Bob Bromley

Are there any other audiology positions that we have and are they filled or are they vacant as well? Thank you.

Again I would ask the Minister: what is the status of these dollars? What is the current plan for the immediate and long-term future of these programs?

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, committee. Page 8-21, Health and Social Services, activity summary, health services programs. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Why don’t I get a good feeling here, Mr. Speaker? I guess, if I can try and ask a point-blank question here: would the Minister agree that despite an entire section devoted to prevention, and possibly the highest priority in our report, am I to conclude from the Minister’s remarks that in fact there is no expansion planned for the Healthy Families Program?

I hate to waste questions like this, Mr. Speaker. Sorry. I hate to waste questions like this. I asked what the Minister is proposing, not what she’d like to see. I wonder if I could get that answered. And while we’re at it, has there been evaluation of the existing Healthy Families programs? Mahsi.

The current delivery of the Healthy Families Program in four communities has been endorsed by all and provides the basis for rolling this program out across the Territory. We know dollars are short, but the demonstrated, almost miraculous, benefits of nurse-family programs shows this is where we should be staking our resources. Our existing small community nursing station delivery model and our social services Healthy Families programs provides the basis on which to build.

I will be pushing for maximum emphasis on this approach and will be asking the Minister questions on how to pursue this to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, February 7, 2011, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Tabled Document 135-16(5), Response to the Standing Committee on Social Programs Report on the Review of the Child and Family Services Act, be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration.

At the appropriate time I will be seeking unanimous consent to deal with this motion today.

Unfortunately, my questions are accumulating here, Mr. Speaker. I’m just not getting answers. I asked, had an evaluation been done of the existing programs. I asked what the Minister is proposing. Apparently, there is a document to be tabled today. Supposedly, the Minister knows that if she’s proposing to do nothing, I need to know that, Mr. Speaker. I will add a third question. Given that major benefits from programs such as the Healthy Families accrue to the Department of Justice, ECE and other departments, including Health and Social Services to get us out from these budget pressures we’re...