Steve Norn

Marsi cho, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 181-19(2), Capital Estimates 2021-2022, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 181-19(2), Capital Estimates 2021-2022, be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Marsi cho, Mr. Chair.

Marsi, Mr. Chair. I move that the chair rise and report progress. Marsi cho.

Marsi cho, Mr. Chair. The committee wishes to deal with Tabled Document 181-19(2), Capital Estimates 2021-2022, the deferred departments and the concurrence motion. Marsi cho.

Marsi cho. I move that the chair rise and report progress.

Marsi cho, Mr. Chair. The committee wishes to consider the following documents: Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Corrections Act; Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Legal Profession Act; Bill 19, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act; and, lastly, Tabled Document 217-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 2, 2020-2021. Marsi cho, Mr. Chair.

Yay!

---Laughter

That's good to hear that there is going to be some work done here. These next couple of questions, I don't expect an answer very quickly. I'd like to know: how many people have been flown in town here for this service and at what cost?

Marsi cho, Madam Speaker. I hope I can get on the roll that my colleague with Frame Lake was on here with the Minister of Health. Going back to my Member's statement on dental services in our small communities, I also, with my research on this, found out that the eye teams are still going out into the communities and still providing that service, so that's something to think about. I'm hoping that we have some common-sense approaches and this crucial service, dental services, done in the North in our small communities. With my first question: can the Minister explain what the restrictions are...

Marsi cho, Madam Speaker. Today, I'm going to talk about dental services in the smaller communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has stalled much of our government's programs and services. Even the simple services like renewing your driver's licence, for example, or getting a dental cleaning has become a much more difficult task to complete compared to pre-COVID times.

Just yesterday, Madam Speaker, there was a CBC article published which described an increasingly dire situation regarding dental services for small communities in the NWT. In fact, two of the four communities that were mentioned in...

Marsi cho, Mr. Chair. I've been thinking about this for a long time and consulting with the leaders of my riding. The general consensus is: there is not a lot of support for this. Right off the hop, I was reluctant, and I was very skeptical. If you try to make the best decision possible, you look at all the stats. You try to look at all the benefits. I just can't, the rationale behind this, I firmly believe this is a mistake. There is a better way through than allocating what we are allocating. I think that throughout, so far in this sitting, we've mentioned various issues that we are having...

Marsi cho, Madam Speaker. My last one, again, I don't expect a response right away on this, is: what is the expected backlog of dental requests?