Great Slave

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We just keep trying to encourage them to make reasonable choices and to apply common sense. Unfortunately, common sense is so rare, it might as well be a super power, but we keep trying to encourage them to look at some of the realities as medicines change, as products change. As far as notifications, like this case apparently made the change in December and the notifications came out in January. We didn't see it until January, so unfortunately I sent out more letters to constituents saying this is not something we can cover at this time and apparently they could, not us...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I don’t have that number at my fingertips, but I will commit to getting that to committee.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's a good point and it's certainly something we should be exploring. We don't require that they keep it, but we require them to utilize it first if they have it. So if they have insurance, they utilize it first before they access extended health benefits.

I remember a number of years ago there was some work around this that didn't make it too far, but I take the Member's point that we need to do something to encourage people to keep their insurances for as long as possible, if not forever, to help us offset some of these incredibly high costs of this benefit that is...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have already made the commitment. I am happy to live up to that commitment. Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I'll use Hay River as an example. I have had an opportunity to visit the Hay River Family Violence Shelter and talk to the staff and understand their concerns. The Department of Health and Social Services and the Housing Corporation are in discussions with them to explore all opportunities for them to find a new location. I can't tell you what that's going to look like across the Northwest Territories because it would be different pretty much in every location depending on what assets are available, what assets aren't available, but we do know that we need to work...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'll go to the deputy for the detail on the changes to the Metis health benefits.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Some of those dollars are going to a number of different group homes around the Northwest Territories. Some of it is compensation. I can certainly get the Member the specific detail on which group homes and which areas those dollars are going into. I will commit to getting that to committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Let me be clear that I'm talking about medical travel, not air ambulance or medevacs. Air ambulance and medevacs, we've already gone on with an RFP. We've got a 10-year contract which covers that. What we're talking about is right now we have a standing offer agreement with two airlines for medical travel, so when someone has to travel to Yellowknife or south. What I'm indicating is I don't know what it's going to look like, but I'm certainly open to all potentials, which could mean different airlines, local, regional. There's been a lot of talk about an airline like...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 52)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm going to have to get some additional detail from the Member. Did we provide that number of $2.5 million? Because that's not what we have in front of us.