Thank you, Member. Minister of Health and Social Services.
I think I'm going to ask the director of finance to have a go at this and maybe that will provide more clarity.
Thank you. Ms. Johnson.
Thank you, Madam Chair. This federal agreement, we anticipated it being renewed. So in the past when there was uncertainty, we did have it appropriated through the business planning process and then had to come back and have it reprofiled. So in this case with the anticipated funding, it was just it's not included in the budget but anticipated through sup.
Thank you. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I just I don't understand how this works that you we anticipate spending more money in this area, and I guess the hope is that somehow the feds are going to bail us out but the proper amount hasn't been shown in the budget. So I don't think I'm going to get an answer. Thanks, Madam Chair. That's it.
Thank you. Are there any other further questions to supplementary health benefits? Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I wanted to ask some questions about the medical travel benefits. This is something that I know has come up quite a bit over the course of the term, and my understanding is this is quite common. And the focus of the questions largely have been around the amount that is offered to residents when it comes to medical travel, especially with the sorry, in especially in relation to per diems for the cost for food and the cost for accommodations.
One of the issues that has come up and was highlighted was specific to the or the additional cost of somebody bringing kids into Yellowknife for the purposes of for birthing purposes.
Somebody might not have child care in their home community, and they might need to bring their kids with them and are unable if they bring their kids with them, they it is considered more than one escort. Each child is considered an escort. And what ends up happening is they're denied governmentfunded lodging and they have to go and find their own place to stay. And so if they find themselves in a hotel situation, they're only reimbursed for the $50 and this is not representative of what it actually costs a family to stay in a hotel.
The concern that's been raised to me is this ends up being not a culturally safe policy. And a lot of people might be in a situation where they just because of their own personal histories don't feel comfortable leaving their children with someone else and need to bring their children with them to Yellowknife or wherever they are having children. So I'm wondering if while this amount of money is, you know, $5,000 or 5,000, geesh, $5 million less than what the department would like to see, is there an intent to revise some of the policy work around medical travel to make it more culturally safe for all residents of the territory? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, as I mentioned earlier, there is a review of medical travel ongoing now, and the per diems are one of the areas that will be reexamined. In terms of bringing additional children to with the family when they are coming in for the birth of a child, I would recommend that the family contact child and family services and explore a voluntary services agreement to pay for the cost of the additional children coming in to Yellowknife. I realize that the Member is now going to say that's not culturally safe and people don't want anything to do with child and family services. But we don't have another way of assisting families unless they have their own ways of raising money. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, does the Minister have an idea in this area how much residents are relying on Jordan's Principle to fund some of the shortfall of the GNWT in order to make medical travel more accessible for people who do need to bring their kids with them and don't because this really ends up being an access to health issue or equitable access to health issue. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you. We don't have any information about Jordan's Principle spending in this area.
Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.
Yeah, thank you very much, Madam Chair. And this is not a comment only directed at the health minister but I think all Ministers, is I think we really need to have a better idea of what supports Jordan's Principle is applying to the GNWT because I think that it is far greater than any of us actually realizes. And my concern is if those supports disappear, we will be really struggling in our territory. So I think it's important that we have an idea of what that dollar figure is. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the comment.
Are there any further questions, comments, under supplementary health benefits? Seeing none, please turn to page 210.
Health and Social Services, supplementary health benefits, operations expenditure summary, Main Estimates 20232024, $35,321,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
There are additional information items on page 212 to 216. Are there any questions? Seeing none, Members, please return now to the departmental summary found on page 181. Revenue summary information items on page 182 and 83.
No further questions, committee, I will now call department summary of Health and Social Services, operations expenditure, total department, 20232024 Main Estimates, $610,276,000. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services at this time.
Thank you. The motion is in order. To the motion?
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Consideration of the Department of Health and Social Services, 20232024 Main Estimates, operating expenditure, total department, is deferred.
Thank you, Minister. And thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us.
Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Member for Frame Lake.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the chair rise and report progress.
There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and nondebatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
Carried
I will now rise and report progress.
May I please have the report of Committee of the Whole. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 81319(2), 2023-2024 Main Estimates, and I would like to report with one motion passed. And, Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Do we have a seconder? Member for Kam Lake. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
Carried
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Orders of the day for Tuesday, March 7th, 2023, 1:30 p.m.
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Returns to Oral Questions
Oral Question 1343-19(2), Impacts of COVID-19 on Education
Oral Question 1404-19(2), Child Care Funding Supports for Teen Parents
Oral Question 1411-19(2), Renewable Energy
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to the Commissioner’s Address
Petitions
Tabling of Documents
Notice of Motions
Motions
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Bill 64, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 3
Bill 72, Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act
Bill 73, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 4
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bill 23, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act
Bill 29, Resource Royalty Information Disclosure Statute Amendment Act
Bill 60, An Act to Amend the Petroleum products and Carbon Tax Act
Bill 61, An Act to Amend the Ombud Act
Bill 63, An Act to Amend the Official Languages Act
Bill 66, An Act to Amend the Property Assessment and Taxation Act
Bill 67, An Act to Amend the Fire Prevention Act
Bill 68, An Act to Amend the Child Day Care Act
Committee Report 40-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 61: An Act to Amend the Ombud Act
Committee Report 43-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 63: An Act to Amend the Official Languages Act
Committee Report 44-19(2), Special Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs Final Report: A Northwest Territories Approach to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Negotiating Agreements
Committee Report 45-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 60: An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products and Carbon Tax Act
Minster’s Statement 264-19(2), Response to the NWT Chief Coroner’s Report on Suicide
Tabled Document 681-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 26-19(2): Report on the Child and Family Services Act – Lifting Children, Youth and Families: An All of Territory Approach to Keeping Families Together
Tabled Document 694-19(2), Northwest Territories Coroner Service 2021-2022 Early Release of Data
Tabled Document 813-19(2), Main Estimates
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Tuesday, March 7th, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 7:31 p.m.
