Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the past several weeks, I have had the opportunity to speak with and visit many of our health care professionals in Iqaluit. I also had a family member stay over night at the Baffin Regional Hospital. First-hand, Mr. Speaker, I have seen the effects of the severe shortage of nurses is having on our medical facilities. This is not unique to Iqaluit or the Baffin. Indeed, at the end of September, as Chairman of the Infrastructure Committee, when we met in Tuktoyaktuk, it was also a major issue there. In Iqaluit, the elective children's dental surgery had to be cancelled last week, and I understand that surgeries the Baffin hospital has that were set up to be performed will have to be carried out at a more expensive monetary and human cost in Ottawa because of the nursing shortage. Mr. Speaker, the chair of the Baffin Health Board stated that as a result of the nursing shortage, short-term actions had to be put in place which will result in reductions in current services offered.
Mr. Speaker, why is there a nursing shortage? Did we anticipate this coming? Could we have done something about this before it happened? The answer to all these questions, Mr. Speaker, is a resounding yes. The government saw this coming. We could have done something and yes, the problem is occurring in other jurisdictions. Simply put, Mr. Speaker, it is not cost-effective or conducive for a nurse to work in the Northwest Territories. There is no financial incentive to move north. Remember, Mr. Speaker, the last increase in pay for any of our public employees was during the 1992 round of negotiations. I remember that because I was a part of that team. At that time, the increase was roughly two percent per year. In 1995-1996, this government as part of the deficit reductions reduced all salaries by a little more than six percent and eliminated VTAs. Thus, a nurse or other medical professional, or for that matter civil servant, in realistic terms have suffered six years of reductions, roll backs and not keeping up with the CPI, the rate of inflation or rates of pay for other jurisdictions.
Simply put, Mr. Speaker, we are not competitive in the current marketplace. The current offer on the table for medical professionals, including nurses and CNAs, lab technicians, et cetera, does not address those inequities. Mr. Speaker, in the long-term, the key to keep, retain and attract medical and other professionals will be competitive salaries, housing and travel benefits. Mr. Speaker, we also have to develop and support and expand northern nursing programs. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to continue my statement.