Jane Groenewegen

Mr. Speaker, it’s my understanding that some American universities actually have exams and accreditation, which they ensure compliance with so that it is interchangeable between American or Canadian standards, and that they actually apply these tests and standards to students who are attending their universities in these professions. It opens up a vast pool of resources for us in terms of dental students or dentists.

Since professions regulate themselves, as the Minister has said, would a proposal from the NWT Dental Association aid in expediting such amendments?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for Minister of Health and Social Services. My questions pertain to the Dental Profession Act. There are some phrases in this act which preclude Canadian dentists from recruiting students from universities outside of Canada for doing practicums, which would help in the provision of services, particularly here in the Northwest Territories. I’m going to ask the Minister about section 24(1) of this act that refers to “will provide dental services under the direct supervision of a licensee who is also employed by the Faculty of Dentistry of a Canadian...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday in the House I asked the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment about the status of the contract for the Inuvik school. He informed us that the contract had been awarded. Later in the Committee of the Whole we found out that the awarding of the contract was only really a letter of intent to the contractor with details yet to be worked out. We were told that the letter of intent does not bind this government to the project as planned or designed.

The binding agreement will be in the form of a signed contract. Mr. Speaker, we have a shortage of capital...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Dental Profession Act is an act of the Government of the Northwest Territories. In summary, what I think the dental profession of the Northwest Territories would like is to replace the words “Canadian university” with “accredited university,” and that would make a vast difference in terms of opening that up. That’s in summary. I would just ask the Minister, then, if she would take the initiative to consult with the dental association on this.

Mr. Speaker, I probably didn’t have enough detail to be very clear about my request. In a more general sense, what would be the most expedient way to make a minor adjustment to an act like this that would be of assistance to the dental profession in the Northwest Territories? What would be the process? Would it come from the department, or could it be raised by the Regular Members on this side of the House? Thank you.

I would like to recognize the pages from the Hay River Diamond Jenness Secondary School who have been working with us this week: Michelle Babiuk from Hay River North and Brette Jameson from Hay River South. I’m not sure if they’re here, but I’d like to thank them for a job well done.

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure today, much to my surprise…. I have a stepsister from Ontario who’s here visiting. I just saw her for the first time here. Her name is Karen Viaene, and her daughter is Amy Switzer, who is a schoolteacher here in Yellowknife. They’re in the visitors’ gallery today. Good to see you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was listening very carefully so that I would fully understand what Mr. Roland’s point of order was. I understand he’s saying that I was imputing some motive, obviously something not good, in my line of questioning.

As a Member of this Assembly I have a duty, a right and an obligation to ask questions and bring transparency and accountability to the decisions of this government. In my line of questioning yesterday with regard to the Inuvik school I was trying to get to the issue of process on this. I have a lot of questions about that project. I still have a lot of...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.

The details that the Minister and the deputy minister referred to that need to be worked out: are there dollar and value issues associated with those details?

Okay. So if this House does not approve this appropriation and this contract has already been awarded, what position does this government find itself in if we do not proceed with this contract that’s been awarded? If we do not agree to the appropriation for this project, what kind of exposure have we got?