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Oral
Questions
May 15, 2008
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| In the House | Question
Period
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are for the
Premier.
Premier, under section 14
of the Conflict of Interest Act, which was most recently
amended in 2007, the Lieutenant-Governor in Council is
supposed to appoint a Conflict of Interest Advisory
Committee. I am wondering if
you could confirm the existence of this committee and
the names of the persons who currently sit on it?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: I
will take that under advisement, and advise. I do not
know the answer to that question.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you.
Premier, under section 14
of the Conflict of Interest Act, the Conflict of
Interest Advisory Committee once struck, it says is
required to "advise deputy ministers and chief
operating officers on their duties under this Act."
I am
wondering if you could also determine, when you make
your inquires, whether Mr. Andy Wells was in fact - who
is currently the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of
the Public Utilities Board, whether he was in fact ever
advised by the Advisory Committee of his ethical duties
under the Conflict of Interest Act?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The question that is
being put before the House in this Question Period by
the member opposite is, I assume, as a result of certain
activities that are taking place in the city at this
time.
I understand that Kevin
Breen and a group of his friends are organizing an
appreciation dinner for Andy Wells in recognition of
thirty years of public service. I have spoken to Mr.
Breen with regard to that this morning. As well, I have
also spoken to Andy Wells. I want to assure this House,
Mr. Speaker, that if there is any violation of conflict
of interest requirements or any hint of impropriety,
this government will deal with it. Both of those
gentlemen have offered to me and to the Premier a list
of participants that will attend this dinner and we will
scrutinize for any conflict whatsoever, Mr. Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate the comments
of the minister but, again, we would still like the
information from the advisory committee, whether Mr.
Wells was in fact advised of his responsibilities under
the act.
Under section 15 of the
Conflict of Interest Act, a public office holder is
obligated to disclose in advance, in writing, full
particulars of any activity that may contravene the act
to his or her deputy minister or chief operating
officer.
Was
the Premier’s office or any other department or deputy
minister of government contacted by Mr. Wells in
advance, in writing, regarding his plans for this,
apparently, solicitation of funds?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr.
Speaker, the minister has been assured that there is no
conflict of interest; based on the information that has
been provided to me, through the minister, I am assured
at this point that there is no conflict of interest,
whatsoever.
This issue did not come
to my office. This issue came to our attention through
David Cochrane, a reporter with CBC, who indicated that
this was a possible story and asked for our comment on
it. We indicated at that time we had absolutely no
knowledge of any dinner or any fundraiser or anything
that was going on. Since then we have taken it upon us,
because it has arisen as a story for whatever merit, to
check into this and we are quite satisfied that there is
absolutely no conflict of interest, whatsoever.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you.
With all due respect,
Premier, there is a process. The process says there is
an advisory committee, which was supposed to have been
struck and had a membership. The law requires that Mr.
Wells, I would submit, was required in advance to get
the opinion of the advisory committee. It is not a case
of Mr. Wells or anyone else saying, we are doing this
now after the fact and we are doing it properly and
there is no conflict. That has to be determined by the
committee, and I suggest that it is not proper for a
government to accept that person’s word on it.
My question is, Premier,
again: Will you ask the members
of the advisory committee, can you verify or Mr. Wells
verify that in advance of this solicitation, that he
approached the committee and had clearance to do this?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Yes,
we will, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you.
Mr. Speaker, section
7.(1) of the Conflict of Interest Act says, "A
public office holder shall not, directly or indirectly,
accept a fee, gift or personal benefit, except
compensation authorized by law, that is connected,
directly or indirectly, with the performance of his or
her duties."
Given that the Conflict
of Interest Act -
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. member knows
quite well that he is to refer to documents and not to
read from them. I ask the member to either paraphrase or
quote the document as he knows it.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Given that the act
requires and makes that statement, I would ask the
Premier: Will you undertake,
Premier, to have the Conflict of Interest Advisory
Committee investigate this matter?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
In my conversations this
morning the one thing that Mr. Breen was very careful to
point out, that when he discussed this matter with Mr.
Wells the one caveat that he was strictly given was not
to engage anybody in any aspect of this appreciation
dinner that could appear before Mr. Wells in his duties
as Commissioner.
