Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I think there are ways that we can create efficiencies so that the dollars that do go into communities now are used more efficiently. There are initiatives underway within the department to that end and I would like to ask Ms. Ballantyne if she would perhaps talk about how some of those collaborations may be developed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Ms. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Ms. Ballantyne. General comments, the Chair recognizes the Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman I will keep my comments and questions brief if the Minister will agree to keep her replies as well, the same way. I have a number of questions, I will be brief on my comments. I know the Minister will follow suit.

Mr. Chairman, the broader issues and concerns that I have with Health and Social Services, I think, will be addressed during the business planning process, when the Minister tables her response to the Minister's Forum on Health and Social Services.

I would just like to get some updates on some very specific issues. The first one would be, given the acknowledged shortcomings of the Digital Communications Network, could the Minister indicate the plans for Telehealth in the Territories and how she plans to hopefully expand the technology, given the restrictions and limitations of the digital network? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I believe the Member is correct in his position. We have heard this in the standing committees that the expansion of the Telehealth program has considerable cost savings that may be available to the department if we were able to access it more in communities.

Mr. Bell had asked, in a previous comment, whether or not I will be willing to take this up with the Premier on how we might better improve this infrastructure to serve the needs of the Department of Health. I will commit to do that in collaboration with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment who also stand to benefit considerably from this type of technology if it were sufficient and adequate.

I could not tell the Member now exactly why the facilities provided by, as I understand it, NorthwesTel, are not sufficient in bandwidth to deliver the kind of information that our department would need. I will commit to pursuing that and finding out what kinds of options would be open to us for improving and expanding that service. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Chairman, could the Minister elaborate then on, do they have a plan, a Telehealth strategy that may be predicated on available technical capability. Do they have a plan?

I know they have some Telehealth capabilities in some communities, I think it is Inuvik, Fort Smith and Yellowknife. If it were possible, how would they see expanding that service from a health perspective, not a technological perspective? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will refer that question to Mr. St. Germaine.

Mr. St. Germaine.

Thank you, Mr. St. Germaine. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was wondering as well if the Minister could give a quick update on the CWL review. For the record, it is not the Catholic Women's League, but it is the Child Welfare League review. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Madam Minster.

Thank you. He took the words right out of my mouth, I was going to say Catholic Women's League. The Child Welfare League, we are expecting the report from the results of their findings here in the Northwest Territories within the next couple of weeks. At that time I will be in a position to share the results with the Standing Committee on Social Programs. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would also like to just briefly touch on the issue of the equitability of funding for aboriginal governments, specifically the item under population health for $143,000.

Now that it has been raised as an issue, how does the department intend to address the issue, and do other aboriginal governments access similar amounts of money from different pots, possibly? If not, how would the Minister see dealing with this, while a small number, an issue that could have a great political sensitivity? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a bit of background. The department has maintained the contribution agreement in the amount of $143,000 annually with the Dene Nation since the transfer of health services from the federal government in 1988.

Prior to the transfer, the Dene Nation received funding from Health Canada for their health program. The contribution agreement provides a framework for the department to work in partnership with the Dene Nation to influence the health and well-being of Dene people in the Northwest Territories.

The department and the Dene Nation set joint priorities on an annual basis and have quarterly meetings to share information and discuss progress on key priorities. This agreement is planned to be renewed in the upcoming fiscal year.

It would be difficult to break $143,000 down into much smaller components and be able to actually have the kind of planning and dialogue that goes on with the Dene Nation at this time with smaller groups. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Well I can appreciate the fiscal reality on this particular issue. The other reality is that the Dene Nation does not represent the Metis, Inuvialuit or, to the best of my knowledge, the Gwich'in, Sahtu, or the Dogribs as well.

Now that it is an issue, how does the department answer to the fact that it is only one group? What about the aboriginal governments, who have significant health concerns, that are not represented by the Dene Nation? Thank you.