QUESTION 164-16(5):
WORKING GROUP ON PROPOSED
CHANGES TO THE SUPPLEMENTARY
HEALTH BENEFITS POLICY
MR. ABERNETHY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Premier in follow up to my Member’s statement earlier today. First off I’d like to applaud Cabinet for taking this unprecedented move to develop a joint working group…
---Applause
…to find workable solutions on an issue that is clearly of significant importance to Members of this House and residents of the Northwest Territories. I strongly agree that working together on this is important and in the best interests of all people in the Northwest Territories. This is definitely a positive step.
However, I do have some questions on process. Mr. Speaker, the working group that has been established has an incredible opportunity and significant importance. Could the Premier commit that this working group will be given the authority to set real and official direction for future changes to supplemental health programs, and that their recommendations to Cabinet will be fully considered? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
HON. FLOYD ROLAND: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The area of the Supplementary Health Program and policy is of vital importance to residents of the Northwest Territories as well as to this government. Hence the number of times we’ve taken this back and reviewed it, and at this point worked with members of Priorities and Planning to come up with this approach to a number of initiatives within that program.
We have to start from a basis. The existing program as it is and the policy as it is, and the work that’s been done to date, we’ve highlighted and worked with committee as to the key areas that we need to move forward on and I believe the Member raised those points in his Member’s statement. But at the same time, we’re also listening to the Members of the Assembly and when there’s talk of parody with NIHB is one of those items that we seriously have to take a look at.
I would say that the working group, as it does its work, recommendations that come back will both go to members of Priorities and Planning, and Cabinet will take that work seriously and have a look at what can be incorporated, how can we amend this and make it work for the future. Thank you.
MR. ABERNETHY: Thank you. I’d like to thank the Premier for that response. I really do appreciate that they’re going to listen to the recommendations of the working group.
The second question is if the working group makes a recommendation that is contrary to the direction that the Department of Health is taking right now, can the Premier please ensure to us today that the committee’s direction will be adhered to, or will the Minister actually have a veto over what the working group is suggesting or recommending?
HON. FLOYD ROLAND: Thank you. The working group is that, a working group. The recommendations that would flow out of that would go through Priorities and Planning as well as back to Cabinet. Cabinet would have that ultimate decision as to what gets implemented. It’s not a department has that final authority. It is a Cabinet position that would be taking to look at changes that would have to occur within that policy. Thank you.
MR. ABERNETHY: Once again, thank you to the Premier for that. I’m also happy to hear that he’s going to give Priorities and Planning an opportunity to look at that and make recommendations as well. I think it’s important to the operations of the working group that the operations are transparent. Given that the Minister of Health and Social Services is responsible for the final design and ultimately the implementation of the Supplemental Health Program, it’s important that she be open to recommendations from this committee. Based on that, I’m a little worried that if the Minister of Health and Social Services were to become the chair, it might be perceived in the public that this is a rubberstamp, which we don’t want. We want this to be transparent and clear. I’m not saying that she’s biased, but I’m concerned that that might be the perception. So would the Premier commit to assigning a chair to this committee that doesn’t already have ultimate responsibility for implementing the recommendations of this working group, this new working group? Thank you.
HON. FLOYD ROLAND: Thank you. There are a number of occasions and I know the supp health policy has brought heated debate here into the Assembly, but no policy goes through under just one Minister.
The Minister, under department advisement and their work, brings forward a policy, goes through to Cabinet. Policy, as our protocol is, we hand it over to committee for their input and it comes back to Cabinet for potential other changes to the policy that gets sent out.
So in this case we have agreed to three Members of Cabinet and three members of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning that need to get together and I believe they’re trying to pull those people together before we leave the capital as session is drawing to an end. So they’re trying to pull a work plan together and under their advisement we’ll be looking for how that should be structured, if it’s co-chair or if it’s a chair. I mean, co-chairs are a possibility.
Again, this is not a Minister or a department running the show. This is going to be a Cabinet decision as to what policy gets put in place at the end of the day and remind people even our last policy that was signed, it’s the Premier-of-the-day that signs off on the policies. Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.
MR. ABERNETHY: Thank you, Mr. Premier, and I appreciate all that and I understand what you’re saying, it’s just last night after the announcement came out I had some constituents and other residents of the Northwest Territories talk to me and I spent a lot of time defending what we’re doing and that we’re working together and are coming together to work as a working group to find some reasonable solutions.
One of the things that came up a couple times is some people don’t trust, necessarily. What we’re talking about is restoring public confidence. Unfortunately, some people have labelled this as Minister Lee’s plan. I think to increase some transparency and return some public confidence, it might be better to have Minister Lee as a Member and not a chair. I’m just suggesting that it might be appropriate to appoint a different chair than Minister Lee. We don’t know who the chair is, but if the Premier could make some recommendations that the chair be somebody other than the Minister of Health who will ultimately implement this program.
HON. FLOYD ROLAND: I think this is one of, well, maybe not the first time, but rarely do we have brought up in the sitting of the Legislative Assembly who should be the chair of a working group or committee.
We will sit down, as I said. They are trying to pull the people together. If it’s co-chairs that go through it, we’ll go through it.
Since it’s been raised about the work of a Minister, well, the Minister was directed to deliver some work. That work has been debated for quite some time. It’s Cabinet overall that looks at those policies with input from Members. Again, the same process will be used. We will have to use the expertise that’s in the field and, of course, the experience of Members as well to make sure that we develop a program that does work and is deliverable.
As for appointment of who the chairperson would be, I’m not prepared to say that at this point. I think we should get the committee together and get some feedback from them as to should it be one chair or co-chairs.
MR. SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
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