Premier, ministers come under questioning

ANNETTE BOURGEOIS

Northern mayors spent three hours grilling Premier Don Morin and two territorial ministers Tuesday afternoon.

Morin and Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Manitok Thompson were on the panel, but it was Health and Social Services Minister Kelvin Ng who took the hot seat as mayors and municipal councillors fired question after question about programs and services in their communities.

Municipal politicians from across the territories were in Rankin Inlet for the NWT Association of Municipalities annual general meeting. Health care questions dominated the session.

Call me in the morning

Arviat Mayor Peter Kritaqliluk, frustrated by the lack of medical treatment residents in his community are receiving, asked Ng to consider moving doctors from Churchill to the Keewatin region.

“People go for a checkup and they’re told to take two Tylenol,” he said. “That’s the kind of treatment our people are getting.”

Ng advised Kritaqliluk not to be too critical of health care professionals, adding, “where would we be without them?”

George Eckalook, mayor of Resolute Bay, said people in his community are upset when the remains of their loved ones have to be sent South for autopsies that can take up to a month.

“This is not our tradition,” he told Ng. “How can we stop these autopsies in southern cities?”

Ng said his department has no control when autopies are ordered by the coroner or by the RCMP, but agreed they shouldn’t take so long.

Police services stretched

Councillor John Turner of Whale Cove, a Reform Party candidate for Nunavut, wanted more policing services for his community. Turner said it takes Rankin Inlet RCMP, who police the 300 residents of Whale Cove, between two and three hours to respond to calls.

“If there was a situation in Rankin Inlet, we’re very concerned things may not get dealt with in Whale Cove,” said Turner.

Igloolik Mayor Aime Panimera suggested that Ng hire more doctors for the communities rather than pay airfare costs to fly patients and their families to regional centres.

“We have a hard time recruiting doctors to the communities, even Yellowknife has some problems with physicians based there,” Ng said.

“It’s not a matter of dollars for doctors, but of finding ones who will come up North and stay for an extended duration of time.”