Sandy Lee

Yes, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

We could do that because this is not about cost cutting and this is not offsetting. The Member knows that this is not a reduction of extended health benefits. This is about having a dialogue with our residents about what extended health benefits are as opposed to insured core health service that everybody is entitled to. Every Canadian, every NWT resident is entitled to doctor services and hospital services and some other procedures. Extended health benefits are extra benefits that each government does and they are different all across Canada. The conversation we are having is we are going to...

As I stated earlier, these changes are to be implemented September 1, 2010.

I don’t think I’m denying anything that the Member is saying. I believe we agree that our process has to do that. The staff at the hospital is doing the best they can to make sure that this procedure and other screenings for cancer and treatment are used as wisely as possible. There are people who do keep track of the files that they have in front of them.

I do agree with the Member, that missed appointments do cost the system. In fact, I had this discussion with the Beaufort-Delta leadership when I was there because that issue did come up. For lots of our procedures there are no-shows and obviously there is a cost to that. The system works to improve that.

With respect to the procedure that the Member is asking about, I have had personal situations in our family where we have had two or three procedures being done in the past six to eight years and I found the services okay. I have not talked or the Member has not brought to me any specific...

The public working group met with the staff who have been working on this for the last number of months a number of times. As the Member indicated, they have had input into the discussion paper and all of the publications that have gone out. They like the information they got. They gave us feedback within 48 hours. What they suggested has been incorporated, and I expect that throughout this consultation process they will play an important role, as will the committee members, the Standing Committee on Social Programs, and any other NGOs that are interested in this process, as will the...

I think we should remember that the extended health benefits we have are very generous and there are no suggestions made about reducing the benefits. The big issue of consultation is who accesses these benefits that are available. This is the discussion we want to have with the groups of people in the Territories who are eligible for those programs right now. So in the next coming two or three months, I think the information we have put out in a discussion paper gives a good starting point with really good information about what the program does, what does it cover, who benefits now, who is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 3, Medical Profession Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To my right is Ms. Lisa Cardinal, director of policy, planning and evaluation. To my left is Mr. Mark Aitken, director of legislation division of Justice. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.