Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last Thursday I asked the Minister of Seniors and Community Supports why the long-term care centre promised to Grande Prairie in 2006 has not been started. 

She could not provide an answer. She also could not say what happened to the $2.3 million that was given to Chantelle Management to start this facility. To the Premier: why has $2.3 million of taxpayer money been sitting in Chantelle Management’s bank accounts for four years, and construction has still not started?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, with respect to seniors’ housing in the province of Alberta we are moving forward with a very aggressive plan to add to the number of living spaces in the province. We want to make sure that seniors can retire in the very same community that they helped build. We’re reviewing all of the applications that have come forward for funding, and we’ll make decisions on them soon.

Dr. Swann: To the Premier. It has been four years. Is the province going to ask for that $2.3 million to be returned with interest or not?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, I can get additional information on that particular issue, but overall in terms of increasing the number of spaces, we’re looking at at least 800 to 900 spaces. We’ve been told that with the increasing population in years to come, we would need about 1,200 spaces every year to keep up with the pace of growth in what you’d call the baby-boomer generation, that will be retiring within a number of years.

Dr. Swann: Well, I’m sure the people of Grande Prairie will be very interested in that lack of an answer, Mr. Premier. How do you expect to build trust in a population where you neither answer a question nor have a serious response to 2.3 million public dollars absent from our agenda?

Mrs. Jablonski: Mr. Speaker, what is going on in Grande Prairie right now with Chantelle developments is a very important project not only to the people of Grande Prairie but to us. We are in the process right now of learning that they have managed to get all their building permits and to get their contract with Alberta Health Services, and they will be starting the project within the next two months.

The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition.

Centralized Cytology Lab Services

Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One theme that’s clear within this government is that there’s no long-term plan for health care, including lab services. This past weekend I was in Lethbridge, and the resounding concern related to the impending closure of their cytology lab. To the Premier: why is the Premier closing a lab in Lethbridge which performs necessary tests for cervical cancer?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, the minister recently met with the pathologists, and he’ll have more information with respect the results of the meeting. We’re working with Alberta Health Services to deliver the best quality of services with the pathologists in the province.

Dr. Swann: Well, Mr. Speaker, we’ve spoken to pathologists and to public health officials, and they’re puzzled also. What’s the evidence the Premier can table in the House to show that this change will improve both the timeliness and accuracy of the testing for cervical cancer?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I’d be happy to undertake that follow-up on behalf of the questioner and on behalf of the Premier. The fact is that it’s just the analysis of the Pap smears or whatever services are being alluded to here that are being centralized. They are being sent somewhere, in this case probably to Calgary, so that the turnaround time can be faster, and that’s what we’re working toward, making the whole system more efficient. But I will look more deeply into that on behalf of the member.

Dr. Swann: Well, for such a significant issue it’s surprising that the minister is only now looking into this issue. How is it going to save time or money to send all the Pap smears from Lethbridge to Calgary?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, it could well be the case that Alberta Health Services has put in place some additional precautionary steps to make sure that it will be more efficient, to make sure that the turnaround time is faster. This is not an issue of contracting things out; this is an issue of working within the publicly provided system, which is exactly what this cytology analysis lab is in Calgary.

Alberta Hansard, March 16, 2010

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