Robert Hawkins

Mr. Speaker, I'm glad he and I share the same point of view of welcoming and respecting their points of view. It's critical. Mr. Speaker, if he does so, as he just said, would he find ways to work with his department to help fund this group and a territorial advisory group? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if I had a longer Member's statement, I could probably talk for hours on this particular subject. But that said, there were a lot of concerns I did want raise and hence the question -- oral question period, sorry.

Mr. Speaker, one of the issues that was raised passionately about was being able to call for appointments, and the phone rings and rings and rings, finally takes a message, and it takes days for someone to reply if they reply. Some constituents have complained that no one even calls them back. Mr. Speaker, even my email to the Minister highlighting...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to rise on a point of personal explanation under section 1.8(1) of our rules. It says a Member may rise -- or sorry, raise a point of personal explanation in the Assembly at the earliest opportunity. This is my first opportunity.

The headline in the front page of today's Northern News Services, the Yellowknifer, reads as follows: YK Centre MLA wants finance Minister ousted. The headline is misleading with their word choice of "ousted". It leads the reading with the confusing impression that I want the Minister removed from Cabinet. I know this because a few people...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've been made aware that it's close to five or six doctors have either left or just recently have given their notice of leaving. I'd like that to be confirmed with respect to the numbers I've asked a few moments ago. Is the Minister aware of this, and what is she doing about it? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that answer from the Minister, but when the doctors are suggesting to open up the CT scan that -- system and creating avenues to help patient care and expedite it in the sense of service and save money, it's going on deaf ears. So what next if no one seems to care about the advice and direction offered by doctors, especially our primary care doctors? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just quickly, another clinic in town here, you can dial in and get your records through the internet obviously. I'm old. I say dial, but stream. Mr. Speaker, the dental clinic does phone follow-ups and check-ins, Mr. Speaker. Why is the technology so available, Mr. Speaker? I want to know what the Minister is doing, what -- I want to know what the serious blockage is, why a dental office can do services the health care system can't do, why a local medical clinic can do services, again a billion-dollar department can't seem to manage. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, around the concerns of accessibility, when a person gets through or doesn't get through, they finally just show up and find out they can't get appointments for weeks or months. Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister doing again about in-person now accessibility to see a doctor? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As my colleague, Mr. Testart had said today, we're talking about health care and the survey we had discussed as well as the actions and desperate needs our citizens are suffering from. As noted by MLA Testart, we held a joint town hall, a conversation with the community, Mr. Speaker, around health care. It was desperately needed. The Minister of health was invited but declined and suggested a different date almost three months hence from the inquiry of when could you be available. Unreasonable scheduling I considered, but it is what it is. My good colleague in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table a survey authorized by both myself and Mr. Testart. This survey is called Your Health Care Patient Experience in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are more concerns and, apparently, that's been highlighted many times, and I think even another MLA pointed out scheduling. These doctors are saying they could provide suggestions through efficiency and management of time by doing their own scheduling and they're reaching the point that they're considering leaving, if not some have already left. Maybe we could start with the first clarity on this particular issue is how many primary care doctors do we have in Yellowknife and working in the Stanton hospital? Thank you.