Kevin O'Reilly

I want to thank the Minister for that. I look forward to seeing that document. The update that was supplied to me in August said, "Territorial leadership positions will undertake policy and guideline development and will develop data collection and reporting mechanisms consistent with the approved monitoring and evaluation framework." It's hard to believe that we've been running a program for more than five years without data reporting, collection, monitoring, or evaluation. Can the Minister tell us when the required policy and guideline development is going to be completed?

Thanks, Madam Chair. I'm not sure that the Minister actually understood my question. Of course, regulatory applications are the first step to an environmental assessment, but any party, including GNWT -- I shouldn't say, "any party" -- a limited number of parties can actually trigger or, once the applications are filed, ask that an environmental assessment be conducted. One of those parties is this government. Is this party going to trigger an environmental assessment for this project? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Here's a familiar topic for my Member's statements: midwifery. This is the 13th time I've raised it as an MLA. I certainly won't try to summarize the delays and excuses that still leave us far short of the much-promised territorial Midwifery Program, but I will try to nail down where we are today and hopefully learn how this essential service will finally be delivered to all Northwest Territories families.

Work on creating a full midwifery program began in 2013. Progress was slow and lead up to a 2017 Northwest Territories midwifery stakeholder engagement, which...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I'd like to pick up where my colleague from Yellowknife North left off. The Mackenzie Valley Highway has been in environmental assessment now for over seven years. Seven years. It was submitted to environmental assessment by GNWT Department of Transportation back in February of 2013. What I'm worried is that the same thing is about to happen with the Slave Geological Province Road. I've heard a lot of fuzziness around what this project really is; whether it includes hydro; is it really part of a bigger project that's going to spill over into Nunavut? It's extremely fuzzy...

Yes. Thanks, Madam Chair. I guess we are putting up the 75-cent dollars, hoping that somebody else is going to come along and match it with 25-cent dollars? Is that what this is about? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Just so I am clear, is there actual money in this set of capital estimates for the Frank Channel Bridge right now? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thanks, Madam Chair. It was a lot of back and forth to find out that we are building a road, a highway, that does not even go to a community; it goes to a narrow, windy road that needs to be upgraded to actually get into the community. How did we design it? Sorry. I am just a bit astounded that we could actually develop a project like this without actually developing the last, it looks like maybe, 15, 20 kilometres into the community. How do we go forward with a project like this without building the last bit into the community? Thanks, Madam Chair. Sorry. I am a bit surprised at this, having...

Thanks, Madam Chair. Of course, I have never had a chance to go out there myself. What kind of condition is that access road in? Thanks.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I am concerned about the way this bill has been drafted, that it gives total discretion to my colleagues in Cabinet to decide to do away with daylight standard time. I think that this is not a decision that should be left with Cabinet alone, that it is something that should require some level of public engagement and certainly consultation with the rest of the House. This should not be a decision that rests solely with Cabinet, so I am opposed to this bill in principle. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I am still kind of baffled at how we can have a program that is developing without data, but a further element that is being worked on, of course, is staffing. A territorial manager is now hired. They are going to work with regional authorities. Again, a basic building block that we need to have in place is things like credentialing, performance review, response to complaints. Can the Minister tell us when the work will be completed on setting procedures for proper qualifications for midwifery staff, their performance, and a complaint procedure?