Caitlin Cleveland

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Given that the current oral health strategy expires in March of 2021 and also given the drastic health effects of people not having access to preventative healthcare, what are the go-forward plans for the Department of Health and Social Services as far as oral health and prevention in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

I'm happy to hear this little bit of progress from the Minister and definitely willing to explore that further with the Minister. I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to some of the barriers that the Department of Health and Social Services has identified in why that act wouldn't come forward right away, or what timeline they might be able to work towards.

Madam Speaker, I have spoken about oral health on numerous occasions in this House. I have focused on the need of the GNWT to change the regulatory environment to provide preventative oral health in small communities and the cost of not focusing on preventative oral care. One of the key objectives of the GNWT's oral health strategy calls for establishing systemic supports for improved oral health services, including improving the regulatory environment. This is one area where I feel strongly that the GNWT must reconsider its legislative position. The Dental Auxiliaries Act stipulates that no...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I said earlier when I was speaking that necessity is the greatest inspiration for change. I think I totally messed up the quote, and it's actually, "necessity is the mother of invention." Same point, that we need to be innovative, and we need to inspire change to happen. We need to be constantly looking for ways to work smarter. One of the reasons that I like this idea is that, although I do believe that there have been some fair and significant commitments made from the other side in order to be constantly looking for ways to work smarter and including us on...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. One of the concerns that we hear from the business community is that, sometimes, ProtectNWT is contacted by the public because there are different exemptions that are happening in businesses that aren't well-known by the public, and that creates a lot of volume within ProtectNWT and then creates a lot of frustration within our communities from the public at large who feel that different businesses are not upholding public safety. I'm wondering if Cabinet or the Minister of Finance or the Premier would be willing to help businesses communicate their capacity, for...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. We've heard discussion of monthly variance reporting from the Minister of Finance on the COVID secretariat mentioned this evening, and there has also been a lot of discussion around ways to reduce the cost of the COVID secretariat. What type of communication with this side of the House does Cabinet see happening in order to make sure that those cost reductions are actually happening and that this side of the House is being included in that conversation? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I understand that I am the last one to speak and that people are eager to get going, so I'm going to try to be brief. I want to start off by thanking the public service and just saying that I agree that people were asked to work different straight across the Northwest Territories, across Canada, and across the world. People had a lot of responsibility on their backs and really did perform during, as you say, unprecedented times. I just wanted to start off by thanking them for that. I do agree with the MLA Lafferty from Monfwi, my colleague from Monfwi, that I do...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, November 5, 2020, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Sahtu, that the Legislative Assembly recommends the appointment of Ms. Sheila McPherson (ph) as law clerk and Mr. Toby Krueger (ph) as deputy law clerk as recommended by the Board of Management; and further, that the Speaker be authorized to communicate the effective date of appointment to the Commissioner. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

I'm wondering if the department has hired a chief oral health officer as identified in their oral health strategy.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Given that the Minister has actively supported the economic and health benefits of preventative care in her new role and also given that she values gender equity in our economy, I'm wondering if the Minister will commit to changing the Dental Auxiliaries Act to allow dental hygienists to self-regulate and work without the direct or indirect supervision of a dentist? Thank you.