Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to speak today again regarding the Minister’s lack of answers to the House regarding naturopath therapy as well as massage therapy in the inclusion of the coming forward omnibus legislation.
Mr. Speaker, it continues to be increasingly clear that the Minister continues down a conservative agenda and shows little interest in deliberalizing health care reform that would help people of the Northwest Territories. In areas such as massage and naturopathic therapy there have been numerous calls by people in industry as well as individual constituents that feel strongly that regulatory legislation needs to be out there to ensure that naturopathic therapists as well as massage therapists have the proper licence and qualifications to be doing what they need to do.
Mr. Speaker, it also helps define the practice in the full scope of efforts which they, quite clearly, have received a significant amount of education and this will help support the work that they rightly do in our North. Mr. Speaker, the work that they do collaborates well with other licensed professionals and why do we continue to deny them?
Mr. Speaker, there are great hopes and expectations, reasonable expectations that this government would be a true partner in making sure there is protection and quality of these services and health care options are out there for our citizens. But rather, this government would rather stand by and do nothing and watch it go by.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister equates the creation of good legislation for our public as a float plane not being able to take off. So to continue the Minister’s foolish analogy, it’s about packing a float plane correctly as to what you actually need rather than just trying to waste time and pack it full of everything which becomes useless in the end.
Mr. Speaker, the problem that lies before us here is no one is asking for another Wildlife Act and the review process. Clearly, five other provinces get it right. Why can’t this Territory jump on the bus rather than watch another one keep going by? Mr. Speaker, perhaps the reason the Minister is being so resistant is because it’s a good idea from this side of the House, and quite evidently, that seems to be the problem here.
Mr. Speaker, let’s get down to business. Let’s see if this Minister, certainly, I hope, will do something, and rather than protecting the status quo will move forward rather than defending conservatively the status quo any day of the week as she continues to do so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Michael McLeod.
