Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, yeah, I mean, we can play semantics around names. But I mean, if he wants to give it another name, it's still a different pay -- it's still the same pay, same whatever. So I'm going to allow him to call it whatever he wants; I don't care. But if he backfills the principal secretary, then it's a new body and a new pay line. That's the issue I'm really drawing at to clarify.

So my understanding is there's more staff being added to that office to support the Premier and the executive. So how many new, outside of what was previously there at the start of this...

Fair enough. I'll be polite about it. I'll say how many senior level staff has he added to his office through the EIA process that are new? So I can think of at least one. This is at least two. If we have a senior envoy person that never existed before, I'm curious on how many additional people he's added to this department. Thank you.

So will this senior envoy be still the current or future principal secretary as well? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was remiss in my earlier statements. I wanted to point out something that committee had engaged the Information and Privacy Commissioner, and that wasn't put on the record here. He had provided some excellent and thoughtful advice to committee and, of course, we shared that with the department, and the department received it in the manner it was delivered which was collaborative in order to find better ways to follow through, and hence, some of the amendments were driven by that conversation and collaboration. So, you know, often I do jest about us not working...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a minor comment, although it may not be exactly on this page, but I ask for your grace on allowing.

One of the -- it was mentioned by the Premier about the integrated service process, and I just would be -- I'd disappoint myself if I didn't highlight this area which is one of the challenges I often hear when it's being led by initiative and across multi-departments is no one's in charge. And, you know, so not picking on anyone in particular, but I'll just say the ECC Minister is the lead of something -- I'm just not picking on you -- but the problem is it...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's the best answer I've heard out of Cabinet this whole session, Mr. Speaker. And I want to acknowledge that.

Mr. Speaker, the only other question, assuming it goes well, is that can I have the Minister agree that she'll investigate this and report this back to me or the House by -- well, say, can we get an update or some sort before the May session? Because I suspect the next two weeks is too soon. But if she can commit to do a public clarification as to what isn't being done but what will be done and etcetera, she understands. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'm not looking when I say in this next comment about hiring a fleet or futile staff, but I think some evaluation has to be put to this question which is is it better suited elsewhere. We could easily argue that the homelessness could be in housing. We could talk about a cross pollination of issues in the sense of well, there's, you know, health issues, maybe it should be in health. You know, I don't think it should be, but I'm just saying we could justify it anywhere, and I'm just asking is there any chance of evaluating and maybe we'll see this in the -...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Coordination of benefits, many of us know what that means, but for those who don't that means when your work two sets of benefits are working together to get the same ends. We often here this when it comes to dental coverage and prescription coverage and, more particularly, we hear it as in the co-pay system works, 80/20. In other words, one covers 80, then the other one covers the 20.

So as a hypothetical example, Mr. Speaker, with respect to co-benefits -- and I stress hypothetical of course -- let's just say I had to get a prescription to stay as calm and as relaxed...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll keep it short because the time is running out, and I'm sure other Members are eager to ask similar questions or other questions. But I would just say that one of the difficult challenges here is evidence-based and how does that translate to result and to say that while they're there to build relationships, that's impossible to measure which makes it wonder how do we know if we're getting value from this effort whatsoever. I don't mind doing business differently, and I've already said this in the House, I'm very disappointed in the Premier that he can have a...

Mr. Speaker, I talked about delays; I talked about opportunities; I'm going to ask the Minister what opportunities can we do to accelerate appointments that people need simple, straightforward care. As I said, someone needed a flu shot, they got to wait two months. There must be a better way. What can the Minister propose as a solution?