Lesa Semmler

Yes, thank you, that's correct.

Yes, Mr. Chair, that is something that we and the department has been doing lots of work in this area. And, you know, I hear what the Member is saying, and I agree that there right now as we stand, though, there aren't a lot of programs that are up and ready to access in the Northwest Territories and so what we're hoping is that within this government, and that's why it's in the business plan, that we can collaborate with those Indigenous governments that have programs. And we know that we're spending anywhere from $200 to $650 a day outside the territory on services for individuals. And...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't I don't have the level of detail of what the services are being provided in all of the Dehcho communities, but we can look at what services aren't provided right now and get back to the Member. And if there are concerns or, you know, as we're rolling out more and more communities that have the needs and if there is a needs assessment that needs to be done in those communities, you know, I like I said, I don't have that kind of level of detail here. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will pass that over to the ADM.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, one of the things that I I guess, becoming in this role is that and I've been saying it on the floor of the House, is that we can't really forecast some areas in health and, you know, right now, there's been a bigger uptake in addictions program in the last fiscal year, and, you know, if we hope, you know, that this is the path that our residents are wanting to go, we will support them, and then we would have to go back for a supplementary appropriation or else to be able to try and fund that within. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm not sure where in the budget and if it's just the overall question on the entire budget, then I mean the budget that I have, I know that we have a business plan. We will be working within that to come up with, you know to, you know we're getting we've got the mandate now. You know, the mandate letters will come to the Ministers. We'll be looking into with our departments to look at where and how we move the business plan and the priorities of this government along. As to what you know, what those estimates might be, this budget here is you know, it's got some...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I mentioned, this extended health policy has been reviewed. I know that there was in the last government, it went back out to review because of a lot of the concerns. There was recommendations to make changes. Those changes were made. How we use this you know, what tool we use to measure low income, you know, there is a jurisdictional scan across Canada on how other jurisdictions provide any type of support to low income, and you know, and some of the you know, and I know we provided information to committee on this. There's been many presentations. There's you...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's currently ongoing right now. So that's the process, and that's what we're hoping that we will be able to phase out, the use of agency nurses, you know, in that area. And so it's currently -- we had a forced growth submission, and that's in this budget. So we're hoping that, you know, that will support that -- those additional nurses in that unit. But we are actively doing that training and I think recruiting, and I think there are LPNs now being trained into that unit. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, anybody who's leaving the Northwest Territories has health care coverage. Like, we have agreements across Canada that if you have your health care card and you can prove that you have health care insurance in your home province, you can have access to health services, insured health services anywhere in Canada. But you also have to be aware that some of the things that we cover in the Northwest Territories are not covered outside of -- in some provinces so those things, you may be billed for. And medical travel is not something that -- you know, that's not...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think as of right now for aftercare, what we have is the budgeted for THARP. Up until now, I don't believe we -- you know, we provided wellness, you know, for homeless and things like that but we haven't had fund up until this budget for aftercare, and that is where the THARP program falls into that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.