Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister mentioned working with the medical association. I would think that physicians would have a vested interest in seeing these positions filled to bring down their workload. Has the Minister considered not only working with the medical association, but putting the job of recruiting right into their hands? In other words, funding the medical association to actually run the recruiting process.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I agree that the medical community has a vested interest in seeing these resources spent as the money has been voted and getting the doctor positions filled. At this point, we are working collaboratively. We may reach the point where turning it all over to the medical community is a possibility, but at this point I think it is best done as a collaborative effort. Thank you.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is absolutely correct when he indicates the need for this particular function and systems upgrade. We have developed terms of reference for a medical electronic patients record improvement project. We've laid out timelines. We want to start working on this and we have already started to work through the development of the terms of reference. We have received a proposal by Dr. Affleck who has been working in Yellowknife initially and in some other communities on a scaled down approach to the electronic health records but they as well realized, if we were going to do this right, we need it system-wide. That as well has been recognized in the action plan. The intent is to look at Dr. Affleck's proposal and see how it fits within the work we laid out in the terms of reference. As well, we are going to try to access some of the money that is going to become available through the new health care money, a significant chunk which has been dedicated for health information systems.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly think there are fundamental risk management and liability issues for the Department of Health, for all authorities across the North, in not having medical information management systems that are capable of tracking patients' medications, illnesses and disease. The doctors are doing the best they can, but they need a system in order to properly diagnose and treat patients. What is the Department of Health's contingency plan for potential lawsuits rising from patients whose diseases were left unchecked or from families whose loved ones have died from a lack of electronic health records? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member raises one of the concerns that has driven us to look at this important issue and that is the fact that a lot of our information systems, when it comes to patients and medical records, are on paper and don't often travel with the patient. As a Minister, I have listened to a legion of issues that result mainly from poor information, lack of follow-up, missed appointments, information not following the patients. So if an individual or their family or their estate chooses to launch a lawsuit at this point, we would deal with that on a case-by-case basis. Very clearly we recognize the need to do the improvements to get the system updated and that's what we intend to do through these terms of reference. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear the Minister and his department are doing work in this area because I think it's vital to our health care system. I think I heard the Minister say he is prepared to put in the resources necessary to do this. I would like the Minister to commit to providing both the financial and human resources necessary to implement an electronic health records system in all health and social services authorities in the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have had money in the business plan, in the budget that just came through. We will continue to put and add in money for this particular initiative in the business planning process and we will proceed with the work as it's laid out. We will hopefully be given the funds necessary to implement this system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Final supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think I heard the Minister mention as well that they will be trying to access federal dollars to implement this system and get it going across the NWT. I was wondering if the Minister could inform the House if he's aware of the Canada Health Info A(sic) program and the millions of dollars that are committed for the purpose of providing electronic health records across Canada? Is that the program the Minister is talking about trying to get health care dollars from the federal government? Is he aware of that program? Is that where the money is coming from? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is one external source. We, as well, want to look at the details when the federal government actually tells us how they want to put the money they've promised into the system. Mr. Romanow noted a concern for this. So we are going to take advantage of existing funds. As well, we are going to try to access whatever new funds may become available and make our case as a territory for need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, my questions this afternoon are for the Premier. They are in relation to a topic that's already been talked about and that is the development coming up, especially in light of the recent pipeline news. At least one national newspaper has declared that the Mackenzie Delta is the winner of the pipeline race. That may be so. I am very pleased, Mr. Speaker, to see that this rather uncomfortable couple of years that we were going through with our neighbour to the west is over now and we are engaged in collaboration and cooperation as the Premier said the other day. The Premier has indicated he's on his way to the Yukon by the end of the month to work on a new agreement. I wanted to ask, Mr. Speaker, if the Premier could outline for us what are the main elements of cooperation and collaboration in this renewed relation with the Yukon? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the day after the Premier of the Yukon was elected, he contacted our office and asked to speak to me. We had our conversation. It was an expression of interest to take a positive approach to working with the Northwest Territories to seek out those things that we have in common, the things we all need and to find ways in which we can work cooperatively in partnership. I agreed with that. We met a few days later in Calgary and had a longer conversation about that. On Thursday morning, I will be travelling to Whitehorse to sign a memorandum with Premier Fentie to meet with the Premier and his colleagues and the caucus there, as well as with the Yukon aboriginal leadership in an attempt to show the serious manner in which we see this new development and to build on it. So, in short, Mr. Speaker, the intent is to sign a memorandum that will say we have differences, we set those aside, we have common interests, common goals, and those are the ones that we are going to work on together and we will begin that relationship commonly through signing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary Mr. Braden.