Kevin A. Menicoche

I certainly look forward to that information. As well, some of our small communities, too, are technically a municipal government as well. Can he also look into that aspect of it as well?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister of Finance for some… Actually, I had a constituent that works for First Nations in my riding and that constituent actually came to Yellowknife and rented a hotel room, but wasn’t able to get a government rate. She had asked why we don’t get a First Nations rate.

I’d like to ask the Minister of Finance how the government gets a government rate at hotels here in the Northwest Territories or throughout Canada.

Thank you very much. I think part of the issue, too, is that if the flight returns at 4:30, doctors are packing up and leaving at 4:30. They have to have the flexibility and understand the needs of the community and to stay that extra couple hours or whatever it takes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I spoke about the situation in Trout Lake where people can’t see the visiting doctor unless they have an appointment. As we are learning, this is not the only community that this is happening in.

Is the Minister willing to review the practice of turning away small community residents who do not have prior appointments with this visiting physician? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories include greenhouse gas monitoring and mitigation measures in its policy on hydraulic fracturing. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank Mr. Bromley and Mr. Yakeleya for bringing forward the motion. I regret to inform them that I, too, cannot support the motion as it currently reads. I don’t believe that the motion is timely and it may be too soon to address some of the concerns, because I, myself, as MLA have never had time to fully digest the impacts of all the past Bill C-38 and the current Bill C-45 coming up, which is moot because it may change.

As well, the concerns must be measured. The bill is so big that I need more time to take in all the information. Also, the motion...

I guess the point I was making and failed to say was the First Nations, thereby First Nations government in our Northwest Territories and throughout the Northwest Territories we, of course, respect our First Nations partners and governments. How can we work with the hotel associations or our government to ensure they are included and get a good corporate rate, because they’re flying into Yellowknife and travelling throughout Canada, as well, to conduct their business just as we are.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think the point is to plan to stay overnight and not just say the workload is so much here, we have to overnight and that. Also, it’s about improving access to the patients’ files. I can understand it if they’re going to see a patient and they don’t have the proper files from the regional headquarters, but spending an extra night gives the opportunity to fax, phone, or hopefully our electronic medical records get up on-line so they can actually request that it be e-mailed. Thank you.

That is part of the issue. The doctors are flying in and flying out and sometimes, if there is a weather system moving in, they are leaving early. I believe that they can expand their time in the community. In fact, communities welcome doctors overnighting.

Can the Minister review that and see if there is a possibility of doctors overnighting and doing a good visit through the communities? After all, they are only going there every six weeks. Thank you.