Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation some questions and he will be pleased to know it won’t be on Highway No. 7.

The travellers that go to Fort Simpson and stop at the airport and do have cell phones have approached me to see if there is a way we can extend the cell phone service from Fort Simpson out to the airport. The residents have raised that with me as a safety concern for medevacs, et cetera. It’s going to require an expenditure -- I’ve done some research on it -- up to about $200,000. I’d like to ask the Minister if his department is willing...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank Members and Mr. Premier for the stimulating debate that we’ve had over this motion.

Like I originally said, it’s a new idea. I didn’t have too much time to develop it and work it in this Assembly. We’re in the dying days of our government. At the same time the perception of our Aboriginal governments out there is that they weren’t involved, they weren’t able to participate, and that’s all they’re asking for, is to be involved, to participate in our government as we move forward with the AIP negotiations, as well as to understand the agreement...

Thank you very much. I know we are beefing up our Aboriginal Languages Training Program, working with the Minister of Education. That is a commitment of this government. I think it’s time we start doing a coordinated approach. Perhaps the Minister of Heath could work with the Department of Education. Let’s get these terminology courses happening in all our Aboriginal languages provided to our front-line workers, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to do that? Thank you.

I appreciate the Minister’s answers. I think just one of the solutions that must be done is we have to have consistent cultural training and awareness training programs for our front-line staff.

I spoke in my Member’s statement about our elders being turned away not once or twice but three times as you go to the health centres. They are being given Tylenol, like Mr. Yakeleya says. It is the same in my riding. They are going there and being given Tylenol. They are not being diagnosed or even examined properly. They are just saying they are sick, so here’s some Tylenol. I’d like to ask the...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to speak about the quality of health services delivered in my riding of Nahendeh. Specifically I want to speak about how these services are provided to our elders.

I share my colleagues Mr. Yakeleya and Mr. Jacobson’s concerns that people are not being examined properly and are being misdiagnosed. We know that as we age, our bodies require more care, we need to see the doctor more often, and we need health professionals to take us seriously when we say that something is wrong. We may not be able to diagnose ourselves, but we know our bodies...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that this committee recommends that the government draft regulations for the operation of the Heritage Fund and refer them to the appropriate standing committee in a timely manner for review and feedback.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations held a public hearing on May 21, 2011, to review Bill 10, Northwest Territories Heritage Fund Act. The clause-by-clause review of the bill with the Minister took place on August 12, 2011.

The committee wishes to thank interveners for their oral and written submissions, including the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Alternatives North, West Point First Nation, Pembina Institute, Ecology North, and MLA Bob Bromley.

There was unanimous support for a Heritage Fund, but there was also a chorus wanting...

I would think that doing a proper medical examination would be the first thing you do, because people are saying they are going there and getting cursory examinations and given Tylenol. I’d like the Minister’s commitment that the front-line staff must do this to our residents and constituents.

The other issue is about having proper translators and training for the front-line translators that are there. What type of training program is available to the front-line workers that deal with people on a daily basis? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my questions with regard to my Member’s statement on the delivery of health services in Nahendeh to the Minister of Health and Social Services.

For the last eight years I’ve been continuing to raise about the ability of having translators, about having cultural training workshops for staff. It appears that it has taken a relapse again, so to speak. I know it comes in waves, cross-cultural training. I’d like to ask the Minister if there is consistent cross-cultural training that happens with the front-line health staff in our...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that this committee recommends that the Caucus of the 17th Legislative Assembly establish a process convention to facilitate the referral of a limited category of regulations to standing committee for review and comment prior to their final enactment.