Julie Green

Thank you. It's my understanding that the cancer-care navigators have an advocacy function, but I think what you're talking about is more about the general patient navigator, not only those with a cancer diagnosis. Yes, that's an interesting question, and I understand that some work is going on to look at the possibility of instituting that kind of a service. It would be part of our providing culturally safe and confidence-building service to Indigenous people, and it may also help with the request that we get for escorts, non-medical escorts, that if people got off the plane and saw someone...

Thank you. Just to go back to the money spent on Indigenous languages, the issue here is not that it isn't happening. It's the way it's reported. The money for French-language services requires a particular kind of reporting because it's provided by the federal government. The Indigenous-language interpretation would be provided by the GNWT, so it's not reported in the same way. That doesn't mean to say it can't be discovered or reported in the future, so that's something to explore. With respect to the amount of money that is spent on out-of-territory services and what the deficit on that...

Thank you. The Member is correct. I did say that it's an operational plan, I did say that I would brief the committee, and I did say that it would not be made public as a plan itself. I think that, once the plan has been made operational and we have a better understanding of what the cost drivers are and what kinds of changes need to be made, then you will be hearing about those specific changes. For example, we just had a conversation about what is a core service and what isn't a core service. I think that that's the kind of conversation that we're going to want to have with the residents of...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The content of the public health advisory is solely at the discretion of the Chief Public Health Officer, so I have no ability to influence the information that it includes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll turn again to Mr. Cooper.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will work with my colleague, the Minister of Finance, to provide a very high-level overview of what tasks are being undertaken at this time. Thank you.

Thank you. If I recall correctly, there is an intention to hire another person who will carry out the planning that has started for expanding that service, but for certainty on that, I will ask the deputy minister if he could speak to it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am here to present the 2021-2022 Main Estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $74.8 million or 14.3 percent over the 2020-2021 Main Estimates. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the department while continuing to meet the Government of the Northwest Territories' fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending.

Highlights of these proposed estimates include:

$34.6 million for the COVID-19 Coordinating Secretariat;

$13.1 million for initiatives, which include...

Thank you. I want to do something a little unusual and ask the Member a question. What happens now? If somebody appears in one of your community health clinics and they need help with interpretation, who helps?

Thank you. I will ask the deputy minister to answer this.