There is no conflict of
interest here, Mr. Speaker. Both Mr. Breen and Mr. Wells
have offered to the Premier, and to myself, the list of
people who will attend this dinner to ensure that we can
see quite clearly that there is no conflict of interest
and there is no impropriety.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you.
Mr. Speaker, I say again
to the minister, it is not a case for the minister or
the Premier to decide if what Mr. Wells or Mr. Breen
says is okay. There is an advisory committee established
by law which is supposed to determine those things.
I ask the Premier: Will
you ask the advisory committee to investigate the
matter? That is pretty straightforward.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: I
have already answered that question, Mr. Speaker.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Opposition House Leader.
MR. PARSONS: Thank
you.
Mr. Speaker, in 2004, in
October actually, this government had no problem
strictly following the conflict of interest guidelines
in the case of top officials at the College of the North
Atlantic. The then Minister of Justice, the Member for
Humber East, in fact, initiated through the Department
of Justice an investigation and referred it to the
authorities. That was in the case of where some top
officials were allegedly receiving money from the Quatar
government, and in that case, they were dismissed.
I ask the Premier: Will
you ask Mr. Wells to step aside from the Public
Utilities Board until the investigation is completed?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Absolutely
not, Mr. Speaker. I am not going to discuss the CONA
matter because I understand that is now before the
courts and that will be dealt with accordingly.
There is nothing being
done wrong here. We have assurance from the people who
organized a dinner to thank someone for thirty years of
public service as a public official - done with good
intentions. We have checked into it. We have asked all
the right questions as to what was involved, who was
involved, if there is any possible conflict with Mr.
Wells’ role as Chairman of the Public Utilities Board,
and we are quite satisfied that in fact that is not the
case. Now that requires, as requested, a check by the
Conflict of Interest Committee – no problem – but as
for asking someone to resign because someone wants to go
out and have a dinner in his honour to pay tribute for
thirty years of public service, not likely.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are for the
Minister of Health and Community Services.
Newfoundland and Labrador
has the highest prevalence rate of diabetes in Canada,
and we understand that the lead physician for adult
diabetes care in this Province has tendered their
resignation and is leaving this summer. No replacement
has yet been identified.
I ask: What
will be the impact of losing this physician, and the
effect on the delivery of service to adult diabetes
patients in the Province?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Any time we get a
resignation of a very capable, competent health
professional in this Province, obviously we are
disappointed by that, and hopefully they would have made
a different decision, but I understand she has made some
decisions about her future career and where she would
want to pursue that, and I wish her well.
With respect to her role,
obviously she was making a major contribution, as were a
number of other people, I say, Mr. Speaker. That
particular physician was residing here in St. John’s,
but there are many other physicians in the Province who
are very actively engaged in providing care and
treatment to their respective patients – many of whom
have diabetes – and they will continue to provide that
care.
We have, over the last
two years in particular, been working very diligently as
a department, working with our four authorities, in
developing a strategy around chronic disease management.
Diabetes happens to be one of those chronic diseases.
The activities that this
doctor was involved with will continue, with the people
who are around that particular team.
MR. SPEAKER: I
ask the hon. minister to conclude his answer.
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
A significant piece of
foundation work has been done, and the work will
continue with the other people who were a part of that
process with her.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
In addition to this
physician tendering her notice, we also are aware that
one of the nurses who has the expertise in insulin pump
therapy in the Province – and there are two that run
two separate clinics in the city – that one of these
particular nurses will also retire in June, and that
patients have already been given notification that no
new adults will be able to receive insulin pumps in this
Province over the course of the summer months, and it
will be reviewed again in September.
This is a tremendous gap
in service for these patients, Minister, and I
ask if there is any plan to deal with this, or if the
service will just be eroded for several months?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The question is very
specific around one of the functions of this particular
nurse, with respect to insulin pumps, and I have not
been made aware that adults will no longer be able to
access insulin pumps because of it, but I obviously will
endeavour to undertake and to find out if that is, in
fact, the case; because, obviously, the fact that one
person would leave should not result in our not being
able to provide supports for individuals who are getting
insulin pumps to be able to be orientated to the use of
that and understand how it will change the management of
their diabetes. That should not happen, I say, Mr.
Speaker, so I will endeavour to get an answer for the
member.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, patients have informed us that they have been
told that this service will be suspended over the course
of the next three to four months, and that it will be
reviewed in September.
