Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Internet pharmacy issue that's been out there in Canada is something that this bill doesn't deal with particularly. It doesn't deal with that section of it. That more falls into the actual physicians' side of the equation and how they deal with that. So that part of it is not covered in this act. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we have in the past, in this scenario we’ve worked cooperatively with the union and staff and any changes that are about to occur, as we have in the past, we will protect individuals and positions. But I haven’t seen the full layout of the plan. I’m aware that we are putting it in place to address the concerns that are there today. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, we are faced with challenges across the whole jurisdiction, whether it’s the smaller communities or larger centres, when it comes to providing health care for people in the Territories. But we have as a government over the years tried to address this through a number of factors, whether we talk about our Graduate Nurse Program, Social Worker Program, and other areas that we focus on in ensuring that we can provide a level of service that is adequate to all people across the Territories.

There are a number of factors involved and I’m at a bit...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 69(2) to have Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, moved into Committee of the Whole. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Frame Lake, that Bill 13, Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2, 2006-2007, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes supplementary appropriations for the Government of the Northwest Territories for the 2006-2007 fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess that is an option. If we were to lose our northern nurses and they formed an agency and then contracted the Government of the Northwest Territories, that is not something we would encourage. Ultimately, it comes back to the ability to find the dollars to do this. Hopefully, with some of our other plans in place, we will be able to start coming back to the way we have done it in the past where we hire north and keep our nurses in the North. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, a number of times this issue has come up. In fact, the very first time was when we took over the delivery of health care from the federal government. That was the first time it came up. It has been reviewed a number of times. This time, not in looking at making our union or setting up another union process, we would still have to follow the same rules as we do when it comes to equal pay, pay equity and those issues as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, FASD, is a lifelong disability. Effective prevention efforts, early diagnosis, supportive environments and a range of special supports and services are necessary to assist individuals and their families in their journey toward self-reliance and well-being.

The Government of the Northwest Territories, GNWT, is committed to addressing the issue of FASD. As you may be aware, the GNWT has been a member of the Canada Northwest Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Partnership since 2000. The NWT is now the lead jurisdiction for the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, that Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.