Michael Miltenberger

Mr. Speaker, the intent here is to recognize the complexity of the work in different areas; that a nurse is not necessarily a nurse any more than a pilot is, or that doctors all seem to be the same or remunerated the same. In this case, that is a similar circumstance. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the week of October 17th to 23rd is National Foster Family Week. I would like to take a moment to recognize the valuable contribution that foster families make to our communities and our children.

Foster families form an important network of safe, caring homes for children. They have a very challenging and demanding role and provide care for children when parents are unable. There are about 200 foster homes in the NWT that give children a stable, nurturing home environment. It is encouraging to see that so many people in our territory have offered to care for children. Over...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the renovation in Inuvik is to make the office space more habitable. If memory serves me correctly, the offices are in the Semmler Building. They are very crowded. They are trying to renovate to better accommodate the staff. I know they’ve had at least two major sewage backups that have caused a lot of damage. So this is to deal with that particular issue in terms of accommodating the staff. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member raised the issue in her Member’s statement. It is a problem. It’s a problem in the community of Fort Smith and we hear it on the radio from other communities where MLAs’ communities are struggling with the issue and they have had community meetings, they have tried to get parents to the table, their community leadership, Health and Social Services, the RCMP, the teachers. It’s an issue that plagues us all. We have, as a department, some resources available. In most communities we have social workers, we have mental health workers, community...

Mr. Speaker, the detail of new money is not available to any of us yet. But I can tell the Member, as I indicated earlier in this House, that year three of the mental health and addictions plan is there on the books ready to be rolled out, pending appropriate funding being available. If there is money for addictions, the intent would be to look at that third year, as well as clearing up some of the shortfalls and inadequacies that are there and that we have identified in the first two years as we rolled out the program to do with office space and those types of things. So if there is money...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if my memory serves me correctly, there was an arrangement in the days of old with the Department of Health and Northern Addictions Services. Then there was a move to an arrangement with federal Corrections Canada, where Somba K'e was to be used to provide services to federal inmates, and the relationship with the Department of Health and Social Services was severed. Somba K'e was used for that purpose and it wasn't sustainable, and that relationship ceased and there were other avenues explored trying to keep the facility alive. But at that point, there...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if one was listening to the questions in this House about royalties and resource revenue sharing, this issue with the federal government, there is a whole list of issues that we have outstanding with the federal government that require resolution. We are taking proactive and aggressive or assertive approaches as we can as a government at all the tables that we are at. This is one of them. It is an issue that has national interest. It has national impact. So over the next few months, as I indicated to the Member, we hopefully will be able to show...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that impacts two federal departments: Health Canada as well as Northern and Indian Affairs. Yes, we have staff working, sometimes it seems almost on a full-time basis negotiating with the federal government over the outstanding claims, what they’re prepared to allow and what they’re not prepared to allow. Problems with the criteria that they have, be it on the non-insured health benefits side or under the medical services for Indian and Inuit people. So, yes, we have people working on this. It’s a political issue. It’s a structural issue...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue and an important discussion. The reality is that, yes, there are drug addiction problems, but the alcohol abuse and the addiction problems caused by alcohol dwarf the drug problems. We are struggling to deal with the addiction issues related to alcohol. Are we trying to deal with the drug addictions? We are, as well. Are we prepared to look at that? Yes, within the fiscal limitations that we have. We have some plans already in place and if you quantify, the actual problem is going to be the first step, and then we have to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the programs we have are geared to the issue of addictions; mainly alcohol, but drugs as well. I would suggest that on the degree and actual specific issue we’re dealing with or degree of issue we’re dealing with, that the services we have here are a starting point. If it’s a situation where a person is thoroughly addicted and is into some kind of withdrawal program as opposed to dealing with the issues that may be assisting or feeding or causing her to support her addiction -- the family issues, the other issues that may be there -- then we have to look at...