Michael Miltenberger

This is a complex issue and the Member has touched on a lot of issues. I agree that the program is flawed. It has shortcomings. We’re not in a position, since this is a federal program, to make changes to it. We can provide our concerns to the Minister. As Health Minister and having been Health Minister now for over five years, one of the messages that I’ve constantly made is that Northerners have to look after their diet, exercise, don’t smoke, and don’t drink. Those four things alone from the personal choices would have a great benefit to their health. The issue that the Member is talking...

The Member and I have served now in four Assemblies together. This issue has been a dominate theme in every one of those and I would suggest will continue to be a dominant theme in the 17th Assembly going forward. So we take the Member’s point and assure her that this issue will be there.

There are positive things we can do, many that don’t cost enormous amounts and aren’t requiring new technology, just simple decisions by people to make those choices and put in those gardens and such. Thank you.

The Member has to keep in mind that this is a federal program. It is an important program. There are concerns with it and I appreciate the Member’s concern, and we have the same concern that the savings that accrue to the retailers are not being passed on to the consumers. We still have a great interest in proper diet. Our whole focus on prevention, Get Active campaigns, proper nutrition to do with healthy eating, diabetes, all these other things are still critical pieces of the education that we can’t turn our back on. We have a small fiscal role with the funding from the federal government...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They are, of course, related. The North has a very long history of agriculture throughout most of the Northwest Territories, up the valley where there is, as was indicated, rich land, and there is a resurgence of interest in many communities to take advantage of that opportunity to grow many, many crops. I was in Norman Wells and saw the very impressive greenhouses that were up there and the variety of crops that were being grown, as well as flowers. There is a correlation between healthy living and being able to eat your produce out of a garden as a summer pastime, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize and acknowledge a very good returning officer, a fine lady and a friend, Margo Harney.

That is a significant issue. This issue is on the agenda of every government that I’ve been involved in, and every Assembly, and will continue to be. The decision about priorities with the resources we have available and the best way to do the programming to deal with the issue of addictions and the other areas that the Member has talked about are going to be critical challenges for the incoming 17th Assembly. That issue will be there for them to consider.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are no new treatment facilities in the capital plan in the foreseeable future for Health and Social Services. There are many other projects, but there are no new plans for imminent treatment centres.

As I indicated, there is some work being done, and I do thank the Member for all the work that he did pull together. Of equal importance, I believe, and I know that there are very many capable people that I know who are dealing with autism with family members, that I think of equal value would be to find out what kind of supports could be put in place within the resources available to assist them. I know that over the years they’ve done an incredible amount of good work. Just on their own, often with little or no support from government, and they’ve amassed a very, very valuable amount of...

As I committed to the Member when he raised this issue a number of days ago, I would get the latest briefing. The Member has articulated probably the one option, probably the main option, but I will get up to speed on the file and I’ll commit to sit down with the Member and see what possible options there are over and above the current circumstance.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue of autism, as the Member indicates, is one where there is a concern. There are a significant number of individuals affected. As we plan for our transition into the 17th Assembly, each department, including Health, will be pulling together the list of issues to be considered and priorities to be addressed, and this will be on that list as decisions are made to look at what’s possible with the resources that are available.