Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, previous Member statements, myself as well as other colleagues, have expressed concerns about cabin leases. Specifically for me, Mr. Speaker, cabin leases on Crown lands in the Inuvialuit settlement region. It's my understanding that in the Inuvialuit final agreements that permits are required on Crown lands that will be provided at no cost. Can the Minister of ECC please give us an update on what's happened with those. I understand, Mr. Speaker, that people are still being invoiced for those cabins. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister for Environment and Climate Change.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department has made significant efforts in this area across all of the NWT. We've reached out to all of the Indigenous governments and are currently working on a collaborative process to address the leasing of public land. And we also have a process where existing owners or lessees can apply through the department to have their current lease fees paused as we work through this process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister. So can the Minister confirm, then, if invoices are still being charged? I understand there is an opportunity to request to have a pause, certainly not everybody -- certainly traditional people that have harvesting cabins out there may not have the ability or the technology to actually require -- to apply for that request -- sorry, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister confirm that invoices is still being charged to members in the Inuvialuit settlement region that have cabins on Crown lands. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if the individuals in question have not gone and completed the application to pause that process, then they could still be receiving invoices. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Final supplementary. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
That's disappointing, Mr. Speaker. We had hoped given that, you know, this has been ongoing for quite some time that we had understood that all invoicing would be paused until such time as this work can be completed. Having said that, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister commit to when they're going to finally get this issue put to rest, a timeline on when we can see this proposed change put into place. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sort of a two-part question but happy to answer both of them.
So when it comes to the specific of no longer invoicing, this is a voluntary program that we put in place to address those concerns and it does not relieve the land user of the responsibility of the payment. This is not a forgiveness policy but a temporary pause of payment. So there may be some lessees or leasers that don't want to pause the payment the way it's going currently. So that's the first part.
On the second part, Mr. Speaker, we have sent out invitations to all of the Indigenous governments to come back to the department. We have engagement sessions booked for the spring and summer, one in the Beaufort Delta I believe, and one in Hay River, to start these conversations. And we're certainly, you know, happy to hear from all of the Indigenous governments. It's not a process that we as the GNWT or as the department was putting forward our expectations but really are anxious to hear what the Indigenous governments' positions are and how we can work together to find a solution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to try again with the Minister of Health and Social Services.
How have the changes to Yellowknife Primary Care reduced wait times for appointments in the capital? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am unsure right now what those wait times are. That's not something that I have here with me in the House. So if the Member, you know, wants to bring this questioning up again another day, then I would be more than willing to try and get those answers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, sometimes we get questions on the fly and we need to ask them. These are important things.
Another question, how are these changes -- how many appointments have increased since the number -- have the number appointments available to patients increased since these changes have done? Are we seeing more people since the changes have been done? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, right now I'm not sure if he's speaking directly to the primary clinic that's going on here in Yellowknife or as the primary care clinic that's going on in Fort Smith. If it's just in Yellowknife, I'll have to get back to the Member on the stats of the primary care since it opened not even a year ago. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you. Yes, Yellowknife is, of course, my primary concern because that's where I represent, but if the Minister that has the numbers territory-wide or by community, I'd take those as well. Thank you.
Was that a question, Member from Range Lake?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister provide the stats from the entire territory broken down by community at a future date? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we are rolling out primary care reform and we only are piloting it in certain regional centres, but those ones that we are, I will see if they have the stats available as thisb is within this last year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Deputy Premier. Earlier -- I'm trying to figure a way how we could work together and combat the issue of the drug problems in our small communities, in particular Fort Resolution, and I would like to ask the question to the Deputy Premier if we could work together and look at sending out invitations to the head of the RCMP in G-division here in the Northwest Territories to come to our meeting and also the Dene Nation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. I'm going to turn it to you, Deputy Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I fortunately heard the Premier speak about this many times so I feel like I'm in fairly comfortable ground in referencing the work that's happening already in terms of the SCAN legislation and a suite of other legislative initiatives that are under the Department of Justice which is also under the Premier. And, Mr. Speaker, I know that the community policing priorities are an area that both the Premier takes very seriously and I've also heard the commander take very seriously as being an area where he wants to see real movement. So whether it's -- who exactly might initiate an invitation and to where that, Mr. Speaker, I would suggest we want to -- perhaps I'll take a pause on that particular response and confirm and at least commit that I'll follow up personally with the Premier on that. Again, I know it's an area of serious concern for his community, so making sure that communities are properly engaged with the RCMP at the proper level to see that their community priorities are being followed through, I'm confident that we'll find a path forward. It's just exactly how that might play out, I think I would leave to the Premier or to the Minister of Justice to speak to, but I will speak to him directly about it. Again, I know it's an area of concern for him as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 13-20(1) asked by the Member for Range Lake on February 10, 2025, regarding Physician Staffing.
