Tom Beaulieu

As I indicated, within the continuum for care for seniors, I will give the Member a progress report on how we are moving along with that initiative. Thank you.

I would have no problem discussing that with the Minister of Education. We have recognized that the schools that have easy access seem to be a centre for elders to attend and visit with the students and teachers within those schools. Schools that have barriers such as steep steps are not as senior friendly. So we can have that discussion between the two departments or between my responsibilities as the Minister responsible for Seniors and the Education Minister. Thank you.

Thank you. We have set up a structure where we have, within the Cabinet, a subcommittee of Cabinet that is a social envelope committee, which is led by the Minister of Justice. Within that committee we have the various Ministers working on that committee. We also work with the Regular Members in developing some work through the small communities, the real remote communities, to be able to have the work that’s needed to be able to assist seniors in the various communities across the small communities where they may not have the same type of support systems that are available such as the NGOs in...

Thank you. We have a seniors coordinator within the Department of Health and Social Services reporting through the system at Health and Social Services. That coordinator works closely with the NWT Seniors’ Society. The Seniors’ Society supports the various seniors’ organizations in the communities across the Territories. That is how we coordinate our activities or any support that we may have from the government through the one individual that works through the Department of Health and she will get some administrative support within the Department of Health and Social Services. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I will ask the department to provide me a business case on all three health authorities by the end of April. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I will look at the legislation and the whole governance around the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. As you and Members of the House are aware, each authority has their own governance at this time. I will look at that legislation, look at the governance surrounding that and see if it’s possible to appoint an advisory board through that model. If it is possible, I will certainly consider that. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize that addictions are a cost-driver in our various systems. Addictions are a huge cost-driver in justice, also a huge cost-driver in health and health outcomes of our citizens.

Yes, I am trying to make that a priority for the government, as the House knows. We are trying to work with various groups in the community. We talk a lot about addictions across the territory, whether it be alcohol, drugs, or even cigarettes, for that matter. We spend a lot of time talking about those addictions, so we are trying to do something about that. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, yes, I will commit to that. Thank you.

Thank you. I don’t know if all of the health centres have the equipment to deal with a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have that information with me. I know that we are, in some of the larger centres, able to deal with it, we have the equipment to deal with that, but I can’t commit to saying that we have that type of equipment in all of our smaller health centres. So it would be difficult for me to answer that question.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time we look at heart disease along with all other chronic diseases; lung diseases, diabetes. So with the heart disease, what the department wishes to do at this time, recognizing that it is quite a cost-driver in our system, is to develop a strategy by first examining the pilot projects that we have run. We have run I do believe it’s three different pilot projects across the territory to then evaluate how the results of those pilot projects were, and from that we’re trying to develop a chronic disease strategy. So within that disease, like I said, we would have...