Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. I think that last question actually refers to the next section in the budget, but I’ll go to the Minister anyway.

Just for the record, after the deputy minister spoke I was going to go back to the Minister. I think she wanted to answer your first question but I skipped over her. So I apologize to the Minister for that and I’ll go to the Minister for a response on both questions, I imagine.

Another section, division, whatnot, responsibility under the program delivery support is information services division. There’s been a lot of talk about e-health and EMRs, DI/PACS and all the great programs that are out there, all the great technology that’s out there to help us provide health services in a more streamlined manner. I understand that bandwidth has been a significant issue in getting these fantastic technologies into our small communities. These things, in my opinion, could help us reduce potential medical travel if we have ability for physicians to use this technology to help...

Thank you, Ms. Meade. Mr. Bromley, your time is up. I could put you back on the list, if you wish. Otherwise I’ll go to next on my list, which is Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are with respect to respite services in the Northwest Territories. The Department of Health and Social Services is currently developing a territorial-wide respite program. I’m wondering if the Minister could please provide me with a bit of an outline on the timeline how they’re going to move forward and when they expect to actually see a territorial respite program ready to go for review by the Standing Committee on Social Programs, and also when we think a territorial respite program might be rolled out for all residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Minister for that. I think hearing that in the House is very important today for those 29 families and important for us to hear as MLAs.

I’d like to just go back to my previous question. If she could give me a bit of an understanding of what groups are represented on that advisory group. Are some of the groups in the Territory that are providing these types of services going to be represented on that advisory group? Specifically, the NWT Disabilities Council and Yellowknife Association for Community Living; are they part of the advisory group...

As the Minister pointed out, there are regional respite focus groups taking place starting in February and going through February. That information, I understand, will then go to the advisory group who will provide some recommendations to the department on how to design or what might be the best model to use in the Northwest Territories. Could the Minister please tell me what is the makeup of that advisory committee? Does it include non-government organizations like the NWT Disabilities Council as well as the Yellowknife Association for Community Living? Is there representation from small...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last October there was a lot of talk about respite services in the Northwest Territories. We had a gallery full of people who were very concerned about the future of the YACL and their delivery of respite services.

As a result of that -- I believe that the Minister and her department actually heard what the people had to say -- the Minister is moving forward with the development of a comprehensive territory-wide respite program, which I think is fantastic. To that end, the department is holding regional respite care focus groups over the next couple of months, through...

That is not particularly helpful. If she could please give us some examples of the NGOs that are on that, that would give us a better sense as to who’s represented on this committee.

A second point that I’d like to ask about is: there are a lot of people here, 29 families who currently access services from the Yellowknife Association for Community Living. Clearly, this program is not going to be in place. It doesn’t sound like there will be even something to go forward to committee until the next business planning cycle. Is the Minister working with the Yellowknife Association for Community...

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 133-16(5), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2011-2012, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

They are general comments. From my perspective, I just made some general comments. I would like to hear what everybody has to say and have the Minister respond to all of us in general. We will get into the detail when we get into the line-by-line by department. I don’t need to hear from him now, but once everybody has talked, I sure would like to hear what he has to say.