Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my earlier comments, I made reference that this government has spent quite a few dollars developing an arts and crafts strategy so that we can try to promote and enhance that industry. I would like to ask the Minister what's the status of this strategy which does have a fundamental impact on the arts and crafts industry in the Northwest Territories. Could the Minister give us an update of where that strategy is and what we're doing to implement it?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of RWED and I struck a panel to do an arts strategy for the Northwest Territories. That is under review by both our departments. We had anticipated having the government's response back by now. We expect it within a very, very short period of time, Mr. Speaker. Responsibility in the area of arts is shared by my department and Mr. Antoine's department. Thank you.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first let me indicate the letter referred to by my colleague that she tabled and said was sent to me on June 5th, signed by family doctors. It was, in fact, never sent to me. Mr. Speaker, it dealt with the issues and concerns, but it was stopped at the desk of Mr. Woods, the CEO who met, subsequently, with the doctors and resolved their issues.

Mr. Speaker, I have here a letter which I would be happy to share with this House, dated June 11th, signed by Dr. Mansouri, Dr. Fraser, Dr. Peters, Dr. Hansen, Dr. MacFadden and Dr. Woodside, in which they say as family practice members we have met to discuss our ability to provide labour and delivery services under the present contingency plan. Given the availability of obstetric and pediatric backup, we will be able to provide low-risk obstetrical care. The definition of low risk will be decided on a case-by-case basis. As the locum specialists' backup is for emergencies only, we will not plan to keep people who will most likely need the locum specialists' service; i.e., pre-term labour, diabetic mothers or insulin-dependent, et cetera. Whether or not repeat C-sections will be done will need to be discussed with the locum specialist as this is...

Mr. Minister, may I interrupt you for a moment? If you intend to read a letter, you must table that letter. Are you prepared to table that letter after you finish reading it as part of your answer?

Yes, I am, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. You'll table that at the appropriate time, of course. Mr. Minister, you may continue your answer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. "We will continue to accept low-risk patients from other communities. We would ask that the charge be reviewed for risk stratification by a central person such as an obstetrical manager or clinical coordinator one week prior to the patient being seen in Yellowknife. This is a contingency plan only. The services provided will be reviewed every two weeks after July 1st. No contingency plan can replace the services provided by regular, full-time specialists, or duplicate the high level of obstetrical care we are now able to provide."

Attached, as well, Mr. Speaker, is a note from Mr. Woods, CEO, indicating that we have confirmed that the locum obstetricians will do C-sections. This is good news and I'm sure that not many mothers will have to go south should there be no other specialists' services. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A few points. One is that I don't believe for one second that anything that Mr. Woods is aware of, the Minister is not aware of. He has indicated many times that he is on top of this. I give that as a compliment. He knows what's going on. Second, Mr. Speaker, I have that letter in front of me and I was going to table that June 11th letter. It came to our boxes, Mr. Speaker. But that does not change the question that I'm asking. The concern of the family practice group remains that having locums on a long-time basis is not an answer, and that was my question. How is he prepared to carry his responsibilities as the Minister of Health with... (inaudible)...together locums on a two-week by two-week basis?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Member continually states that I'm giving answers and she does not believe me. My interpretation of not believing me is that she's calling me a liar. I stood in this House for the past week and a half and listened to the Member say she disbelieves the information I'm putting before this House as a Minister of this government, and that she has better, more accurate information. We are not hiring necessarily on a two-week by two-week basis. We have the coverage. We will work toward the settlement of the specialists contract. We have a contingency plan. There is work underway as we speak by all parties to come to resolution of this. A little information, Mr. Speaker, is a dangerous thing if it's not appropriately used. So I stand on the words I said. If the Member wants to stand up and call me a liar again, she can feel free to do that. But I would ask for your ruling.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. The chair did not hear the word liar. That was a word that you raised and the chair will disregard it. That was not the word that the honourable Member used. She may have said things other than that. I can look at Hansard, but the word liar was never used. Ms. Lee, your supplementary.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is an important question that must be asked and that must be answered, and he is the Minister of Health and Social Services. I am simply asking how he sees that as possible that we're going to maintain our healthcare system. That letter that he's referring to says that this will be reviewed on a two-week basis, Mr. Speaker. We're dealing with the same information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ms. Lee, state your question. You said it at the beginning, but you lost the chair. I'll give you an opportunity to ask the question again, please.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Precisely, I have the same letter that the Minister read. That letter says, "This is a contingency plan only, and the services provided will be reviewed every two weeks after July..." We have nothing further than July. How are we going to carry out our healthcare responsibilities on a two-week by two-week basis? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it speaks about a review every two weeks. We are, in fact, arranging coverage for July and August. The reality is, Mr. Speaker, contingency implies short term, and what we're going to do is make an arrangement with the specialists that will ensure that we continue to provide the services that are currently there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. He has not provided this information yet. I would like to know, would the Minister provide the cost implications of filling these healthcare needs with locums on a two-week by two-week basis. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.