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Oral
Questions
March 24, 2009
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| In the House | Question
Period
MS
JONES:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My questions are for the
Premier.
In a recent interview
with David Patterson, the CEO of Abitibi, on the
Business News Network, he stated that the Province bid
for the power assets of the company but was outbid by a
competitor. Yesterday, the Minister of Natural Resources
said that talks had broken off with the company over the
amount of compensation to be paid out.
So I ask the Premier
today: How much did the
Province originally bid for the assets, and why was this
information not disclosed when we debated the
expropriation legislation in the House of Assembly?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources and Deputy
Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, some time
ago Abitibi Bowater informed the Province that it was
considering selling its Star Lake asset and invited the
Province to make a bid. The Province through Nalcor did
that, Mr. Speaker, and the bid was not accepted, in part
due to an agreement they have with their shareholder on
Star Lake who has the right of first refusal. It was
certainly clear to us that Abitibi really was not
interested in selling that asset to the Province. We
made a fair bid, it was not accepted and we have moved
on. It was not a matter of any great consequence, Mr.
Speaker, and we were not trying to hide anything from
anybody in terms of our discussions around the
expropriation. It was completely new discussion at that
point in time.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The minister indicated
yesterday that the government was not prepared to pay
$300 million for those assets. Maybe
she can tell me what the bid amount was that Nalcor
submitted?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker,
negotiations, as I said yesterday, have been going on
for a number of weeks. Mr. Patterson in The Globe and
Mail some time ago during an interview assigned a
value of $300 million to the assets. Obviously, we do
not agree with that estimate. Talks have been ongoing
until last week. We hope that they will resume again. We
are certainly not going to have a public discussion, Mr.
Speaker, about our negotiating position. What we will do
is try to get the best value we can for the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
That was not the
question, the question was you put in a bid, the bid is
off the table. We want to know what the amount of the
bid was.
Mr. Speaker, we know that
Abitibi has stated publicly that they will be taking the
Province to court under a NAFTA challenge if government
does not pay the $300 million. We also know that the
company has retained legal counsel in this matter.
I ask the Premier today: Have
you been given any further indication that Abitibi will
be suing the Province, other than what we are hearing in
the media? If so, have any of those details been
received by the government?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
When we began our talks
with AbitibiBowater we were very clear under what
conditions we were going to conduct those talks, what
the issues were on the table. We can only assume that
AbitibiBowater came to the table in good faith and was
trying to negotiate in good faith to assign a value to
the assets and resolve the issues, the three primary
issues that we put on the table.
They always held in
reserve the right to a NAFTA challenge. That is their
right. We have no indication at this point in time
whether they are going to actively pursue that right,
but they certainly have the option to do so.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
If there is a NAFTA
challenge, the federal government would also have an
interest in that case.
I ask the minister: Has
there been any discussion or consultation with the
federal government on that matter?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Premier.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
PREMIER WILLIAMS: Mr.
Speaker, I had a conversation with Minister Stockwell
Day some time ago, who indicated that they wished to
have a discussion with us about it, and we had a brief
discussion about it. They also asked if, in fact, we
would be entertaining or having any discussions, or
would be prepared to have any discussions with the
company, being AbitibiBowater, which, in fact, we have
done, so we followed those particular instructions.
We have been talking to
federal officials, and it is my understanding as well
that the minister has also been talking to federal
officials.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
If I could ask: Is
the federal government supportive of the position that
Newfoundland and Labrador has taken in this case, and
would they be going to support us in any court challenge
or would it be the opposite?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
For the Leader of the
Opposition’s information, so that she has an
understanding of the process, the federal government is
the body that will be charged with dealing with a NAFTA
challenge, so it is their responsibility to respond to
whatever challenges AbitibiBowater brings forward.
I have had a discussion
with the Minister of Natural Resources Canada on this
issue. I have had discussions with Minister MacKay on
this issue. As well, I have had meetings with Minister
Day on this issue. The Premier has said to them, as well
as I have been able to reiterate on behalf of
government, that we will support them in whatever way is
appropriate if a NAFTA challenge is brought forward.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Minister, for that clarification.
Mr. Speaker, there are
obvious environmental considerations involved in
Abitibi’s operations, whether that be with the mill,
the timber or the power development project.
