Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like I said in my previous statement is that we haven't used agency nurses preCOVID for at least 15 years, and so this is something that has come because of the health care crisis post like, post the pandemic. And so right now what we're doing is strategically within the NTHSSA and within the department is, you know, we're identifying where there's high needs and, you know, and I think the plan like, the work that's going on right now is to try and home grow like, some of the nurses that are employed by our department in these specialty areas. So that is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And keep it short, yes, we are paying more now before the pandemic because we didn't use them for 15 years before without the OBS unit closed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a conversation that I actually had with Minister Holland last week, is the effect of, you know, agency nurses on our health care system and this is a discussion that I will continue I will be raising at the national level because as currently right now in the Northwest Territories, we have seven agency nurses working. And so if I was to say we are out of the 400 and some staff positions, for me to say I'm banning agency nurses and the rest of Canada doesn't do that, you know, I hear what the Member is saying, but the Northwest Territories can't do...

Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if I want to answer that as best as I can but I might you might cut me off. So I'll highlight some of the areas. And I want to be clear that, you know, it's important to note that the use of agency nurses is always the last resort. It's aimed at preventing unit or health care health centre closures and to increase to keep adequate staffing levels, you know, and we've seen that we've had to close areas in our health care before. And right now and I you know, I'll continue to repeat it because it is across Canada that we're having a health care shortage of all...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear. There seems to be confusion around this, and there so within this announcement, I guess what happened was that there is COVID funding that is ending at the end of this fiscal year but there is no layoffs in the NTHSSA as a result of this sunsetting funding. It's important to understand that many positions that were added in this with this funding were never we were never able to staff them, so we were using what we used as casuals. We used float. We used relief workers in a lot of these positions to make sure that these extra...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned, it is my intent to share this review with to share this review publicly. I think right now what we're doing as a department is taking the review and reviewing it with different pieces with the recommendations that have been provided, and then we'll be sharing that publicly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in I think when like the Member said, in 2016, I think we transferred into the territorial NTHSSA, and they are governed by the leadership council. So the leadership council Board of Management is made up of regional wellness council chairs. So every region in the Northwest Territories that used to have a board or an authority amalgamated into the NTHSSA, and then they created regional wellness councils. So the regional wellness councils are basically the advisory council for that region but their chair is the member that sits at the leadership council...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, as a past manager I know that the managers get this, and it's highlighted, and so managers are as part of their regular variance review have this information. So I can get back to the Member on, like, just for Stanton and those specific details. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, I think the NTHSSA right now is continuously trying to they're monitoring employee engagement through formal mechanisms as surveys and formal means like all staff meetings, daily newsletters that go out to all staff, a robust information hub for staff in line with the NTHSSA system. And then, you know, with other areas and but, again, like I hear from the Member, you know, I worked in that area. You're busy. You're working. You're not working normal hours. So when you're not able to access the information through certain ways, and, again, if...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been communication with the people that have been in these positions. They have been communicated since the beginning of the positions. Anybody there were some positions that were transfer assignment. They're going back to their home position. The majority of the people that are filling these positions, as I've mentioned are casual, either the float pool, or they're relief positions. And I think some of the communications initially went that there are and this is kind of what I tried to explain. I'm trying to explain it in a way that people will...