Robert Bouchard

Thank you, Mr. Lovely. Mr. Bromley.

Forest management, special warrant, $13.894 million.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Would the Minister like to bring witnesses into the House?

Does committee agree?

Total department, not previously authorized, $627,000.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Would the Minister like to bring witnesses into the House?

Does the committee agree that Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Dental Profession Act as amended is ready for third reading?

---Bill 21 as amended approved for third reading

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to revisit an issue I’ve brought forward to this House before, bariatric surgery. As Members know, over the last two years I’ve been working hard to lose weight. I’ve lost just over 200 pounds.

---Applause

I appreciate that, but I’m working to pay it forward to the people that are still in the situation where they are seriously overweight. In my discussions with the Minister of Health and the Department of Health, they’ve told me the department is working on lifestyle choices, healthy lifestyle choices, and that they have lots of support out there for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister indicated, a person could come off those medications really quickly and the money could be obtained quickly.

Can I get commitment from the Minister that his department will look into doing bariatric surgery sooner than later and helping these people in the North that are heavy, heavy people that are way overweight? I’m not talking about somebody that’s 20 or 30 pounds, I’m talking about somebody that’s 100, 150, 200 pounds, like I was.

Along those lines, the department has indicated to me that it is insurable if it’s medically necessary. Can the Minister explain to me what is medical necessity? Does it matter if you’re 50 pounds overweight, 100 pounds overweight, 200 pounds overweight? When does it become a medical necessity to lose this weight?