Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, the bill is coming forward in the next week or two for first reading and second reading, at which point it will be committee’s bill for 120 days. At this point in time, based on the changes that are coming, we don’t believe that there will be additional costs. We believe it’s a matter of using our money more appropriately and using the existing resources to the best effect, and the changes in the bill will actually give us better direction and better results without adding additional dollars.

As we move forward, actually, to one health and social services system here in the Northwest Territories, we’ll be able to balance out some of these peaks and lows in different communities throughout the Northwest Territories because we’ll be able to share resources and professionals as needed to meet increasing demands in one area where there may not be demands in another area.

As far as committing additional resources and approving overtime, that often happens already in many situations where there are urgent issues. But I will commit to continuing to look into this issue and share the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. We don’t see a significant increase in any cost. Most of the work is going to be done by staff who are employed by the department. There might be some slight increase in some contracts, lawyer time, which we work with the Department of Justice on so there shouldn’t be significant need for additional money to conclude or do that ongoing work. We have the staff already.

We have a pretty solid relationship with the NWT Disabilities Council. We do provide them with a significant amount of money. Not all organizations get forced growth, like non-government organizations get forced growth, and I don’t believe at this point in time the NWT Council is one of the ones that’s getting forced growth. It isn’t. We have been talking to the council about updating the action plan. It’s pretty old and it really needs to be updated, and they certainly have an interest in doing that. They have been a little busy with a number of the different projects that they have...

I’m glad the Member is taking the challenge. I too will be taking Mental Health First Aid training.

The authorities have enough money to do two deliveries of Mental Health First Aid training in each of the regions every year. I will commit to getting the Member as well as all of the Members a complete list of where the Mental Health First Aid training will be, and I’ll let them know when Mental Health First Aid training is going to occur in their communities so that they can participate.

I would also encourage them, as I did previously, to please get their CAs to take it, because I know their...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department does keep up on most of the publications that are out there with respect to health and social services and mental health. I haven’t personally seen it myself, but I will confirm, I will check with the department to confirm they have it.

We haven’t had any tri-territorial meetings with the Ministers of Health and Social Services since January 29th, so the answer to his second part is no.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’m really happy the Member has actually brought that up. Our chief clinical advisor has actually started doing that work already and it will help us do exactly what the Member is saying. If we find that we have repeat business going down for one particular procedure, it may prove to be far more efficient for us to do that procedure here in the Northwest Territories. There have been some procedures that we have been able to bring some locums in to do in the Northwest Territories to help us reduce costs just based on that type of information.

I hear a lot of people talk...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Currently, the communities that don’t actually have permanent nurses, the amount of time that nurses are visiting does vary from community to community based on the level of need and acuity and different things going on in the community, so there is no one number that is actually utilized. Every authority has a slightly different approach.

As I have said to the Member who asked the questions previously, we’re looking at other opportunities. Maybe not a nurse, maybe not an LPN, maybe a high level first responder might be appropriate to be in there on a more permanent basis...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I answer the question, I just want to take this opportunity to thank the Members for undertaking this theme day. One of the key actions within the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, one of the key priority areas is to actually promote the understanding, awareness and acceptance of mental health in the Northwest Territories. It’s forums like this and Members asking questions that it starts to increase the awareness of mental health in the Northwest Territories. So I applaud them for taking it upon themselves to do the theme day on mental health and...

It could be here. A lot of those costs will be in the directorate.