I ask
if you will take it upon yourself to see what is
happening here, and if there is a way that the service
can be reinstated over the summer months.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr.
Speaker, if the member opposite does not mind repeating
questions, I do not mind repeating the answer.
The answer is yes; I just
told her I would.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Minister.
My next questions are for
the Minister of Education.
Mr. Speaker, I would like
to continue with some of the questions related to a
potential criminal matter involving the International
Student Exchange Program through the Department of
Education. I have asked some questions in the House in
the last few days on this.
Maybe I should direct
this question to the Premier.
The student recruiter who
eventually took her concerns to the police actually made
contact with the Premier’s office on February 5, 2007,
through the Premier’s Principal Assistant. In an
e-mail response on February 6 from that assistant, he
said that this alleged fraud and misappropriation of
funds would be brought to the attention of the Premier
at the earliest opportunity.
I ask the Premier: When
were you advised of this potential criminal wrongdoing?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, this information came to government and it came
to me, as Minister of Education, through the agent, Ms
Lisa O’Neill, in August 2007. Prior to that, the
information had been shared with the school board who
sought legal opinion, who dealt with the issue.
We are talking about:
When did it go to the police and who reported it to the
police? Well, Mr. Speaker, through the government
processes, it landed on my desk in August 2007 and I
reviewed it. I took it very seriously and I made sure it
was turned over to the police.
What is really important
to remember here is, when this agent felt there was
criminal activity going on, at any point in time, rather
than go to the school board or the government, this
person - and she basically did, at some point, go to the
police - she had the option, at any point in time,
feeling if there was criminal activity that affected her
or her business, to take it to the police.
MR. SPEAKER:
I ask the hon. minister to conclude her answer.
MS BURKE: I
just want to conclude by saying, when it came to me
through the government processes and I had a time to
meet with Lisa O’Neill, I certainly took the issue
seriously and we made sure it was reported to the
police.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I have no idea why the
Premier would duck this question. It is pretty
straightforward. I have copies of e-mails that were sent
to his office, e-mails that were returned from your
office to the individual.
A simple question,
Premier: When were you made
aware of this situation?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: In
March 2007, as the Minister of Education, I was made
aware of the fact that there was an issue, or a
potential issue, with an employee at Eastern School
District. I was also advised at that time that the
school board had sought legal counsel and had been
working with legal counsel and working in compliance
with the collective agreement that was in place to deal
with that issue. I also understand that issue was also
referred to the Board of Trustees at that time so they
could make a decision on this case.
Mr. Speaker, as
government, if we knew that there was an issue with an
employee at the school board, we would expect that the
school board, through the Schools Act and through their
responsibility of what they need to do, would take
action on that matter. We understood the school board
was doing that.
Mr. Speaker,
subsequently, when I met with Ms Lisa O’Neill, I felt
that we should take the matter a bit further.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I would like to ask the
Premier: What action was taken
by him, or his office, when they received notice of this
misappropriation of funds back in February 2007?
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, as Minister of Education, I am certainly
responsible to deal with matters that come to me
regarding the educational system or boards in
Newfoundland and Labrador.
This matter came to my
attention in March. I asked what was going on. I was
told it was being dealt with appropriately. It came back
to my attention through another means in August 2007.
Again, rather than saying, oh, I have already been
briefed, I know what is going on - I got the documents,
I reviewed them, and I called Ms Lisa O’Neill. I set
up a meeting. I met with her, along with officials, and
we continued to follow up.
Mr. Speaker, when we
followed up, we referred the matter to the police. We
also have a formal program evaluation going on to that
program. I wanted a financial analysis as to what was
going on. I wanted a legal opinion as to whether or not
the board should be provided in this type of business.
Mr. Speaker, we did
follow up and there has been a lot on work done in this
area.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER:
The hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: I
have no idea why the Premier is ducking these questions,
but it is quite obvious that -
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
MS JONES: It
is quite obvious that the minister is unable to answer
for him, because the minister continues to claim that
she knew about it in March. I am talking about
notification in February.
Mr. Speaker, the minister
said in the House yesterday that the student recruiter
had presented her with a package of information related
to this potential criminal wrongdoing in August 2007.
