Robert Hawkins

Although the Minister didn’t answer the question, I will thank him for the point he emphasizes, that we need that service in the size and the magnitude of the problem. That’s only just one element. We’ve got lots of health services that go there. My point being is that we have an active role and you’d think as their client that they would be very interested in our opinion. I’d like to reaffirm my question, similar to Mrs. Groenewegen’s earlier, which is: What type of active role is this Minister going to take in this particular problem and will he join the lobby effort by the Alberta...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister saying to this House that they’re now involved in this particular observation and discussion and evaluation of the Edmonton Garrison solution? I think it is a viable solution and I just want to make sure our government is involved in the final decision. Even if it’s a small voice on there, it needs to be a voice at that table. Thank you.

Thank you. Last term our government did mention or at least talked about their somewhat willingness and participation in the Health Quality Council in Alberta in their dialogue and overview of services, and the Alberta province itself says until we have a solution we won’t be closing the Muni. This is a solution, but part of that relationship would be that the Health Council of Alberta is the Northwest Territories government through the Minister of Health’s office was formulating some relationship on this particular subject and it may have been weak, but at the same time they were still...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a constituent of Yellowknife Centre, the former Member for Mackenzie Delta and a guy that could out-talk everybody in this Assembly, and certainly a guy who knows a heck of a lot of the goings on in the Northwest Territories, the one and only Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that committee reports progress.

---Carried

That still leaves the outstanding question as to when can we expect that type of result to be publicly delivered. These outfitters are sitting, waiting patiently. Their outfitting lodges are in mothballs. You know, they still have to pay the mortgages and they’re sitting there without any revenue. They’ve been sitting patiently a long time as partners to this problem. When can we expect that type of answer to be delivered?

Will the Minister commit to do this and report back to the House on his particular activities as well as report to standing committee? Because this is an active issue and many Northerners care. Will he make that commitment? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank Member Groenewegen picking up on this medevac issue. The Minister, earlier today in some of my questions, had pointed out that his department has no involvement and no role, so all that boils down to is simply that it’s none of NWT’s business. But the fact is, medevacs landing safe in a good way, in a timely way in Alberta are very important and we should be having an active role. We’re really faced with a complexity here. We can either be driving the bus on this issue, we can be behind the bus on this issue, or we can take the Minister’s approach, which...

Thank you. The fact is we have a missed opportunity. We’re going to have to go wherever they present us. Well, let’s be part of the solution when I say where they present us. That means if they’re going to tell us what airport we can send our medevacs to, we should be on the front of this problem rather than just being told at the very end of the equation and that’s kind of what I’m getting at with the Minister of Health and Social Services here. We need to get involved in the solution to ensure that northern needs are taken care of; otherwise we’re going to have to put up with whatever they...

Thank you. In my Member’s statement today I talked about medevacs and I need not remind anyone in this House how important those services are. A lot of Northerners depend on them and it’s more than just lip service when I say that in a lot of cases it is life or death on those medevac services. So of course time is very important.

Yesterday I was speaking to someone which has caused the reason why I need to make today’s statement to talk about medevacs. I found out that Deputy Premier Doug Horner of Alberta is moving towards the Edmonton Garrison solution for the medevac problem on the pending...