Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, and I believe Stanton as well, did some work in the past on trying to consolidate clinics, but that never proceeded past a discussion document. At this point, as part of our work, we have looked at the idea again as we try to look at efficiencies and how doctors are best serviced and how the people are best served.

The issue of a consolidated clinic in the downtown core came up. At this point, it is not a fleshed out final plan, there are no details in terms of office costs or locations or size or those types of things. At this point, the work has been initiated to get us a document that will help us get to the point of where we can do the more detailed work. The general scoping document is being done and there is discussion to be had with, of course, the stakeholders and the various practitioners, as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Could we have some order here, please? I am trying to listen. Thank you, Mr. Hawkins.

Good chair, good chair. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Minister if you could elaborate on the investment of upgrades in the city of Yellowknife at this time. Elaborate on what is being done at what clinics under the scope of the YK Health and Social Services Authority. What type of investments will that flesh out? Are we putting in certain extra services, that have traditionally been offered at Stanton, in the downtown clinics? Are we expanding any in this budget for this fiscal year? What are we doing for overall investment in the downtown clinics as they presently exist? Seeing how you have noted that the plan to consolidate the clinics is only in the planning stage, document stage, we have no official one clinic emerging. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the intent is to integrate the three small clinics that are under...(inaudible)...resourced in old facilities, that can't do many basic functions that a regular clinic should do. Outpatient work, lab tests, X-rays, minor surgeries those types of things, all which are sent right now to Stanton and take up time, there are delays in getting the information. We intend to move on that, which is one of the items that we have identified for potential use with the federal money. It will speak very clearly to the federal government's concern about wait times and access to services.

This is not going to be a great, long, protracted process of review and developing a project. This is going to be something that we want to move on in a relatively expeditious way. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I think that the Minister holds his cards very well and holds them very tight to his chest. I wish to give him a compliment on that and I was hoping that he would sort of stretch in the area...As I understand it, there are infrastructure upgrades going on in some of the Yellowknife clinics in the downtown area. That being said, it is my understanding that there is infrastructure money being poured into the Great Slave Clinic, for example. I just want to make sure that we are investing...I want to be very clear, are we investing in a building that isn't ours if we are renting for medical services that, in the long run, we are going to be shifting gears in a year or two away from them away. So are we throwing good money away? These types of resources should be spent on the staffing and making sure that we can provide adequate resources to people as they need them. So can you elaborate on that? Please provide any clarity if that's not the case or please reassure me if that is the case. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will continue to give the Member the best information that I have available. As we talk about clinics, there is also the clinic out at Frame Lake on the other side of town. There has been money invested. There was money voted in this House to do some upgrades through a supplementary appropriation in the neighbourhood of $400,000. Sorry, it wasn't a supp, but there was money to do improvements because that clinic is one that is essential and we want to work to expand and improve the service.

In the downtown core, I understand there is no major dollars or modest dollars for any kind of major capital work that we are aware of that we are funding directly, unless the clinics are doing some with some funds they may have

available. Our plan is not to, as the Member has indicated himself, invest heavily when we know there is change afoot. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What groundwork is being done at present, recognizing that there is a document out there and the intent to consolidate the clinics for a better working environment? What groundwork is being done to find a location that this new clinic could emerge into and is the government planning to expand that to a leased operation or are we looking at creating government infrastructure, rather than renting, that could accommodate those types of needs for inpatient/outpatient treatment? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Member is once again asking for a level of detail that doesn't yet exist. I know the CEO of Yellowknife Health and Social Services has already initiated the process to work and to flesh out the work that's been done to date to incorporate the consolidation of three clinics as opposed to consolidating just two, but the level of detail the Member is asking for doesn't yet exist. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister emphasize which three clinics he's referring to. I realize there are a few clinics. Which clinics do we own and not own? I believe the Great Slave Clinic is owned by a private business and we lease space there. If you could provide some clarity on which clinics we own and which ones we are looking at amalgamating or consolidating into a health clinic. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The three clinics are the Family Health Clinic, the Great Slave and the Gibson.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Hawkins.

Do we own those buildings or that infrastructure that they are presently in or are they all privately leased?

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My understanding is those are leased arrangements.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just changing gears for a moment, referring to the nurse practitioners, I brought this up yesterday in trying to get clarity on the rules that a nurse practitioner can presently practice under. As I have been made aware - and I am looking for correction or guidance on this issue - a nurse practitioner can only see one patient per hour. Can the Minister clarify that? If that's not the case and they are allowed to see more than one patient per hour, what are the rules guiding them specifically related to seeing patients on a regular basis? Are there any time requirements or specific requirements that they have to be monitored by a doctor or whatnot? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.