I ask the Premier: What
assessments have government done to look at the cost of
the cleanup and the restoration of areas that have been
affected by environmental damage?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS JOHNSON: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, our
department is doing an inventory of all of the
environmental issues. That could range anywhere from
logging camps to bridges and to the mill itself.
Certainly, the mill will have to undergo an
environmental assessment process through the
decommissioning of their mill, as was done in
Stephenville. The member can rest assured that all
environmental issues will certainly be addressed.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Maybe
the minister could also give me the time frame for which
you think this assessment will be done.
Mr. Speaker, as a further
supplementary, if there are any environmental
liabilities that need to be looked after, has
government gotten any assurances from Abitibi that they
are prepared to accept their financial obligations and
responsibilities to ensure that those environmental
cleanups take place?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Environment and Conservation.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS JOHNSON: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The inventory is actively
ongoing. In fact, we have received some information from
members of the general public about some items out
there, that we were not aware of, and we certainly
welcome that. Certainly, we are going to hold Abitibi
accountable to the environmental issues that are out
there, so you can rest assured they will be addressed.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday, I asked some
questions with regard to potential bankruptcy and what
it would mean for severance and pension benefits for
workers. I ask the government today: Have
they received a breakdown of the amount of severance
that is owed to displaced workers at the Grand
Falls-Windsor mill?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, we are working both
with the CEP in gathering that information, as well as
some of this information has to be counter checked
through the company. We are doing our very best to
ensure that we have the right numbers, and we are
feeling confident that we are there at this time, Mr.
Speaker.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
AbitibiBowater has until
tomorrow night to restructure their debt or they will be
forced into a bankruptcy position. Yesterday, the
minister did not want to talk about hypothetical
situations, but the reality is that most of these former
employees or displaced workers are already hitting a
panic button over this, and I think the minister
understands that.
I ask again today: What
is government doing to prepare for any fallout if there
should be a bankruptcy within the next twenty-four to
forty-eight hours? What is the backup plan for
government?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Natural Resources.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS DUNDERDALE: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, this has been a process that has been
ongoing with this company and with the people of the
Grand Falls-Windsor region for well over two years. We
have, at any time, at any number of times during that
period, expected this company to collapse. What we are
doing is our due diligence. We have excellent
communication with the people in the region,
particularly with the unions. We understand what their
concerns are. There are direct lines of communication
between me and the people in the region, between the
chair of the task force and the people in the region,
and we have three MHAs in the region who are fully
engaged.
We are not going to hit
the panic button. We understand what is going on. We
understand what is going on in the industry. We are
watching very carefully. We understand what all of the
circumstances have the possibility of bringing forward,
and we are also preparing for a number of eventualities.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
If the minister’s paycheque was on the line maybe she
would be hitting the panic button.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, let me ask the Minister of Health of Community
Services -
AN HON. MEMBER: (Inaudible).
MS JONES: No,
she did not. I write my questions myself, Minister
Hickey. Who writes yours for you? Who writes yours for
you?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Leader of
the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and
Community Services.
We know in the Cameron
Inquiry that he failed to read his briefing notes and be
informed on some very significant issues that were
facing cancer patients in the Province. Yesterday, on
the news, I was appalled to learn that the minister was
not aware that there was a need for dialysis equipment
in Labrador West, when they have for two years been
raising money in that community, when there have been
feature articles in the media about it, and when I have
a letter, Mr. Speaker, in my own office asking me for a
donation as an MHA. He, as the member for the area,
sitting behind –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. member to
pose her question.
MS JONES: I
ask the minister today, Mr. Speaker: How
do you expect to provide and allow for confidence to be
building in the health care system if you are going to
be so out of touch with issues like this one in Labrador
West?
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr.
Speaker, what I said yesterday in the media was in
response to some questions around dialysis services in
Labrador West. What I indicated clearly was that as a
health department, as a minister, we had not had any
representation from the community at large or from the
health authority. We have four health authorities in
this Province, I say, Mr. Speaker, and they have a
really significant purpose in the delivery of health
services in the respective parts of the Province.
The Labrador Grenfell
Authority has a responsibility in Labrador and the
Northern part of the Island portion of the Province.
