Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Sam Gallant, working with the UNW here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Steen.

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Ningark.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Nunavut Clerk designate, Mr. John Quirke. Thank you.

--Applause

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I read with interest the statement made by the Honourable Kelvin Ng, Minister of Health and Social Services, on recruitment and retention for health care professionals. I am wondering, Mr. Speaker, can the boards step outside the current available pay package to hire new nurses and medical professionals because that is one of the biggest problems we have with recruitment and retention? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, from what I understand, Mr. Speaker, they still have to follow the collective agreement that the GNWT has with our workers. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, about two weeks ago, there was a protest march by nurses about their pay package, wages, benefits and professional development. I am wondering if the Minister could tell me outside of the scope of the Retention and Recruitment Plan, what is the Minister's department intending to do about those issues which have come up and which are part of the recruitment and retention as addressed in his statement today? Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the monetary issues are not dealt with specifically in the Recruitment and Retention Plan. That is under the auspices of the Financial Management Services Board and the collective agreement process that we enter into with our employees, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister in his statement and I will quote, "the most pressing need is to fill vacancies". I am wondering how the Minister intends to fill these vacancies if you cannot offer a better salary package and benefits? Thank you.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe in the statement, it indicates some of the methods that are being used right now. The fact that we have somebody specific in the department who is specifically dealing with recruitment and retention and is trying to develop some of the supports that the nursing profession has indicated to us that they would like to see, a professional development fund so that they could have more opportunities to meet with their peers; the development of a website so that there is more accessibility to some of the possible employment opportunities; a higher awareness of the types of situations; the communities where potential individuals may be going. Those are some of the things that are being pursued in the Recruitment and Retention Plan that is to date, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when I had an opportunity to speak to the nurses that staged a walk-out two weeks ago in Iqaluit, Mr. Barnabas was also present, I believe. The Deputy Premier spoke to them. One of the complaints that they had was about the contract nurses and that is where we do not have nurses working for the government, but we bring them in on a contract. There are occasions where these nurses receive a higher salary base than the nurses actually in place who have made a commitment to the north. I am wondering is that something that the Minister's department is reviewing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is not something that we are looking at. Obviously, that is not something that we would like to see on a long-term solution, but it is an issue that is out there that the boards are certainly aware of. We have to deal right now with trying to fill some of those vacancies. We think that by developing some of the longer term strategies that it will obviously bring down the need to have shorter contract type of employees, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Barnabas.

As per my Member's statement earlier today, I would like to ask the Minister of Health why the Quebec Government had to pay for a person who took his family down to see their mother who just recently passed away in Quebec? Why did the Quebec Government have to pay for their travel down to support their family? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.