The Member asked how many full-time physicians were hired by the Northwest Territories health and social services Authority last fiscal year. I can report that the Northwest Territories health and social services Authority hired three permanent physicians in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and one to date in 2024-2025 fiscal year.
The Member also asked how many full-time physicians left their employment with the Northwest Territories health and social services Authority last fiscal year. I can report that five permanent physicians left their employment and/or did not renew their contract in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, and to date in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, four physicians have not renewed their contracts.
The Member requested a breakdown of the reasons why full-time physicians left their employment with the Northwest Territories health and social services Authority last fiscal year, including resignation, term expiration, retirement, termination and for any other relevant reason.
Because the numbers are small, sharing details could risk identifying individuals. I can confirm that some physicians have chosen not to renew their contracts due to both retirements and resignations. It is important to note that the Northwest Territories health and social services Authority continues to conduct exit interviews with departing employees and reviews all feedback they provide.
The Member requested a breakdown of the full-time physicians who left their employment with Northwest Territories health and social services Authority last fiscal year by practice and specialty and a breakdown of locum versus resident full-time physicians who left their employment with Northwest Territories health and social services Authority last fiscal year.
The breakdown of those who left their employment, or did not renew their contract in the 2023-2024 fiscal year are:
One Family Physician;
One Obstetrician;
One Pediatrician;
One Internist; and,
One Otolaryngologist.
A locum physician is a doctor who temporarily fills in for another doctor or a vacancy. In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority hired 926 locum physicians through 1,865 contracts. These numbers indicate that we have many returning locum physicians helping us maintain consistent care across the Northwest Territories. For example, in the 2023-2024 fiscal year 56 percent of contracted locum Family Physicians were returning locums and 36 percent of contracted locum Specialists were returning locums.
Once a locum physician completes a contract, they are not considered to have resigned or left their role. They simply finish their agreed-upon term. Locums are always eligible to accept additional or future contracts.
We actively encourage new locums to consider opportunities in the North, which has been a successful recruitment strategy.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
I now call the Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish -- I'm going to go to the Member -- or sorry, what is the wish of the committee? I'm going to go to the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee would like to consider Tabled Document 275-20(1), 2025-2026 Main Estimates, Department of Infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. Committee, do you agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We'll take a short break.
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Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 275-20(1), 2025-2026 Main Estimates. We will now consider the Department of Infrastructure. Does the Minister of Infrastructure wish to bring witnesses into the House?
Yes, please, Mr. Chair.
Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the chambers.
Okay, thank you. Would the Minister please introduce her witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left, Steve Loutitt, deputy minister of infrastructure. And on my right, Amy Burt, the director of corporate services.
Okay, thank you. The committee has agreed to forego general comments. Does the committee agree to proceed to the detail contained in the table document? Committee?
Agreed.
All right, thank you. Committee, we will defer the departmental summary and review of the estimates by activity summary beginning with asset management starting on page 267 with information items on page 270. Are there any questions? See no further questions, please turn to page 268. The Member from Great Slave, did you have a question?
Sorry, Mr. Chair. I was just trying to catch up to your page number; it took me a moment. I do have a question for the Minister, but I'm not certain if this is the right area. No, it's not, thank you. Sorry, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. There are no questions. Please turn to page 268.
Infrastructure, asset management, operations expenditure summary, 2025-2026 Main Estimates, $18,744,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Moving on to corporate management beginning on page 271 with information items on page 273. Are there any questions? No further questions, please turn to page 272.
Infrastructure, corporate management, operations expenditure summary, 2025-2026 Main Estimates, $8,695,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Moving on to energy and strategic initiatives beginning on page 274 with information items on page 279. Are there any questions? I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
