Qualified naturopathic doctors practicing in the Northwest Territories have requested legislation regarding practice to ensure public protection. Given that the naturopathic doctors have a high level of education and training on par with family doctors and are recognized in nine jurisdictions with the legislation working in the health field, I want to ask the Minister, she said it’s possible that these naturopathic doctors or the medicine can be legislated in the future. I want to ask why not include it with the four others that she indicated? Why not for a short trial period?
Once again I need to state, the naturopathic practitioners are allowed to practice their fields as they are now. So there’s nothing that needs to be done to have them practice. They are allowed to practice that now. I have stated earlier that we are reviewing this. I want to say again that I just don’t want to load so many things onto this umbrella legislation that it doesn’t make it off the ground. It is really important that we regulate chiropractors, psychologists, licensed nurse practitioners, as well as emergency responders. Those professions have been at the front of the line and they have the level of complexity and the meeting there that we need to work through, and we believe that once we work through the other professions that come on board, they could be added more quickly and more readily because we would have had the frameworks done. So, Mr. Speaker, I just want to state again that we are considering other professions that could be added.
Thank you. Given that the regulated scope of practice of naturopath doctors is similar to a standard doctor, a profession that is in short supply in the Northwest Territories, does the Minister not see the value in regulating a profession that is already and will continue to fill a need for those Northwest Territories who do not have access to a family doctor without the expense of the health care system?
There’s nothing that we are doing or not doing that is stopping this profession from practicing. There is nothing that stops them from practicing. They are allowed to practice. They’re like physiotherapists, occupational therapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists, Chinese, Asian doctors or whatever. They can practice. I don’t mean Asian doctors, I mean Chinese medicine. So, Mr. Speaker, they are allowed to practice. We see the role of their profession and we’re just telling them it’s going to take time to bring them all on board, but in the meantime, Mr. Speaker, they’re absolutely welcome to practice here.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. With the naturopath medicine practitioners/doctors, they blend the western with the traditional, again, to save costs in the health care system. Does the Minister not see that this is a value-added incentive to people in the Northwest Territories, to regulate the naturopath medicine, practitioners/doctors? I don’t think it’s going to be a disservice. There are already four on the list. Can the Minister look at this and say this is a priority and we’ll add it to the list? Thank you.
Thank you. I need to remind the Member also not to compare this profession as medical doctors, just because we have existing legislation that protects that word “doctor” just for those who are practicing medicine. So let me just say this profession is allowed to be practiced here. The practitioners are allowed to do their work and there’s nothing that we’re doing or not doing right now that prohibits them from doing their work. Like my colleague Minister Miltenberger just said to me, it’s like a float plane and we want the float plane to take off and if you load way too many things on there, it will never get off the ground. We want to start with this floor so that we make something happen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
1.
Provide a list of all the nutrition or healthy eating or healthy foods programs run by the GNWT across all departments.
2.
Provide the amount of funding on an annual basis attached to each of these programs.
3.
Provide the anticipated sunset or termination date for each of these programs.
4.
Provide the criteria which determines who is eligible for funding under each of these programs.
Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
1.
Please provide the number of negotiated contracts and the amount of each one for the communities of Fort Good Hope, Colville Lake, Deline, Norman Wells and Tulita, issued to local contractors over the past three fiscal years.
2.
Please provide the number of negotiated contracts and the amounts for each one in the Sahtu, issued to contractors based outside of each community over the past three years.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, I will move that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, I will move that Bill 3, Electronic Transactions Act, be read for the first time.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, I will move that Bill 5, Write-off of Debts Act, 2010-2011, be read for the first time.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, I will move that Bill 7, Community Planning and Development Act, be read for the first time.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, I will move that Bill 9, Wildlife Act, be read for the first time.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 12, notices of motion.
The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to item 12 on the Order Paper. Are there any nays?
Nay.
Mr. Speaker, orders of the day for Tuesday, March 8, 2011, at 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Opening Address
Petitions
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
---Applause
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Tuesday, March 8, 2011, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 3:20 p.m.