I ask minister: What
was contained in this package? Was it just print
material? Was it video or visual material, and was there
any kind of audio clips as well?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, I would first like to address, many times we
hear the Opposition criticize this government and refer
to our Premier as a one-man show; but, Mr. Speaker, this
is an example of where the Premier understands that
issues are dealt with in the departments by the
ministers and we have the authority to deal with these
matters.
There are many times
matters enter government through various doors, through
various departments or the Premier’s office, and they
are routed to the particular department that deals with
it. This is a particular case.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, when I met with Ms Lisa O’Neill, she provided
me with an envelope of documents. There was no audio
tape; there was no video. I saw the video on the news.
I was asked to produce
some letters that we had, to follow up that, and I can
table it once we are finished Question Period, when I
find it here - I do have a letter to table here in the
House that will say that, while it is under active
police investigation, the police have requested that
there is certain information that I should not table as
public documents that could interfere with that criminal
investigation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, I say to the minister, this is obviously one
issue that his office did not pass on to you, because we
know that their office knew in February; you claim that
you did not know until March 2007.
Mr. Speaker, my question
again for the minister is that, when she had this
information in her possession - notwithstanding the fact
that she was notified back in March and did not act in
her capacity as a minister to report this to the police,
notwithstanding that - when she was provided with
information and evidence in August, why
did you, Minister, not turn this over to the police
immediately so that there could be an investigation?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Let
me explain again.
On August 30, 2007, I
received a package of documents. I reviewed those
documents and I phoned Ms Lisa O’Neill and scheduled a
meeting for September 6. On August 31, the following
day, I asked if there was any further information within
the department.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
MS BURKE: I
also advised, that day, for the officials to contact the
police.
It is my understanding
that the officials consulted with the Department of
Justice and basically asked the question of whether or
not it had been dealt with, and did the board have the
legal authority to deal with it or should we do anything
here?
The information, the
decision we got back, or the opinion from Justice, was
yes, this was a board matter and they had dealt with it
and it was in their authority.
I was not satisfied that
we asked the right question and I said, no, I want to
know, should we turn this over to the police? That was
what my gut was telling me: let’s turn this over to
the police.
I had a subsequent
meeting –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. minister
to conclude her answer.
MS BURKE: I
had a subsequent meeting with an official from the
Department of Justice, and following that meeting there
was a letter gone to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
that indicated that we had this information and we felt
it should be investigated.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, I ask the minister: At
any time did you receive advice, legal or otherwise,
telling you that you should not go to the police and
report this matter? Very simple.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
Before I recognize the
minister, I say to the hon. Leader of the Opposition,
this is a line of questioning that concerned me
yesterday. The hon. member ought not to ask and seek
information on legal advice. That is clearly
unparliamentary, and your question is out of order.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Leader of
the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, I will try and rephrase my question
differently, and if it is out of order I do apologize.
My question, Mr. Speaker,
is to the minister, and I am asking her: In
her capacity as a minister, did anyone advise her not to
report this incident to the police?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, as the person who had this information, and who
had concerns, I wanted to make sure that I asked the
question, that it was understood that my request was to
turn it over to the police.
I am absolutely assured,
and I can assure the hon. members here today, that when
I said I felt it should go to the police, when I met
with an official of Justice and I was very clear with
that request and my question, that is actually when it
happened.
Mr. Speaker, I made sure
that direct question was asked so that I knew that the
opinion coming back was a result of that particular
question. When I asked it, it was probably within
twenty-four hours that it was turned over to the police.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Again,
Mr. Speaker, the minister knows she went to the police
only after she had this information in her possession
for months and months and months, and the police had
already been notified.
I ask you, Minister: Who
advised you not to table any documents or provide
information to us in the House because of an
investigation that is ongoing?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, because this is a matter under police
investigation, I am certainly seeking a legal opinion as
to what documents I can table here in the House. When I
have an opinion to indicate – when they go through the
documents and indicate what can be tabled, I will do
that.
In the meantime, I do
have a letter from the RNC which I will table – it is
here in my possession today – that indicates that they
feel that this information, if I release it now, will
interfere with a criminal investigation, and I really do
not feel that I should do that.
Once the criminal
investigation is over, certainly the documents can be
tabled.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, what I do
not understand is that, when there were allegations –
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
MS JONES: –
when there were allegations that some college officials
in this Province accepted thousands of dollars from
members of a Qatar family, I think, or a royal family,
that this government moved very quickly to report it to
the police and to the authorities at that time, and to
ask for an investigation.
