Kevin O'Reilly

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Minister of Health is feeling a little bit under the weather today, so I've got some easy questions that I hope will make him feel a lot better. Mr. Speaker, my questions are about midwifery. The 2012 midwifery report recommended creation of midwifery positions in regional centres, including Yellowknife. Whether a regional or territorial model is pursued, positions should be staffed in Yellowknife. Will the Minister commit to bring forward funds in the 2017-18 business plan to staff positions for a midwifery program based in Yellowknife? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Today, I’d like to talk about the long saga of midwifery services in the Northwest Territories, based upon the latest updates provided by the Minister of Health and Social Services. In 2012, the government responded to advocacy for community-based midwifery services with a midwifery review and expansion analysis report. That report recommended options for expansion of midwifery services under community, regional, and territorial models. In July 2015, the Minister said that the next goal was to move forward with a territorial model based out of Yellowknife in 2015...

Thanks, Mr. Chair, and I thank the department for their response. That Environmental Liabilities Fund… I'm sorry; which department is that with? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I look forward to that very much. Thanks.

Yes. Thanks for that. There's another page in here for the Environment Fund, so we'll have another chance to look at that, but I appreciate the answer. You know, we don't want to develop a fund and keep running a big surplus in it. That's not the purpose of it, so I'm fine with this. I know, earlier today, the Minister made a statement about the Climate Change Strategic Framework, and I think I heard that we had a climate change strategy at one point. We also had a Greenhouse Gas Strategy 2011-2015, and that's winding down, and that there's now going to be an effort to bring together all of...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Mr. Thompson asked the question I was going to, so thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the response from the Minister. But we've been talking about this for almost 10 years now, and we only really have midwifery services available in two communities. Can the Minister commit that he will fast track these consultations that he's talking about this summer, to bring forward final recommendations and an implementation plan as soon as possible? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the answer from the Minister and would like to try to help him try to find some money for that. Midwifery, because I've asked the Minister questions regarding cost savings, how they could be achieved by relying on community-based midwifery rather than pediatric care. His response was that boarding and travel costs have not been included in the analysis done to date. Boarding and travel costs seem to be some of the biggest costs for the current approach. Will the Minister consider these costs as part of the consultations to take place this year on expansion of midwifery services?

Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks to the deputy minister for that response. I would encourage the department then to move forward then as quickly as they can so we can help our folks better on income assistance. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I appreciate the response from the deputy minister. I want to encourage the department to keep working away on those. Look forward to seeing them come forward to standing committee, particularly the conservation area legislation, whatever it might get called. I want to encourage them to keep moving forward on that. Thanks, Mr. Chair.