Sandy Lee

Yes, I will undertake to get that information to the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am aware that there are defibrillators in every community and there are staff allocated and trained to use that piece of equipment. Thank you.

Yes, absolutely, and we do that already. I believe when we were in Tulita, the Member and myself, the grand chief in fact recognized us for having streamlined the funding proposal process and they were able to access funding. On a daily basis our staff does work with band councils or municipal governments to help them with the application process so they can access the funding that we offer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The NGOs are just one form of organizing a group of people together with like-minded philosophies and goals and desires to advance the causes that they work for, whether they be environment or women’s issues or family violence issues or a whole number of areas that NGOs are involved in.

In terms of being able to access program funding or tap into government programs, this government considers applications from groups other than NGOs, because we are very well aware of the fact that small communities don’t necessarily have these NGOs. So we often work with local societies...

Mr. Speaker, I am willing to work on a plan to bring to the Members to consider that. Mr. Speaker, in order for us to have dedicated essential services in the communities, I believe we need to look at changing the way our health delivery system is set up and look at whether we need to change the administrative system we have, which is by boards and they get block funding and, as it is set up right now, the boards decide how those resources are going to be allocated. In order for us to do it differently, we need to look at changing that and that’s part of consideration that we are engaged in in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am aware of the Member’s concerns about some of the gaps in services. We have worked to bring back some of the mental health worker positions in Fort McPherson. We’re doing a pilot project in Fort McPherson, but we are also engaged in looking at the overall system to make sure that we have strengthened services available in the communities. In the coming weeks I will be working with the Member to close some of the gaps, especially in the Beaufort-Delta region where we are seeing some harder challenges. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We spend about $8 million for non-aboriginal residents of the Northwest Territories. We spend a couple of million dollars for Metis health. The aboriginal residents of the Territories receive their extended health benefits through NIHB, which is a federal program.

I believe this issue is not just about cost, it’s about shortage of dentists. Their services are at a high premium. They mostly work in the private sector. They choose where they’re going to work. Having said that, I am willing to undertake this issue and see what we can do. I’d be happy to discuss it with my federal counterpart to at least stress the point of the importance of dental services that NIHB provides in our small communities and what room there is for us to see if they can step it up a bit.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Veterinary Profession Act, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand the concerns of the people from Nahendeh as I have heard a lot of that when I did a regional tour with the Member. The fact is that dental service is not a service provided by the GNWT. It is one that is administered by the non-insured health benefits. Our health authority there does provide assistance in this regard, but we have had very difficult times attracting dentists. Whenever we put out interests in contracts, we just are not getting enough interest. None of the northern dentists have applied to practice there. I believe Deh Cho Health was able to...