Sandy Lee

The amount of fluoride that I indicated is the maximum amount and, as I indicated, the chief public health officer has set the standard procedure. It’s the municipalities that administer them and it is up to the municipalities to fluoridate the water.

Communities that fluoridate their drinking water must regulate fluoride levels regularly to ensure that they remain within the regulations set by the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Drinking Water, which is currently set at a maximum of 1.5 milligrams per litre. The chief public health officer is in charge of approving the standard operating procedures for the sampling, testing, treatment and quality of water of municipalities, but it is the municipality’s responsibility to administer fluoride into drinking water and testing levels of fluoride to ensure that they meet the standards...

That’s a highly specific and technical question and I’d be happy to undertake to get the information on exactly what equipment, exactly what part, and exactly from where that Stanton is waiting for this.

I should note here, though, that our biomed department at Stanton is second to none. They have a very good staff and well-trained staff who maintain and look after our medical health equipment from all over the Territories. In my entire time of 12 years here, I don’t remember something like this happening. I have full confidence in the authority to do the job and this is an extraordinary...

I don’t have a specific date, but Stanton has delayed and lowered the number of elective surgeries in January and February.

I will undertake to get the information from the public health officer about the level of communication she has with the communities that use fluoridation in their water.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, a large part of what the public health officer does is to advise, inform and communicate to the residents about public health issues. She has communicated information in the past. I’ve had inquiries about pros and cons of fluoride from our residents and the public health officer has communicated to that. She has also indicated to me that she is willing to talk to anybody who wants to have more information about concerns about fluoride. I can tell the Member that she communicates also through websites and other means. Mr. Speaker, that is part of her job. Thank you.

I’ve already made a commitment to get back to the Member on the exact description of this equipment. It’s the level of detail that I do not keep here, so I will get back to the Member on exactly what date and what equipment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To my left I have the deputy minister of Health and Social Services, Paddy Meade, and to my right is Mr. Derek Elkin, director of finance. Thank you.

The MLA for Yellowknife Centre used the word “mismanagement” on Friday and I believe that’s the reason why he apologized today. I don’t know for sure. So I would like the Member for Great Slave to reconsider what he said.

As the Member knows, because that’s his background, and I understand -- well, he lets us know that’s his background -- the CHN program is run by Human Resources, so if he’s suggesting somebody mismanaged, perhaps the Minister of HR should answer to that. I am not disagreeing with the Member that we need to review this, but it is quite something else to say I don’t believe...

That program is broken into different authorities and different programs. We will have to undertake to get that. We don’t have specific amounts that attach to that bullet. That bullet is a statement of programs and services we do provide. Thank you.