What I
do not understand, Minister, is why the same kind of
efforts were not made when you knew, when the Minister
of Business at the time knew, when the Premier’s
office was informed, why was this issue not reported to
the RNC? Why did you, as a minister, take it upon
yourself to not report a criminal activity?
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, I think it would only be fair to outline some
of the timelines that happened from August 30 until
November 22.
One thing I do want to
say is that I also had concerns of potential child
abuse, and I spoke to the Director of Child Protection
on August 30, as soon as I had the information.
Mr. Speaker, I met with
Ms Lisa O’Neill on September 6. That was shortly
before the provincial election. Unfortunately, I had a
death in the family and I was off work for a few days
leading into the election. Then the election happened
and, Mr. Speaker, in all fairness, after the election I
took some time off waiting for the new Cabinet to be
named, wondering if I was going back into the portfolio,
but certainly to have a rest at that time as well.
As of November 1, I was
back in the Department of Education. It was one of my
priorities; I followed up on it immediately. We got the
Request for Proposals for the formal program evaluation.
MR. SPEAKER: I
ask the hon. minister to conclude her answer.
MS BURKE: I
also followed up on the legal aspect of it. I wanted to
assure that the question that went to the Department of
Justice clearly reflected the question that I wanted
asked was: Should we turn this over to the police? I
followed up on that, and it was turned over before the
end of November.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
My question today is for
the Minister of Health and Community Services.
As the minister knows,
children eighteen and under are currently able to access
insulin pumps through the Janeway. However, once they
are over eighteen, unless they or their families have a
medical plan, they are no longer going to be able to
afford to keep the pump. This is an enforced change to
their lifestyle and one that we heard about at the
dinner that the Diabetes Association held for MHAs, and
that will have a huge impact on the maintenance of their
disease.
I ask the minister: Will
this government commit to funding the cost of diabetes
supplies devices, including the pumps, to individuals
over eighteen - especially those who had the pump up to
that time - who cannot afford it, so that the cost is
not a barrier or a burden to managing the disease?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I have said in this House
many times, and yesterday I think was the most recent
time, that of all the things this government has done in
the last four years - and there have been many, many
significant investments, the day is not long enough to
list them. One of the things that we have gotten the
most comments about has been the policy decision we made
last year and the investment of money to provide insulin
pumps to children.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr.
Speaker, when you hear the testimony of these young
children and how it has impacted their lives and how it
has changed their lives and over the long haul, we all
understand and acknowledge what a tremendous impact it
will have on their quality of life. It will actually
impact their well-being well into their adult years.
Mr. Speaker, that was an
initiative we did last year. It is a program that is
into its first year and already we are getting rave
reviews. Programs like this are always reviewed and
evaluated, and as always, anytime we see an opportunity
to improve the quality of lives of Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians we will continue to make investments in
many of those areas.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday in debate the
minister talked about the young man who spoke to us at
the dinner sponsored by the Diabetes Association. He
talked about how pleased this young man was and how
awesome it was that he had the pump, but what the
minister did not tell the House was at the end of that
this young man made a plea to the government to make
sure that the funding for the pump would not end by the
time he became eighteen because if that happened he did
not know how he would be able to make the adjustments in
this life.
I am asking you, in the
name of that young man who asked us that night at the
dinner, will you look at making sure that this money
continues for these children once they reach the age
where right now is a cut-off point?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, obviously
this is the day for repeat questions, the second
question from two different people we have had repeated.
Let me repeat the answer again, Mr. Speaker.
Once again, I said many
times in this House and I will say it again today, all
programs that we deliver through our four regional
health authorities are programs that are under
continuous evaluation. On an annual basis, we make
investments in many programs to improve upon them, to
enhance them, to expand a larger number of people who
may have access to the benefits. We did it under the
Prescription Drug Program, we did it under our oxygen
program this year, we have done it under our medial
transportation program, and the list goes on.
I say, Mr. Speaker, the insulin pump program that we
introduced last year, that too, will go through an
evaluation over time and we will look at opportunities
to build on it, to improve it, and if possible, make
continued investments to ensure that the children of
this Province, and the adults of this Province -
MR. SPEAKER:
Order please!
I ask the hon. minister
to conclude his answer.
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
- get the kind of
supports and services they need to manage diabetes. |
