this would include, of course, the most energy-efficient LED lighting with the appropriate shading to make best use of the light as well? Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate those remarks. I hope we can deal with this fairly straightforwardly and get a consistent message out there to those 30 or so patients.

My last question, Mr. Chairman, is on pharmaceutical expertise within the department. I understand that we have vacancies. There are some challenges there. What are those positions that we have on staff that require the pharmaceutical expertise and where are we in terms of vacancies and getting those positions filled? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I discuss the government’s response to the recommendations to the Child and Family Services Act review. In a nutshell, I am disappointed. Of 73 recommendations, 10 are rejected; 28 accepted conditionally read yes, but no change required; and 13 accepted in principle read yes, but no money. The detailed responses offer obtuse and often quibbling comments claiming that the recommended actions given such priority by the committee are already in practice or implicit in the legislation.

Anyone who sat through those exhaustive, emotional public hearings must wonder how...