Thank you. On page 6, Health and Social Services, operations and maintenance, administration, not previously authorized, $2.386 million. I have Mr. Ootes.
Debates of Nov. 9th, 1998
This is page numbers 309 - 340 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 6th 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 chairman.
Topics
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
The Chair John Ningark
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Dealing again with the Nurses Retention Program, I understand an evaluation is being done and will be ongoing in this area and is being done with all the boards as well. First of all, I wonder if the Minister could confirm that for us?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Ng.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the intent is in respect to the professional development in the interaction fund that is going to assist our health care professionals. There would be an ongoing evaluation of the development, obviously to see if the funds are being properly resourced, that there are actually upgraded individuals within our system and hopefully that we will be able to retain those same individuals. The last thing we want to be doing is upgrading individuals to move on to other jurisdictions or other pursuits that would be detrimental to our health care system, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Ootes.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Yes, I would just like to go back to my earlier comment about a consultant or coordinator of these evaluations. Is there someone in the department that will take all these evaluations and start to coordinate that and present that back to management? Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Ng.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Yes, Mr. Chairman. That is what is outlined in the funding proposal. There is going to be a coordinator of Northern Workforce Development, from the aspect of the health field and the aspect of the social service field. That would be over and above the overseer, the recruitment and retention specialist we have within the department, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Ootes.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
That was the answer I was looking for. I did not know how that would work. As well, we are looking at evaluation. How do we apply standards within the various boards? Are they meeting the same standards and is it consistent to all the boards?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 329
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Mr. Chairman, I believe we would facilitate this probably in conjunction with the Registered Nurses Association, in the case of nurses. In conjunction with the newly formed NWT Social Workers Association, in respect to any social worker programs. Also we would have our partners, the NWT Health Care Association, the boards that have been a part of this whole process of developing this recruitment and retention plan from day one. So everybody is at the table as it stands now. Everybody has a concerted effort in trying to make this work. Now we have some resources to move
forward on this, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Ootes.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you. I wonder if the Minister might be able to provide to us, for the hypothetical March session, say for next year, a report updating us on how successful this whole retention program has been?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. It requires detail, Mr. Todd.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
John Todd Keewatin Central
Mr. Chairman, we are just going to approve these monies today. The Minister did table last February or March, I believe, the whole retention program. If my colleague is asking can we provide the House, prior to March 31, 1999, with an update of its success, I do not anticipate that being a problem.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. I have Mr. Steen.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I assume this is in relation to establishing pools available to separate boards or is this one pool that would be available to all boards?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. For the record, Mr. Todd is at the witness table, but I will recognize Mr. Ng.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
November 8th, 1998
Page 330
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the intent is there be one pool available to all boards. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Member for Nunakput, Mr. Steen.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, how would this pool be looked at after 1999? Would it still serve both Nunavut and western NWT?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Ng.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I do not particularly have the answer to that today. I believe that is fair to say there are all sorts of discussions ongoing right now between the Nunavut Interim Commissioner Office and our government on shared services. We are aware of that, in particular in the area of health. I do not think it has got down to the level of detail in respect to something like this locum pool that we are just in the process of establishing. I can see there is a possibility of having shared resources, but I cannot speak to that today, at this moment. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 330
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Steen.