Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again going from own knowledge of previous experience in this department, is that our process is established for services available within the Northwest Territories. Those that need those services would be directed to the location closest to them. If they don't like that level of service and choose upon their own wisdom to travel beyond that, that would be at their own cost. The same would fall into levels of services that are available within Canada. Again, because we've been dealing with this file with other jurisdictions and trying to come up with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe there would be a policy in place that's in effect that would deal with how patients access services, whether it's in our territory then to the next jurisdiction where we have a contract for services and if there are no facilities within Canada, then further to pre-approve programs. But that would follow a timeline and process. In the particular Member's spoke about here in the Assembly, although I'm not going to get into the level of detail, I'm aware that he hasn't been left out there on his own. There have been many doctors' visits to try...

As I stated earlier, once I get up to speed in the area of particular programs in the drug and alcohol area, if we are working on that initiative, I would gladly sit down with the Member and look at what options are there, what plans may come up, and work with the Social Programs committee in this area as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of drug and alcohol treatment programs in the Northwest Territories is one that has concerned us for quite some time. As long as I have been a Member of the Legislative Assembly, the issue has come up time and again. The Department of Health and Social Services, over a number of years, has tried to adjust its programming to fit the criteria for northern families and individuals. In this situation I know the department has undergone a review of how it provides programs and, with the previous efforts of the previous Minister, things are in the works to change...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, October 25th, 2006, I will move that Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue we were made aware of recently as the members of the public and our employees were contacted, human resources as well as Members, regarding the change that was put in place by the public service health care plan administration. We became aware just early this fall with regard to changes. They were posted on their website, of the changes effective. The notice went out on their website in April to become effective in August. We became aware of it recently. We're paying much closer attention to that website of any further changes coming up....

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The company would have been registered in that province and filed in that province. The portion we received was applied to that account and that would be directed by the courts what creditors would be given with what’s available. In this case, this is the amount we were not able to recover and hence we are coming forward for a write-off. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Premier stated and comments raised in this House by Members, the whistle-blower legislation portion has been discussed a number of times. The Member for Range Lake has made this an issue on a number of occasions, and we have taken that and begun to work on it. I'm, very shortly, going to be presenting my Cabinet colleagues with the beginnings of a discussion paper and then if I get approval at that stage, I'll be coming to the Members with that discussion paper and see from there if we go out for public discussion on that basis, and then, from...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, that debt is being forgiven as a result of a court settlement. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, with our process that we have in place within government, our system is set up in two stages. The first one would be the Write-off of Debts Act that would come forward. That would stop the collection or the interest from continuing to grow. It clearly establishes a doubtful account. At that point, we still go after trying to collect the funds.

At this stage here, forgiveness of debts, we are actually forgiving the debt and no further collection process is undertaken from this point on. Thank you.