Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today on the way the mental health and addictions program is being rolled out in communities. Mr. Speaker, this is a program that I have supported and I believe it’s a very good thing that the government has allocated new money and more money to put resources in this area. I believe, also, Mr. Speaker, that it is important that we do it in a way that meets the needs of our local communities and at the same time maximizes the local employment opportunities wherever possible.

Mr. Speaker, the information I have is that the GNWT...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of this motion. Mr. Speaker, I do it with a heavy heart because I am well aware of the personal suffering involved here of our colleague, Mr. Zoe, and his family, his friends, his constituents and his leadership. Mr. Speaker, no matter the outcome of this motion, it is my sincere wish that Mr. Zoe would take necessary decisions and take personal actions to grow positively from this and to achieve personal healing.

For me, Mr. Speaker, my decision on this motion is totally based on the interest of the public that I feel I am...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s long answer without the information I was asking for. Mr. Speaker, I need to know from the Minister if he could provide me, inside or outside of this House, information as to how many mental health and addictions workers are going to be hired under this program. How many of the incumbents would need extra training and what specific training proposals are being considered to bring in the new people? Mr. Speaker, I will remind the Minister that we approved the budget already in March. It’s high time that the department has a plan in place...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I must say that the answer that the Minister has provided is a very good “let’s stay in the box” answer as we were warned against in our Circle of Northern Leaders meeting in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, I must state clearly for the record that I do support this program. My questions are in terms of how they are being implemented. Second of all, I do also agree that in all these positions, we need to have people who are properly trained. I am not questioning any of that. It is irresponsible of the government to roll out these programs and require these job requirements when...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s good to know, because I have some who are watching who wanted to know what is happening here. It’s good to know there has not been a reduction in coverage of pharmaceutical products. If there is no change in policies, it appears that it really is resulting from lack of complete communication between their insurance coverage office and the pharmacies around the NWT who usually just give pharmaceutical products to seniors without taking any cash from them, so there is no need to do paperwork on the part of the seniors. Can I ask the Minister to make sure that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize our good friend and former Speaker of this House, Mr. Tony Whitford. I just wanted to let him know that it’s good to see him here and I miss him very much, too. Not disrespecting the current incumbent from Kam Lake.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, I’d also like to recognize Mr. Lougheed. I believe we all miss him. I’ve watched him as I was growing up and I admire him very much. I welcome him to the North. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope the seniors of the community will forgive me if I speak about something that is not related to seniors this day.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend the good luck send off for the Skills Canada NWT/Nunavut team that are currently, as we speak, competing for the NWT in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Mr. Speaker, this year, the team consisted of 20 gold medal winners from the NWT and six from Nunavut. I have, over the years, enjoyed observing and partaking in some of the events that they have held. I have watched a lot of territorial games, and I hope...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Continuing on with the participants: Kelvin Redvers in TV video productions from Diamond Jenness High School; Justin Shelley in culinary arts from Sir John Franklin High School; Mara Smith for worksite safety from Sir John Franklin High School; Jeremy Studney in aircraft maintenance from Buffalo Airways; Stephen Walsh in welding from Kingland Ford; Kyle Wheaton in small powered equipment from Sir John Franklin High School; Allen Christiansen in heavy duty equipment mechanical from Finning; Duncan Hamre in IT PC network support from Sir John...

Mr. Speaker, I apologize and I would like to retract that statement. What I wanted to say is I have information from being what is being said here and what I have heard and gotten notes from the Premier, it indicates two different things. The Premier just indicated in his answers to Mrs. Groenewegen that he is confident that Mr. Zoe is seeking help. I believe that is true on the information I have. I am not saying Mr. Zoe is…The information I have from what the Premier has said to me in private, what Mr. Zoe had to say in private, that is not true. I would like to know from the Premier...

Mr. Speaker, the Premier should be totally ashamed of that answer. Mr. Speaker, we know the Premier of Alberta had to make a public apology and say he was seeking treatment when there was a problem like this. If this happened to any other Minister in any other government, that Minister would be at least suspended if not gone. If this happened to any other senior officials in this government and they said and did what Mr. Zoe did, that person would not have a job right now. I would certainly hope that. For the Premier to say this is a personal matter, why is it so difficult for him to say I...