They, as a part of their planning exercise and a part of
their exercise in putting forward to government requests
for either funding or support for program initiatives,
have not approached our department or me, as the
minister, or government in any way, about having
dialysis services in Lab City.
You may recall, Mr.
Speaker, about a year or so ago I joined my colleague
and we opened a new dialysis service in Happy
Valley-Goose Bay.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. minister
to complete his answer.
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Dialysis services, as a
range of other programs that we introduce in a variety
of areas of the Province, come about as a result of
local regional planning from our health authorities who,
in turn, make representation to government.
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, dialysis services are required in other areas
of the Province as well. I don’t know if the minister
is aware of this, but in Port aux Basques, for example,
there are people being forced to move out of that area
to Corner Brook right now in order to seek dialysis
services. So, there are significant gaps in the system.
I ask
the minister if he is aware of that particular need and
what action will be taken by the department to deal with
cases like this.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr.
Speaker, it is interesting, you know, the question got
framed initially in what I knew as a minister. What was
interesting is she referenced the Cameron Inquiry. What
was really interesting, one of the pivotal turning
points identified by Justice Cameron was a Dr. Ejeckam
letter in 2003. That 2003 letter happened on their
watch, I say, Mr. Speaker. We weren’t in government at
that time.
When we start talking
about what ministers know and what ministers do not
know, at an operational level, as a minister, we would
not necessarily have any idea what is happening on a
day-to-day basis at an operational level at many of our
authorities, so it is a natural, normal process for us
to rely on health authorities to identify health needs
in respective areas of the Province.
Now, with respect to the
issue of Port aux Basques, I met with the council in
Port aux Basques last year in Corner Brook. We had a
discussion around the issue as I understand it now, some
representation of the community as well as the health
authority –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Leader of
the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
It is interesting; the
minister mentions the Dr. Ejeckam letter. Never let the
facts stand in the way of a good story, hey, Minister?
The first, you know, that
we had ever seen that letter was when your Premier waved
it in the House of Assembly, and you know from that
report that it was never, ever submitted –
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Oh,
oh!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask members for their
co-operation.
I ask the hon. Leader of
the Opposition to conclude her question.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
The Province has lost its
only infectious disease specialist, Dr. Bader, and while
Eastern Health states that they believe they have
secured the services of Dr. Bader on a locum basis, we
are hearing from the medical community that is not the
case.
I ask the minister: What
is the current status of these efforts, and what are you
doing to reassure the people of the Province that their
health needs are being met, and reassuring their
families that (inaudible) infectious control doctor
provided for…?
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
The hon. the Minister of
Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I will try to be brief,
but I do want to thank the member for confirming my
point in my earlier question. I thank you very much for
that.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Just
for the benefit of her colleague who sits next to her,
we are having discussions. As I understand it, Western
Health is having some discussions with representatives
from your district about dialysis services in Port aux
Basques, which is a follow-up to a discussion that I had
with the town as well.
Now, to the next
question, the issue of an infectious disease specialist
in the Province: As I understand, in the information
shared with me as recently as this morning, Dr. Bader
is, in fact, available to do some locum coverage. I
understand he is available to do some consultation by
phone, and he is travelling to the Province
periodically, every three or four weeks – or every
five weeks, I think it is.
In addition to that,
there is another specialist, a former Dr. Bowmer, who is
in Newfoundland and Labrador, who comes back for locums
as well, and we hope to have the new recruit on the
ground –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Mr.
Speaker, if that is the case, I ask the minister: Why
did you let the people, who were sick and suffering from
AIDS, stand outside on the steps of Confederation
Building today trying to advocate for such physicians in
this Province, and not go out and provide for them the
answers that they were looking for?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr.
Speaker, individual organizations, or individuals
themselves, or groups, should take advantage of an
opportunity if they want to protest, or lobby, or to
have a gathering on Confederation Hill to deliver a
message to government. That is their option. I would not
discourage that. However, the group, this morning, the
AIDS organization, were contacted by my office and
indicated that we would be prepared to meet with them. A
meeting has been set up with them, so we will be
following up directly with them.
I was not available to
meet with them this morning; I had earlier commitments.
They understood that. I shared that with them, but we
have set a date, I think it is April 15 we are getting
together. Myself and officials from my department will
meet with the organization and we will talk with them
about their issues, their concerns.
