Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Recently there was an incident from Fort Liard, well not so much of an incident but more of a miracle, she had a child in our Stanton Territorial Hospital. Unlike many women from the small and remote communities, she was able to come here and wait at our facilities for the birth of her child, but the father was not able to be with her. When that happens, at the time of the birth she’s given the required forms for registration to fill out and the father was not available at this time, which is probably the case in many, many instances in our North. So she went back home. She did fill out the father’s information, but when the birth certificate arrived to her, it was just her name on the certificate. So she said okay, I’ll just add the father’s, but our system requires a $30 registration fee to add the father at a later date.
I’d like to ask the Minister, can he change this rule or procedure? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the name had actually been provided on the registration form in the beginning, there would have been no additional fee. We go to the steps of printing forms and mailing them out, but to do changes later there are significant costs to doing that. That’s why there is a fee for changes at different times. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Of course there are lots of other administrative changes that may have to occur, but in this case I’m saying that because the family, the father could not travel in this case and I’m making the case, as well, that it happens throughout the North, not only from my riding, that the father has to add his name at a later date for an extra $30 cost.
So I’d like to ask the Minister, what kind of rule or guideline is this that you have to add the biological parent at a later date for a $30 fee? Thank you.
At the birth of a child the parents can put their names on the birth certificate, and the name of a parent who is not present, the father in this case, could have been included on the certificate, as well, and it would have required no additional fee. To change a certificate after the fact there is some administrative requirements and as a result there is a fee, but I would strongly encourage parents to get their names on their certificates when they first fill out their application, both mother and father.
Thank you very much. I was just trying to speak on a general basis, but I would be glad to let the Minister know about this other specific case. In general, I think the policy that I saw says that after 60 days that they have to pay a fee and that’s the issue I’m getting at, is that constituents in small, remote communities cannot always travel for the birth of their child. So why do we have to charge them an extra $30 to get their name on the certificate? Thank you.
I hear the Member and I’m certainly willing to have a conversation with the department to see if we can extend the deadline or the amount of time it takes for individuals to get their names on the forms, but for changes after the fact, it does involve reprinting forms, it does involve reprinting certificates where there is a significant expense. So the fee for those changes would have to stay in place, but I would certainly talk to the department to see if we could extend the time for individuals who live in small, rural and remote communities. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I guess I think part of the issue, too, is that I’m not too sure if it’s the department’s requirement that they fill out the registration while they’re in the hospital in Yellowknife, or can they wait five or six days when both parents can be together in their home community, especially if that’s the case. Thank you.
I’m not quite aware of the specific details as to why they can’t fill it out on that day or whether they have to wait a couple days, but I’ll certainly get that information and provide it to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
