Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our face-to-face services for medical travel have been critical and expected, especially where language and communication barriers exist. Up until now the medical travel office has been located in Stanton on the main floor directly across from the intake booths, which has been a great location especially for individuals coming in from out of town, from the small communities, the grannies from Nahanni who wish to have actual communication with the medical travel office. Now it’s gone. Now we’ve moved it behind locked doors, security windows, and there is no face-to-face...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, similar to my colleague Mr. Ramsay, I grew up with Mr. Whitford’s sons, and even as a young man it was clear and obvious that Tony is a great Northerner and that he is an inspiration to us all. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank him for his honesty, for his compassion, for his decision, for his long service, and most important, for his wonderful stories. Tony has been, is, and always will be, an important part of this Legislature and the Northwest Territories as a whole. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Committee Report 1-16(5), Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures Report on On-Line Petitions; Committee Report 2-16(5), Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures Report on the use of Laptops, Computers and Hand-held Electronic Devices in the Legislative Assembly; and Tabled Document 4-16(5), Executive Summary of the Report of the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project, and would like to report progress with six motions being adopted and that consideration of Committee Reports 1-16(5) and 2-16(5) are concluded. Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was pleased to see a press release that indicated that stem cell challenge clinics have been organized in the Northwest Territories by the Yellowknife Fire Department and Medic North in support of the first annual National EMS Stem Cell Challenge. I’d like to take this opportunity to applaud both the Yellowknife Fire Department and Medic North for facilitating this important challenge.

The press release went further to indicate that the nationwide challenge is aimed at registering healthy, committed Canadians, aged 17 to 50, on the National Stem...

Once again, thank you to the Premier for that. I’m also happy to hear that he’s going to give Priorities and Planning an opportunity to look at that and make recommendations as well. I think it’s important to the operations of the working group that the operations are transparent. Given that the Minister of Health and Social Services is responsible for the final design and ultimately the implementation of the Supplemental Health Program, it’s important that she be open to recommendations from this committee. Based on that, I’m a little worried that if the Minister of Health and Social Services...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Premier in follow up to my Member’s statement earlier today. First off I’d like to applaud Cabinet for taking this unprecedented move to develop a joint working group…

---Applause

…to find workable solutions on an issue that is clearly of significant importance to Members of this House and residents of the Northwest Territories. I strongly agree that working together on this is important and in the best interests of all people in the Northwest Territories. This is definitely a positive step.

However, I do have some questions on process. Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday in the House the Minister of Health and Social Services announced that the Legislative Assembly has created a working group of Ministers and Regular Members to assist in the review of specific items that Members and the public would like to have reviewed prior to the implementation of the new Supplementary Health Benefits Program. The intent of this working group is to improve upon the program that the Minister has already presented.

According to the press release from yesterday afternoon, the working group will consist of three Regular Members and three...