I understand as well,
with respect to the service that is provided to them in
their clinic, that Eastern Health had already
communicated that to them and that their weekly clinic
they have is continuing as we speak.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Obviously
there are still some communication problems, I say,
Minister.
Minister, back about a
year-and-a-half ago you said that you would address home
support services in the Province; in fact, you would do
a review of those services, the long-term care homes and
the personal care homes. In fact, last April you
informed me that we could expect a strategy to be
completed as early as the fall of 2008. Well, the time
has since passed and I ask the
minister if you can give me an update on the progress of
that report, and when we will see something tabled.
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr.
Speaker, I can report that we are making great progress.
We have done a lot of work. There have been a number of
people who have been involved in this exercise, and I
would like to be in a position in the very near future
to make some further announcements to the House. I am
sure the people of Newfoundland and Labrador will be
quite impressed with the work that we have done and the
future direction that we are mapping out for long-term
care and community supports in this Province, and in
particular the whole home support piece.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Leader of the Opposition.
MS JONES: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Maybe I could ask the
minister to give me a list of those people who were
consulted, because I have talked to a number of home
care agencies who tell me they were not consulted, and
also with the Newfoundland and Labrador Home Support
Enforcement Agency. Basically, I have been told that
there has been one collective presentation on home care.
If that is the case, Minister, I ask: Why
were you not prepared to work directly with those who
are engaged in the front lines of the system and hear
their views as well?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
As we have gone through
this process – well, I can only speak for the time
that I have been minister - during the last two years
since I have been in my portfolio, I have had numerous
discussions with a variety of not just individuals but
organizations who are involved in health services in
this Province, whether it is the Regional Health
Authorities, agencies who are involved in the direct
delivery of services, or individuals themselves who are
involved in the direct delivery of services; but, most
importantly, numerous individual families and
individuals who are receiving home supports themselves
have been very much engaged in the discussion.
I make reference
particularly to the consultations we have done on
healthy aging a few years ago, where we spoke to about
1,000 people, over seventeen communities. I suspect that
is probably the most extensive consultation any
government has ever done in this Province on any one
single issue.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. minister
to conclude his answer.
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
I stand here today quite
proud of the consultations and discussions we have had
on issues around aging in this Province; 1,000 people in
seventeen communities, that is extensive and impressive.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker, a standing ovation.
Mr. Speaker, on March 10
Memorial University released a report calling for an end
to the provincial government’s involvement with their
presidential selection process. The report was prepared
following the Premier and the Minister of Education’s
decision to veto the candidate chosen by Memorial’s
presidential selection committee.
I ask the minister: Can
she give me an update on the present condition of that
report? Is it with the Premier, with the provincial
Cabinet, or is it being reviewed by the Department of
Education?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education and Government House
Leader.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, as Minister of Education, I did receive the
report from the ad hoc committee, as the member had
suggested. Along with that report and the
recommendations in that report there was a request by
the Chair of the Board of Regents that we engage in
discussions with the Board of Regents regarding that
report.
I can say that I have met
with the Board of Regents, and they will be outlining
what they feel would be an appropriate way to discuss
the report. They will be getting back to me with their
outline of how they want to engage in discussions by
mid-April. So I expect by mid-April I will hear back
from the Board of Regents with a plan outlining how they
want to proceed with the discussions.
Thank you.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Port de Grave.
MR. BUTLER: I
thank the minister for her answer, Mr. Speaker.
The report recommends
that Memorial University’s Board of Regents be given
the authority to select a president of Memorial
University, as well as its chairperson.
Having listened to her
answer, Mr. Speaker, I ask the minister: Would
government act to change the existing legislation
governing Memorial University such as to accept those
recommendations and can we expect such legislation
changes taking place before a new president is selected?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Education.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MS BURKE: Mr.
Speaker, with regards to the selection for a President
of Memorial University, the Chair of the Board of
Regents outlined a process that will be followed to
select the chair at this time and he laid it out in a
very clear, concise manner. It is a very open and
transparent process and it is certainly one that
government agrees with. So, that process will continue.
What I had been asked and
I want to clarify, based on the report from the ad hoc
committee that came into government, we were asked to
engage in discussions and we will certainly do that. As
I said, I met with the Board of Regents as recently as
yesterday and they will get back to us about how they
want to proceed with discussions. That has been the
request that came with that report from the Board of
Regents and we certainly will follow up with the Board
of Regents.
