Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There's $440,000 in travel and transportation; $399,000 on materials and supplies; $995,000 on purchased services; $3.032 on contract services; $779,000 on fees and payments; $1.707 million under other expenses; $288,000 under computer hardware and software; for a total of $7.640 million.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Villeneuve.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just on the program delivery for the $7.640 million on other expenses of $1.707 million. I was just wondering if the Minister could let us know what the breakdown is for those other expenses within those other expenses.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Minister.

Mr. Chair, I'll get Mr. St. Germaine to speak to that.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. St. Germaine.

Thank you, Mr. St. Germaine. Mr. Villeneuve.

No, thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Going by the activity description, I think this is where I could be asking questions about the patient information electronic system. I was talking to some of the medical health professionals in the city, and I was advised that there have been some efforts to create an electronic system where there could be a much more smooth exchange of information about patients within the guidelines of privacy laws and such. I think common sense would tell us that we only need to go to a local medical centre or doctor's office, and it seems that a lot of staff there are just managing files on each person. I think every one of us eventually goes and sees a doctor for whatever ailments or whatever we have. So far, every doctor's office, in Yellowknife anyway and I'm sure it's the same in communities, has a manual file system for patients. If an individual goes to two or three different doctors, which is quite possible given that it's not always easy to go and see a doctor. You go and see a doctor when you can, where you can. I think there's huge room for more efficiency and more accurate information. This would improve delivery of the program and medical services in a number of ways, not the least of which is to have and enable the doctor or nurse or nurse practitioner or whoever is delivering the health care of seeing the patient could have all the information about the patient right in front of her or him, about the medication or any of their conditions that that patient may have. I'm of the understanding that there were some health care professionals who have gone to the Minister and had a strategy to develop this system. But because the department took so long, now we're seeing a situation where there's one being developed in Yellowknife and there's another one being developed in Hay River. That's causing not only the duplication of the possible system like that, but definitely not meeting the objective that was originally intended. So I would like to give an opportunity for the Minister to advise us about what he knows about that, what he has done or not done and what he is planning on doing. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Member is correct in her assessment of the state of information services, and it's an issue that plagues not only the Northwest Territories but it's a national issue in terms of medical records, patient information and being able to be effective in how patient information is used and transmitted. In fact in a recent conference board study on health in Canada, the comment was made that our health information systems as a nation wouldn't be used by your corner grocery store because they're so inefficient and out of date. That's why we have the money we do in our health information systems is to try to rationalize those. We currently have over 100 separate information systems in health alone that we're trying to rationalize, that have spring up over the years. Yes, there is currently a pilot project being done through the Great Slave Dene here in Yellowknife. As well, Hay River is looking at a different model and we want to see which one has the greatest applicability as a system. The intent is we want to be able to hook up our systems in the communities indefinitely across the territory. Right now we have the issues, for example, in Stanton not being able to trade information. Simple things like that in a community like this, let alone moving information from Paulatuk to Yellowknife. So it is a significant challenge and it's very important.

Our financial information systems are the same. We have three different financial information systems, so across the board we are struggling with our information systems and trying to bring some rationalization to that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to have more clear information from the Minister as to what has been the obstacle in getting to that. I think Yellowknife would be a great place to develop a system and implement it. Not because it's the capital city, but we have a situation where we have the hospital where most of the general practitioners practice at some point or another. Then we have specialists in Stanton Hospital. To think that just two or three years ago the government spent a lot of money paying for the administrative support of all the clinics. So I would think because the government is paying for those admin services, it is in the interest of the government to reduce the spending, but it should make it logistically easier to set up a system to organize and coordinate and coalesce the admin services in all clinics in the city. So I want to know from the Minister why is there a need to try two different pilot programs in Hay River and in Yellowknife? Why don't we just do it in one place, make it work, and then apply it to all the facilities in the Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as a system, we have identified the problem areas in many different places, and one of them is our communication information systems across the Northwest Territories. As a department we have been working and we have invested a lot of money trying to rationalize those services. We are also part of the territorial service centre, as an effort to bring some consolidation to that service. We haven't moved as fast as I would have liked as Minister. In fact, we've lapsed some money because we have been unable to get some of the work done. Part of the problem in our slow response has been that we've had a couple of authorities moving in different ways. We've had them at the table so that we now are working in a more coordinated fashion and we're going to make sure that we don't end up with duplication or two separate systems which, very clearly, would be counterproductive. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee.

Thank you. Could the Minister advise us as to how much money has gone into this project thus far and how much is planned for this year?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Minister.

I must apologize, Mr. Chairman. Did the Member want to know how much we spent, or how much we're going to spend? Sorry.

Mr. Minister, I believe she wants to know how much money was spent in the past and how much money is being spent in this year's budget.

Mr. Chairman, we funded from within $50,000 in the last year, and we're anticipating another $200,000 this year.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Lee.