This is page numbers 1374 - 1400 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 7th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was assembly.

Topics

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Cournoyea.

Return To Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services has set a target reduction of $1 million and, presently, the department is in negotiation with the representative medical society dealing with that issue. Mr. Speaker, as well, we've also indicated to the representatives of the medical profession that there may be other issues they may be able to suggest to us where there can be additional target reductions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Supplementary To Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary to the Minister of Health and Social Services, has the government examined the relationship between the fee schedule and the ability to attract general practitioners into private practice in the territories?

Supplementary To Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Ms. Cournoyea.

Further Return To Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, these negotiations are presently under way and in those discussions, we're aiming at target reductions. As everyone is aware, the overall availability of funds to this government for social programs for the residents of the

Northwest Territories is under scrutiny. I'm sure in the discussions with the medical profession representatives, some of these issues will fall out of those discussions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Supplementary To Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister advising that there are a number of issues on the table for consideration during these negotiations. But I do happen to know that there are clinics advertising for doctors in the north right now and some have advertised for a considerable amount of time, months in fact, without receiving any applications from Canadian doctors willing to locate up north. I think that, in order to ensure that we have good medical practitioners in the north, we have to make the climate attractive. I would like to ask the Minister will she, in fact, direct her officials to examine the relationship between our fee for service schedule and the ability to attract general practitioners to the north?

Supplementary To Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Ms. Cournoyea.

Further Return To Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Mr. Speaker, yes, I will.

Further Return To Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Question 632-12(7): Reduction To Fee-for-service Payments To Doctors
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Patterson.

Dennis Patterson Iqaluit

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a bit outside of my jurisdiction because we don't have forests in my constituency, or even trees. But, I have heard a lot in this House and in the news lately about forest firefighting and, particularly, about the importance of Bird Dog officers in safely guiding these big water bombers into fires. I heard the Minister in a news report recently suggesting that he plans to go ahead with bombing, even without the Bird Dog officers. So, my question to the Minister for forest fire management is, now that some of the Bird Dog officers have been laid off and the remainder are refusing to report to work, does the Minister have a plan for safely continuing to bomb these fires? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister responsible for forest fire management, Mr. Morin.

Return To Question 633-12(7): Plans For Safe Firefighting Without Bird Dog Officers' Assistance
Question 633-12(7): Plans For Safe Firefighting Without Bird Dog Officers' Assistance
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Don Morin Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This morning, all crews in tanker bases throughout the Northwest Territories reported back to work; except, I believe, there are three Bird Dog officers who have presently booked out sick. They have been sent letters to provide doctors' slips; I guess that is the process for reporting in sick. But, we cannot be left without some plan in place if people are sick for a lengthy period of time, so we do have a plan in place. We have two CL-215s in from Newfoundland, and in Newfoundland for many years now, they have actioned fires with a lone CL-215; that's when a CL-215 will actually go out on a smoke patrol when lightening has struck. We have lightening detectors out there that tell us where lightening strikes and the CL-215 can action that fire prior to anyone else being in that area. Then a ground crew can go in and mop that fire up.

We have procedures being drawn up today to action fires. Contrary to the perception that we will be bombing fires with ground crews, helicopters and heavy fixed-wing equipment, we will not be doing that. We're in the process right now of hiring some more Bird Dog officers to replace those who have booked off sick. We don't know how long they are going to be sick. We should have a better idea on Monday how long they will be sick. There are two experienced officers who have offered their services to us. For serious and threatening fires, we have been offered officers on loan from other jurisdictions. There are also several experienced northern firefighters, aboriginal people born and raised in the Northwest Territories, who have worked for Renewable Resources for many years who have expressed interest in air attack or Bird Dog on a full-time basis. So arrangements are made presently to ship a few of them down to BC and Alberta. They are out of Fort Smith and Fort Resolution. Those two people have expressed some interest and they are also fire bosses.

Fixed-wing tankers will only be used on the fire scene as long as we have effective communication in place. So we will be doing that. We do have things under control. We are working with the crews that we have. I must say we have approximately 150 firefighters, who are very skilled and committed to fighting fires in the Northwest Territories, and they are willing to show up every day and go to work. We would prefer to use the air attack officers, but I can't be held at ransom, as the Minister, and have the system stop because a few of my employees choose to book off sick or choose not to go to work when they are instructed to.

So we have made alternate plans. I feel quite comfortable with those plans. We must always remember that safety is first. We have had the best in Canada check out our pilots and they say they are safe. We have had MOT check out our pilots and they say they are safe. So let's leave MOT and these type of people to check things out. They are the ones who know; not Bird Dog officers. Thank you.

Return To Question 633-12(7): Plans For Safe Firefighting Without Bird Dog Officers' Assistance
Question 633-12(7): Plans For Safe Firefighting Without Bird Dog Officers' Assistance
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask a question to the Minister responsible for FMBS. Mr. Speaker, since the Minister of Safety and Public Services has indicated the responsibility of air attack officers is this government's and the Minister made this House aware that there is an investigation going on, would the Minister consider reinstating the Bird Dog officers who were laid off until the investigation is over? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Pollard.

Return To Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Pollard Hay River

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good morning. Mr. Speaker, that isn't a possibility. The department has advised the secretariat that they wish for us to terminate two employees. The process now is that we have written to those two employees and advised them of the request for termination. Those employees now have five days to respond to us at FMBS. In the meantime, an investigation has been started. Once I receive the results of that investigation and I receive the responses from the employees who can be assisted by the UNW in preparing their responses, then a decision will be made and recommended to me with regard to the action to take with these employees. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Supplementary To Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since he indicated that the investigation is taking place, is it fair to say that he is discussing the issue of the investigation being done by labour relations? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Pollard.

Further Return To Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Pollard Hay River

That is correct, Mr. Speaker. Labour relations do the investigation and that document, along with the responses from the affected employees, will determine the outcome of these cases.

Further Return To Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mrs. Marie-Jewell.

Supplementary To Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In light of what the Minister of Public Works and Services has indicated to this House, I would like to ask the Minister of FMBS whether the labour relations guidelines for his investigation will take into consideration the results of the investigation done by the chief safety officer of the Northwest Territories?

Supplementary To Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Question 634-12(7): Reinstatement Of Bird Dog Officers During Investigation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Pollard.