Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As it is Indigenous languages month, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the Dene Got'ie translators. Mary Jane Cazon from Fort Simpson and Samuel Gargan from Fort Providence. Mahsi for all the translating that you do for the elders out there. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in a preventative maintenance program, you fix the small problems before they become too major and costly. And in this situation, you know, it can cost people their lives. And that's why I've been after getting an audit almost like I don't know what you would call it. It's an internal audit, like of the services within the health centre what the person the ailment going into the health centre, how it was diagnosed, what was the outcome of the diagnosis, and what was the remedy for it. Those are becoming very important as we're hearing more and more all the...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in June 2022, I tabled Motion 5419(2), improving healthcare in small communities, calling for the Government of the Northwest Territories to conduct an external audit of client treatment records and client satisfaction. The response to the motion stated: Regular audits are undertaken at each health centre to ensure health services are delivered according to clinical practice standards and guidelines.

Can the Minister of health explain what a clinical audit in the small community health centre includes? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I presented a motion in this House last June 2022 regarding improving healthcare in small communities. The motion was prompted by numerous complaints made verbally to me or was printed in the media in relation to the many cases of misdiagnosis of Indigenous patients in the small communities.

Mr. Speaker, this is where residents have been into the health centres numerous times for the same ailment, were not diagnosed, or were not diagnosed properly and sent home with Tylenol. And in most cases, it was the fourth or fifth time they were near, or they were in...

Mahsi for that. Yes, you're not generating enough anyways in business and I always mention that we treat housing, in our communities anyways, as a social program because of the fiduciary responsibility of the federal government to First Nations to provide housing. And that's the premise that we go on. I realize that too as a private homeowner, I pay for my own fuel and now the cost has jumped from, you know, 1.90s previously, now it's over $2. I don't know, $2 and something per litre, so that's becoming significant. And it's going to, you know, only increase to your heating fuels. So I'm...

Mahsi, Madam Chair. I'm wondering about your O and M costs. You were talking about it a bit there. There could be a lot in there; I'm not sure what's all entailed in there. I'm just wondering if the O and M costs, if the majority are having to pay utilities versus others. If you could answer that. Mahsi.

Thank you, Minister. Members, do we have any other questions for Members on NWT Housing Corporation Department of Executive? Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Member. Minister Chinna.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. Yeah, I know that the Minister talks a lot like that, saying that yeah, they're incorporated, they're in this design, they're in that design. When they come to our communities, the units, we don't see that. And I say the price of diesel has gone over $2. I don't think it's ever may never come down the way things are going. Even my landlord, they just raised the rent for my place and I'm asking why are you you know, increasing the rent? And they state well, cost of living. That's the landlord. What about that little person that has to pay that rent? They have to deal with...

Mahsi for that. So I guess CMHC, when they put a deadline of the year 2038 to cut O and M funding, I guess they're looking at a business model in the sense that we're not generating any revenue to cover the costs for ourselves. So I see where CMHC is coming from there. But at the same time, we don't see Housing NWT as a business model but a social program. I'm wondering if you could just maybe elaborate on that. Mahsi.