David Krutko

Comments. General comments. With that, we are hearing more general comments as we read, we are going to begin with the Department of Health and Social Services. So at this time I would like to ask the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services if she has any opening comments. Ms. Lee.

Mr. Bromley.

It’s important to realize that by doing that, it’s not simply a way of centralizing everything in one place, but ensuring that those dollars that should be expended in the area of education, the area of health care is actually being spent on education and actually being spent on health care and not being expended on administration.

I’m glad to see that the Department of ECE and the Housing Corporation saw the light in regards to dealing with public housing and income support. I think, if anything, there is also an area that Housing has to take a closer look at and consider exactly how do they...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

What are the total costs associated with physician visits to Tsiigehtchic for the period between October 2008 and September 2009 and the cost per hour of physician services?

What are the total costs associated with registered nurse visits to Tsiigehtchic for the period between October 2008 and September 2009 and the cost per hour of nursing services?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 62-16(4) and would like to report progress. I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

So what happens to the students who have dropped out? Are they basically going to lose their whole education because of having to go back to their home communities and having no high school education or programs there to assist them? Like Mr. Jacobson, I’d like to know if there is a support mechanism in the Department of Education to assist those students who have gone back to their home communities, by way of funds for tutoring, funds to work with them to make sure they don’t lose their whole school year. Are there ways we can salvage the school year so they can move forward with their...

Thank you. Next on the list I have Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Education with regard to my Member’s statement, similar along the lines of Mr. Jacobson. We have a similar problem in Tsiigehtchic and I believe in all small communities with populations under 200. Using the student/teacher ratio does not work to get another teacher in the community. To be fair to those students who are having to go up to Inuvik and elsewhere to get their high school education, the reason they are going there is because the teachers are in those larger schools which provide the ability to provide...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I didn’t want to lose my opportunity to talk about the Department of Health and Social Services but, more importantly, the lack of programs and services we see in our small, isolated communities. We seem to be doing a lot to increase large programs and services with regards to the dementia centre, amalgamated clinics, large-scale hospitals, but we haven’t done much by ensuring or improving the quality of health care services in our small communities. I, for one, have been raising this issue prior to division, and if you look at statistics going back...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that Minister’s Statement 47-16(4) be moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.