David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Again, before we consider the clause by clause, we will defer the consideration of those clauses until we deal with the schedule first. Before we go there, the chair will recognize Mr. Pokiak.

Thank you very much, Mr. Cleveland. Anything further, Mr. Braden?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, Minister Roland. It goes back to my Member’s statement from earlier where I was talking about recruitment and retention and government strategies. We’ve been discussing this recruitment and retention issue in the Northwest Territories for the last number of years, at least 10, 12 years now. We spend millions of dollars on consultants, on reports, on staff and, to be quite frank about it, it’s not really improved any. I’d like to start off by asking the Minister how it is that our...

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Clause 2.

Thank you. Bill 9 is ready for third reading. Thank you, Mr. Minister and officials. Mahsi.

Thank you, committee. We will now deal with Bill 10, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2007-2008. I would like to ask the Minister responsible, Minister Roland, to please introduce the bill.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Minister Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like I said, we can’t afford to keep flying nurses in from Honduras and Newfoundland and paying the high cost of agency nurses. What the government should be doing is looking at creative ways to try to get more nurses to live here. How about a targetted campaign to newly graduated nurses in southern Canada where we would sign them up to return a service agreement for four, five or six years and, in return, the Government of the Northwest Territories could look at paying off their student loans? They would come here and some of them would stay here, Mr...

Page 10.

Thank you, committee. We'll now deal with the clause by clause. Is committee agreed?