Tom Beaulieu

Also, once the information is in, I think the next process we’ll have to look at is maybe a motion from the Member from the House to look at designating such a day. Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize Paul Andrew and Laurie Sarkadi, from the Minister’s Forum on Addictions and Community Wellness. I’ll be tabling their report.

I see I’m also given opportunity to represent a couple of other folks who are supporting people: Dr. David Pontin, president of the NWT Medical Association, and Mr. Paul Bennett, principal of Sissons School. Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Dental Profession Act, be read for the first time.

As I indicated, we would do the planning study this fiscal year, and recognizing that the health centre in Tulita is about half the size it should be to accommodate the needs of the community will be a factor when we move this capital plan into the capital allocation process. That’s something that we’re going to indicate loud and clear, that this centre is inadequate for providing all of the services necessary to that community at this time.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. The planning study for the new health centre in Tulita will be completed this fiscal year, the ’13-14 fiscal year. The hope is that after the planning study is completed that it will be included into the ’15-16 capital acquisition plan. Thank you.

Yes, the review is complete. We are actually looking at making actual changes to the medical travel, to improve the medical travel system for the patients. I don’t have the specific dates on when the changes will occur, but the review is completed. We know what the problems are. It’s just a matter of incorporating change into the system now.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The decision on medical travel is a clinical decision, so it would be a physician. It could be a doctor; it could be a nurse practitioner or possibly even a registered nurse, when the person is in recovery and going back home. Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I am no expert in this area, but I notice that over the last couple of years a lot of the days that are dedicated to things such as this were started off by interest groups. So my first recommendation would be that if there’s an interest group that wants to discuss this with our department, that would be a good place to start.

Mr. Speaker, we all know the terrible toll that addictions take on our people and our communities. Widespread addictions are one of the biggest barriers to achieving the vision and priorities of this Assembly. It is a driving force behind family breakdown, incarceration, homelessness, and developmental delays in children.

As a government, we have invested millions of dollars into tackling this issue and commissioned numerous reports, but we haven’t seen much improvement.

This is why I convened the Minister’s Forum on Addictions and Community Wellness. I believe that our communities and our...

Yes, we are looking into any complaints that come in where there’s an indication that perhaps an application was lost in the process. We are looking into those cases. Thank you.