Sandy Lee

Mr. Chairman, I think I heard it right the first time. I don’t agree with the premise that by eliminating some of these positions we’re suggesting that any of these positions are not contributing to the mandate. I don’t think that’s fair to the positions affected or persons affected. I don’t think that’s the right conclusion to make.

I think, Mr. Chairman, communications is an important part of our mandate, as are all other divisions in the department. As I stated earlier — and I’ve said this many a time — what you will see if you look at the positions affected in the department is that we have...

Could I ask the deputy minister to provide that information.

It’s exactly the same analysis as previously noted. If you look at the program we have there, currently the Telehealth program has a coordinator in headquarters. Then there were a regional position in the Inuvik health authority, one in the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority and one at the Stanton Territorial Health Authority.

We had to look at that program and see whether it was possible to deliver the program with fewer resources. The technology has improved a lot in that regard. The machines and equipment we have from the funding from Canada Infoway have enabled us to deliver...

I want to assure the Member that in all of these realignment exercises we have not eliminated or taken out entire programs. It is about better using the resources we have, and I think the communications section is a good example of that.

I do want to note that the budget reduction exercise is about choices. As the Premier mentioned in his budget opening address, these are hard choices — to eliminate positions. But the way to do that is to make sure we minimize the impact on the programs and services as much as possible and that we make every effort to make sure our employees affected are given...

I want to advise the Member that I understand his commitment and passion on this issue. Department policies have been developed, and it’s working. The changes to the legislation also reflect the department’s focus on keeping the children in families as much as possible, in extended family and community, wherever possible.

The statistics show that in, say, 1999, we only had about 30 to 40 children who were in families or extended care out of what were, I’m sure, as many as we have now — I mean, out of the total number. This past year we have 630 children in care, and almost 400 of them, NWT-wide...

Mr. Chairman, we don’t have that detailed information. I’d be happy to get it for him.

I don’t have the information as to what happens to children after 18, but I could see if I could get that information. For the children who are under 18, there are currently 18 children in care outside of the Territories: two children, because they have a specialized medical condition; four children moved out to be with extended family; two moved south with their extended family; and ten children have moved to go with a formal foster family, because it was thought to be in the best interest of the children that they stay in the family they know for now. But in terms of the numbers, this is...

I don’t have that level of detailed information, but I’d be happy to get the information for the Member.

I would like to recognize staff and board members from the Yellowknife Association of Community Living and the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities. First of all, the executive director of YACL, Jane Whyte. Then the board members of the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities: Judy Sharp; Bill Burles; Don Gillis with his wife, Ann Gillis; and the staff who I believe were here earlier, Corine Nitsiza, Beth Lenardon, Linda Noseworthy, Heather Clarke and the executive director of NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities, Cecily Hewitt.

I agree with the Member that we need to do more work on that. I appreciate the work the Member did on that Plan of Care provision of the Act that we amended. I supported that as a member of the committee. Regrettably, we do not have as many Plan of Care committees set up as we would like. The department is working with any committee that acts interested in it, to give them workshops and to help them set them up. That is something we need to do a lot more work on, which I am planning on doing more rigorously as we move forward.