Member's Statement On Mental Health Addictions Program

Member's Statement On Mental Health Addictions Program

Mr. Speaker, the information I have is that the GNWT contribution agreement that’s been rolled out requires that the people who are hired for these positions have to have a minimum of Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences with three years of relevant counselling experience or a diploma in Psychiatric Nursing with three years of relevant experience. Mr. Speaker, I totally appreciate and understand that we need to have people qualified for their jobs, whatever they may be, but we should also note that in this case these qualifications that the contribution agreement is asking for would most certainly exclude anybody who’s in the community who might be interested in this job. Anybody who has these qualifications, I would submit to you, is already employed or, unless the new money being offered is very high, they’re not going to be willing to transfer.

Mr. Speaker, I think it’s important that whenever we roll out programs and put more resources we need to build capacity that goes with those resources. What I’m really concerned with is that there are currently no training programs in the department or within our school system that would be able to bring the people that we already have available who can qualify for this training program so they can be trained rather than setting up job requirements that we know to be either beyond, or we just don’t have people to fill these jobs in communities. We have full employment or something close to full employment, and I can tell you that a psychiatric nurse with psychiatric training is hard to come by, even at Stanton Territorial Hospital.

So, Mr. Speaker, I would urge this government and the Minister of Health and Social Services to revisit the way in which he is introducing this program and rolling out this program because in the end, if there’s no buy-in from the communities with respect to this program and they feel that they can’t have their local people working on it, it is not going to result in success. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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MR. SPEAKER: Item 3, Members’ statements. The Member for Nunakput, Mr. Pokiak.

Member's Statement On Congratulations To Nunakput Super Soccer Team

Mr. Speaker, with this being their first time attending this tournament they did not win any of the games, but I’m proud to say they did receive an outstanding trophy. I would like to recognize their sponsor, who helped them raise $10,000 for the expenses to join in this event. They are Devon, ConocoPhillips, First Air, Helen Kalvak Elihakvik School, the Hamlet of Holman, the Holman District Education Authority, Inuvialuit Development Corporation, the local church and the community volunteers who helped at bake sales.

Mr. Speaker, there are two students from Mangilaluk School in Tuktoyaktuk who I wish to acknowledge. They are Shaeli Pokiak and Chelsey Jacobson. They won in their division and went to the regional science fair in Inuvik where they were selected to be participants in the national science fair in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Ms. Betty Elias, the Grade 6 teacher from Mangilaluk School, was the chaperone for female students who attended the science fair.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to congratulate these constituents from my Nunakput riding who graduated from Aurora College: Gloria Nasogaluak from Tuktoyaktuk and Donald Kuptana, Jr., who now resides in Inuvik, who graduated with a diploma from the recreational leaders program; Lilly Alanak from Holman and Vikki Gruben from Tuktoyaktuk, who graduated from the Holman community support worker program; and Marlene Wolki from Paulatuk, who received her certificate in office administration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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MR. SPEAKER: Item 3, Members’ statements. The Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Villeneuve.

Member's Statement On Lack Of GNWT Support To Persons With Disabilities

Mr. Speaker, these clients are still in the same institution, as they refuse to be relocated and it worries me why this government can only state that they’re pretty much on their own now that they refuse to relocate. I do not understand how this government can say that they will help by having on-call services available to these clients should they want to receive support from this government. Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that these people have developmental disabilities, and a help line does not seem like a good alternative to what I would term as abandonment by the government and Department of Health and Social Services with regard to their proper care and support received by the institution which has stated that they will continue to care for these people with developmental disabilities regardless of GNWT funding arrangements which are being terminated because of unsubstantiated allegations and accusations which seem to be plaguing this House of late.

Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister of Health and Social Services more questions about this important issue later on today. Mahsi.

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