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 is for the
Minister of Health and Community Services.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday
the minister said to the media that he was aware of only
one person who needed dialysis in Labrador West, and
that was according to the information he had from the
health authorities for that area. Just this morning my
office has been speaking with three families from
Labrador West who have somebody getting dialysis and
with different organizations from the area who list the
need for dialysis at ten people. Obviously, there is
something wrong with how the records are being kept.
Mr. Speaker,
recommendations thirty-nine and forty from the Cameron
report deal with developing a Province wide electronic
medical record system to be developed. Such a system
would put in place a data base that would give the
minister the full information he would need that would
help him determine the health needs of people in this
Province. I ask the –
MR. SPEAKER: Order,
please!
I ask the hon. member to
pose her question.
MS MICHAEL: I
ask the minister, Mr. Speaker, will he take immediate
action to make sure that these two recommendations in
particular be put in place right away to ensure that the
needs of the people of this Province are being dealt
with?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Mr.
Speaker, I just want to qualify the member’s
introductory comment. The media reported my having said
there was one. What I actually said was that I am aware
that there are two individuals currently receiving
dialysis in an institution. One is now doing it in
Corner Brook, wants to return to Labrador West. Another
is doing it in St. John’s and wants to return to
Labrador West. I was also aware that there are two
individuals getting home dialysis in Labrador West. So
that was my commentary to the media. I have no control
over how they reported it.
Now with respect to the
issue, the subject of her question, with respect to the
electronic health record. We had indicated in response
to the tabling of the Cameron report back in early March
that we would be acting on those recommendations. We
have already started a process, several years ago, in
fact, Mr. Speaker, to move us towards a complete
electronic patient information system in the Province.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Member for the District of Signal Hill-Quidi
Vidi.
MS MICHAEL: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
Obviously, the system
that we have is not adequately working because the
people we have spoken to are receiving dialysis but it
seems like because they are outside of Labrador West
getting it they are not being seen as being from
Labrador West, but they are outside because of that.
Mr. Speaker, Labrador
West has a population of over 9,000 people who are
without a dialysis machine. They all do not need it, we
know that, but a population of 9,000 that does not have
it in their place. People are making accommodations,
even as we sit here today, to move to the Island portion
of the Province or to Goose Bay.
We have been hearing the
story of Mr. Connors for the past few days through the
media. He does not want to have to leave Labrador West
but he will need dialysis three times a week and will
have to move to Goose Bay.
MR. SPEAKER: Order
please!
I ask the hon. member to
pose her question.
MS MICHAEL:
I ask the minister, Mr. Speaker: Will he commit to
having communications with the regional authority for
this area to determine putting a dialysis machine in
place?
MR. SPEAKER: The
hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear!
MR. WISEMAN: Just
so the member opposite understands the process in terms
of determining where people are now getting dialysis
service. We have a complete list. We have 417 people, I
think it is, currently receiving dialysis service in the
Province. We have a list by name and where they are
receiving the service, and our records would indicate
their home address. So the information I was sharing
came from that database that we would have used to
determine– as I shared with you a moment ago, two
getting intuitional base and two getting home dialysis.
That is where the information would come from.
I would be only too glad
to have a conversation after the session today about the
ten that you have because I would like to reconcile the
names that you have. Obviously, you have ten names there
and I appreciate if you gave permission to share those
names with me so I can reconcile those ten with those
that we have in our database. So I would appreciate that
very much.
MR. SPEAKER: Order
please!
I ask the hon. minister
to conclude his answer.
MR. WISEMAN: Thank
you, Mr. Speaker.
With respect to the
discussion with the regional health authority, I already
started that process, I say, Mr. Speaker, to engage
them, to look at dialysis in their region and whether or
not the information I am hearing in the public domain
–
MR. SPEAKER: Order
please!
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.
I am glad to know that
the minister has started the discussion. I think the
reconciliation is absolutely essential and I will see if
I have permission from the people we have spoken to, to
give names to you, but I would like to have that
conversation.
Thank you.
MR. SPEAKER: The
time allotted for questions and answers has expired. |
