Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, can I get some time frames on when we can get some of these dates on. I’ll tell you, the reason I keep pointing at the TPA as a solution is because it seems to be the proven solution that works well and although alternatives are being presented and that will be good news for folks, not than anyone plans a stroke, but certainly in the context of if one happens people know the tools are there. I just want to make sure that we have some sense that this stuff is available and when. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I have a family in the constituency of Yellowknife Centre and one of them had a stroke. When they got to the hospital they did not have the clot busting drug called TPA. It’s been a little more than a year later and they’re doing much better, but the fact is my research recently has shown that there is no clot busting drug for strokes called TPA being used at present at the Stanton Hospital.

I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, will she investigate this to see if this type of drug could be used and brought into the common day-to-day use for any type of stroke...

Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to talk about strokes and possible solutions for them for northern residents. Stroke is an injury to the part of the brain. It happens when something goes wrong with the blood flow to the brain. Blood vessels, called arteries, carry blood and nutrients through the body. One way the brain may be injured is when an artery of the brain becomes blocked and the blood supply is cut off. Without a supply of blood, the brain does not get the oxygen and nutrients it definitely needs. The patient will suffer permanent brain damage if blood supply is cut off for more than a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although the deadline target has been set and, in my view, I thought I got an answer yesterday that said if consultations were required beyond that, the deadline would come off. I just want to make sure it’s clear again in that spirit, if consultation hasn’t been fully fulfilled, due to weather, it’s summer, or they aren’t getting enough participation, people’s schedules are busy, will the Minister be clear today in this House to say if more time is needed not to rush this policy out to market? Will she say she will move the date if necessary to fully comply with fair...

Mr. Speaker, one of the issues that took my breath away is the fact that I didn’t feel consulted in this whole process and when it was finally launched to the public, I felt that I was misinformed and didn’t have a chance to it. Now that may be as it may be, but the reality is I felt I didn’t have the full information at the time. So will the Minister clearly commit to this House that she will present the new plan or new policy before Members or some type of dialogue before there is any final implementation so we know what’s going out there and she has that type of support? Thank you.

I, too, wish to recognize Dave and Anne Wind, they’re up on the top floor of the gallery; Mr. Terry Testart, he’s next to the chiefs there; Ms. Lydia Bardak and Mr. Ben McDonald. Of course, if anyone else from Yellowknife Centre is here I’d like to welcome them. From my position it’s difficult to see the whole gallery. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister did allude to it in a certain way. I just want to make sure that it’s absolutely clear and on the record, income threshold, when it comes to a couple of needs to be revisited in recognition of the cost of living and whatnot. So will the Minister make sure these are clearly on the record, that these are the types of things that would be looked at and considered in this consultation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issues have been spoken to quite directly and a fair bit, are the potential changes to the extended health benefits as well as the Supplementary Health Benefits Plan. Mr. Speaker, in short, the Minister has offered to delay the plan to go out to further consultation. It does create a lot of fear and the worry is it predetermines. So I am going to ask the Minister clearly here: Is adjusting the time implementation, implementation time frame, just a delay tactic or what does she mean by getting out there to do meaningful consultation?

Today I’m going to talk about the most important issue in the riding of Yellowknife Centre. Those are the potential changes that are being brought forward by the Health Minister about the Health Care Plan and the benefits. Mr. Speaker, if for only a moment we could imagine what it was like before the Minister made that horrible announcement before Christmas, you would hear from our seniors that they felt respected, cared for, loved, trusted, supported, maybe even safe and perhaps happy in the North because they knew the government loved and cared for them. Once this announcement came, that put...

Mr. Speaker, again, I realize this Minister’s trying to be the superhero of health care, but let’s take off the pressure of an implementation date to make sure it’s done properly. Will the Minister take off the implementation date? Secondly, and finally, will the Minister bring the policy to the House for House approval before any implementation is enforced?