Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a willingness on my part and the part of the department to look at the issue of compassionate travel as we do the review of supplementary health programs. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, I welcome that answer. As is the case in other parts of Canada, I am wondering if the government would also explore avenues or options to potentially involve the private sector or perhaps charitable foundations in assisting in facilities or expenses for family members or caregivers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I heard in my colleague's Member's statement mention of facilities such as Ronald McDonald House. I think that is a fine demonstration of what happens when the private sector takes an active interest in that kind of service. I know the Stanton Foundation here has done significant fundraising for medical equipment and they brought in many significant corporate sponsors and they have done a good job fundraising. Of course, as a department, as a government, we are very interested in that kind of partnership and collaboration. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question again goes to the Minister of Health and Social Services. To meet the Minister halfway and to not cause any misunderstanding in my question, perhaps I could give an example of what I mean by the kind of blue chip information that I think the department should have.

I was talking to an orthopaedic surgeon, Mr. Speaker, in town and he really believes the medical travel system could improve vastly if we had better information. Not to the extent of how old people are, their gender, or what communities they come from but, for example, how many people from Aklavik are travelling to Yellowknife to see orthopaedic surgeons for knee problems? Or maybe just bone problems? Would it be better for the surgeon to go to Aklavik two or three times a year? Right now, we do not have that sort of information system.

Does the Minister understand my question now? Is he interested in looking at that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Two questions there. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would be interested and happy to sit down tomorrow and go over Hansard with the Member. I believe we would see that we are talking about the same thing. That yes, I agree our information systems need work. The type of information that we have access to right now does not meet all of the needs we have. As a system, we are not as effective or efficient as we can be in terms of doing our job, because our information systems are lacking, as the Member has so eloquently pointed out. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does that mean that he understands the concern I am raising is not a Yellowknife issue but is for all of the Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know that as a Member of this Legislature, my colleague, in the broadest sense, has the interests of all of the members of the Northwest Territories at heart when she raises her issues. In this case, she has raised a systems issue that applies to the whole Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 7, oral questions. Item 8, written questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

-- Interjection

I am sorry. Mr. Braden, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sorry. Perhaps I raised my arm a bit too late to catch your attention. I had an oral question.

Thank you, I did not see your hand go up. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will continue a line of questioning to the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services. It is somewhat associated with medical travel, at least travel in general.

In this age of heightened security requirements, more and more passengers are being required to carry photo identification. For some members of our society, Mr. Speaker, especially senior citizens and very young people, photo IDs are not generally encountered. Does this government have some approach to assisting these members of society with general photo ID as an assist to more efficient travel? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, the Minister for Transportation announced enhanced services for those kinds of documentation that may be required. Is there a government-wide policy to assist people with getting photo ID? I cannot really say. I know that on our medicare cards, no pictures are required. Are we looking at coming to the day where we need some sort of general identification, photo ID? I think we are moving that way. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The provision of facilities to provide these kinds of cards is getting widespread and that is great news. There is a cost to this though. I am wondering if this is an area the government could look at providing for those people who normally would not need it or could not afford it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a government and as a department, we are of course sensitive to the issue of requiring services of people who may not be in a position to afford to pay for that service, which is why we have committed to looking at the supplementary health care benefits.

If the issue of photo ID falls under that category, where some people may not be able to afford this required service, then of course we will look, as a government, at a way to try and address that so no people are left untended in this area. Thank you.