Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, as I mentioned before, like, we're having this conversation about the college. We're having these conversations about NTPC. We're having these conversations about all of these -- you know, that they determine and their expertise within NTHSSA will determine, by using the priorities that are given, and like I said, I will share the mandate with the Members and, you know, and table it in this House on the direction that is given to them. That was the same thing that was given to the direction of the governing council before and so they -- they build...

Thank you. I do not have that information as I met with him prior to session. I will be meeting with him again not until next week in regards to our regular meetings, and I can ask that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said, I will -- when I have the NTHSSA's budget, I will have that conversation with the Members. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, currently, the -- I have the information before me, and I have -- I'm just in the process of reviewing what will be shared with the Members, and at that time I will table that in the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the council -- the public administrator has all the powers the governing council had. You know, and I think that's the one thing that the PA also has, is he has the expertise to be able to work and create the plan that everybody wants to see. And so the -- before what was happening was the governing council was expecting this plan to come, you know, and I've heard from many of the regional wellness council chairs that they, you know -- as this deficit grew over the last many years, you know, they continue to be wanting a plan on how they were going to deal...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not familiar with the -- what the Member is referring to, but what I can say is that just even in this last few months I've had meetings with, you know, with physicians, with the medical -- NWT Medical Association. The PA has met with them, the CEO has met with them. You know, so we are trying to understand what, you know, some of the highlighted issues are with primary care reform and work with the physicians through that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, within our system, I hear what the Member is saying, however, there are doctors assigned to the primary care teams that are in Yellowknife, so that's the structure that we work around now. You know, if we look back over the years of how health care was provided and basically clinics were -- we went from a private health care model where doctors set up their own private clinics and, you know, took on patients, whereas right now all of the physicians in our system are now contracted to the NTHSSA and they are -- you know, they -- within that department, they...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to take that question on notice. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I cannot commit to a date right now. Things change rapidly. I may -- you know, maybe it will be sooner; maybe it will be at the beginning. There might be travel issues. There might be -- you know, there might be more information that is required. So to be able to come up with a plan to be able to present timelines, I will -- as I said, I will follow up and I will get back to the Members, and I will hopefully have a plan before the end of March. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I did say last week that I would -- you know, I'm meeting with the PA. I'm looking at, you know, his -- the timeline that he has that he's reviewing. You know, there's many regions within the Northwest Territories. He's here in Yellowknife doing the work that he's doing here. He still has to meet with the regional authority -- like, the regional health authorities. And so where I'm at right now is that hopefully we'll have a plan to bring forward to Cabinet and then to Regular Members in March. Thank you.