Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this is a very thinly veiled discussion of a very personal issue involving a specific individual that the Member has done everything but name, and it’s not appropriate for me to comment in this House. I would be more than happy to talk to her about what is transpiring in this particular situation, but it is not appropriate to discuss it in this House. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we always put people first, and this program delivered by Bosco Homes is going to be relocated to Hay River to provide the same service. We will have the same expertise that we currently have with Bosco Homes, the folks they can tie into with their broad network outside of the Northwest Territories. So there is no diminishment, in my opinion, in the program quality. We would definitely not jeopardize any northerner, any child, in care for any reason. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will go back and talk to the department to make sure they’ve taken every reasonable step, and then some, to talk to all the communities about putting in a proposal to access the resources to get a recycling plant going in the communities and look at what other options there are. If it’s not a full-blown recycling operation, maybe there is a first step required. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, dialysis is a requirement when you have been diagnosed with that need and it tends to be there for the rest of your life unless you get a kidney transplant. That’s somewhat different than the assessment and treatment services that TTC provides or Bosco provides through TTC, which are assessment and up to two years of possible treatment in a residential setting.

Madam Speaker, you can also look at the numbers in the North in a number of ways. Between 30 to 40 percent or 60 to 70 percent of those accessing the program were from communities outside of...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we have a recycling initiative that’s going to be taking effect November 1st. I share the Member’s concern that littering in our communities is probably one of the most unsightly and stoppable issues that are before us and it’s a personal choice and an education issue. It’s an issue that plagues every community I’ve been in, my own included, where no matter how often cleanup is done, the next day there are bottles and cans and plastic bags and wrappers. It’s something that communities have responsibility for and that every person has a responsibility...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, they know what is happening. Unfortunately I don't have the current briefing note in my book, so I am unable to provide the level of detail that the Member would like. I have the staff looking for the most current information that I received from Stanton and will be happy to share that with the Member when I get it. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, part of the decision was to see whether there was a capacity in the community of Hay River to run this program, and there was; whether there was existing resources to do the capital renovations, which there was; and that it was a contract, which it is; and would it be an appropriate decision, and that was what was brought to Cabinet and that was a decision that was made to proceed with the relocation of Territorial Treatment Centre from Yellowknife to Hay River. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this program is under a lot of growth pressures. I can't tell the Member specifically what it costs. I can tell him that there is work being done to make sure that we can cope with the demand, that we can modernize equipment and make sure that the staff we have are trained. We are working with a doctor from Calgary to come up with a good plan; this Dr. Remmers has had experience in other jurisdictions, so we are looking at this area very closely. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, there was, as I indicated, a decision paper done. We also looked at other options prior to going to Cabinet with a final decision paper. I’m not sure what the Member means by a study, but the department looked at options and came forward with a decision paper to Cabinet. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. There is about a six-week training component to get nurses and LPNs qualified and ready to provide this service. That service has been delivered out of Stanton for those individuals involved. Of course, we recognize this as a program expansion in the communities where the service is being delivered and recognize that it’s impossible to expect them to do it with existing resources, so we are moving to make sure that the appropriate resources are there, both in terms of human resources and fiscal resources. Thank you.