Caitlin Cleveland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know that Yellowknife North and Yellowknife South like to lay their claim to fame to Ms. Sarah KalnayWatson but she is, in fact, a Kam Lake resident. I've known Sarah since we were in grade 5 and her parents moved her from Ontario to Yellowknife, and I reaped the benefits of that.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to acknowledge in the gallery Taylor Maxwell. Taylor Maxwell, I've known since she was a preteen. She is our committee clerk intern, but we like to call her clerk of everything because we have a lot of expectation on our interns, and she has...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of health and social services.

Mr. Speaker, in February of this year, the Minister indicated that the midwifery program implementation was being held up by staffing challenges. Can the Minister provide this House with an update on recruitment for the midwifery program? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've spoken in this House many times about the vital importance of equitable and accessible health care provided by supported health care workers. Canadians en masse are working to access health care. They are waiting for elective surgeries, access to specialists, testing, and treatment requirements of cancers, chronic disease, and STIs, and a surge in addiction and mental health support needs. In addition, special treatment programs like audiology, speech pathology, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy appointments put off over the pandemic further...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I listened to what concerns the health Minister raised, and I think that they're very valid concerns. And I wanted to address some of them here before I move on.

I think one thing that is very valid in the Minister's concerns identifying that there is a small number of dental hygienists that live in the territory. And most of them live here in Yellowknife. They're serving Northerners. There's a very small number of them serving over half of the population of the Northwest Territories. And so I agree that it's not fair to put all of this on them to...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I believe what the MLA is referring to is the ability to do travel and engagement on multiple pieces of regulatory work or legislative work at the same time. I mean, we as far as committee have done that, where possible, have kind of travelled on multiple pieces of legislation. That being said, it would depend on how the department chose to handle that work. If it was different staff that they had on it or at the end of the day if they chose themselves to contract that work out. And so as far as, you know, how things work in department land, I'd have to leave...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the original date was a lot more ambitious in the original bill that I had proposed and proposed to committee and originally tabled. I can only speak to my experience with committee. My experience with committee was when I met with committee during clause by clause, they had proposed to me a new date that was more realistic, and I agreed to work with committee and concurred with the dates. As far as committee's discussions with the department, that would have to come from the deputy chair. Thank you.

Yes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by acknowledging that health and social services has a very full legislative, regulatory, and policy creation slate. But I'm wondering if the Minister can provide an update to this House as to what timeline the department is working toward to complete the midwifery regulations? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister speak to whether or not the health and social services midwifery recruitment team is looking at fostering relationships with midwifery training institutions to create practicumlike opportunities here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Kam Lake also has a very proud page in the House. We have Liyah YakeleyaGrymalosi who I'd like to say a very huge thank you to. And I also a notice a couple pages around the House who I had the honour of photographing as tiny little babies, including both of the ones to your right and your left. So thank you very much for their service.