Thank you, Madam Chair. It is very important and that's why I think we should also reflect on the successes we have and the fact that this program is a success in being able to train northern nurses in our communities. In fact, this budget item is just to help continue that on. The $1.032 million is for 10 new positions. So that's actually new bodies. Yes, on the mentorship side, there's an impact of trying to do that. That's why, for example, the nurse mentorship development costs, that's the $10,000, but there's $230,000 in advanced nurse mentorship program and then our community health nurse development program, the training costs of $230,000 is there, it's to enhance that.

There's always going to be a challenge there and we've got to work to make sure we get the right information out and do the best we can, but also we need to recognize that here in the North some of our programming and remuneration is still considered one of the best across Canada. Yes, the cost of living is high here in the Territories and we have to continue to try to be competitive in that area, but for a further breakdown on some of these things and how they flow through, I'll have Mr. Parker give that detail.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Parker.

Thank you, Mr. Parker. Next on the list I have Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I wanted to ask the Minister on the issue of the telehealth coordinators and the information as Mr. Lafferty has spoken about his region and his concerns. I want to bring this up to the Minister's attention in terms of what types of plans he has in terms of implementing this system here. I know it's a good system. It works. I see it work at the hospital here and I've seen it work also in Edmonton at the Royal Alex Hospital; they had some of that. So how is this system here, how will that benefit our people in our region at least in terms of the service? They certainly can use it and hopefully it will cut back on some of the costs for medevacs. So is a plan in place to look at implementing it? I know Deline has the telehealth. Is it Norman Wells had one and Fort Good Hope, Tulita and maybe eventually Colville Lake would get one? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. There is a plan in place on how we're going to roll this out and we've started that plan. It's been in place for quite a number of years, but it's reliant on how we can draw down the federal funds. As stated earlier, we have 10 communities now hooked up to telehealth and the goal is that through 2007-08 to have another five more communities. In fact, when I was on a recent trip to the Sahtu, Norman Wells, they have their telehealth equipment. It was a matter of getting it situated in their facility and getting it hooked up.

Telehealth is meant, as the Member stated, to reduce, for example, the amount of medical travel that could happen. We have a lot of, for example, X-rays that could be sent over and reviewed by a doctor here and talk to either a nurse practitioner or a doctor that's in the facility at the

time to have their discussion. There's also training that could be done on it instead of sending someone out of the community for two or three days' training can happen over that as well. There can be consults with physicians in other communities through that facility or through that service. So it's really aimed at a broad range of areas that can help tackle the issue of delivery of service in a community from one, an actual doctor's visit online in a sense, reviewing medical information, X-rays, helping the practitioner in the community make a decision if they should, what procedures should be taken under or should they in fact be sending that person out. So that's the goal of the program. For the actual communities we have identified, we're still working as to which communities we can get them into. That final decision hasn't been made. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I look forward to the Minister having some discussion with the Social Programs committee on the final placing of these net telehealth positions in the Northwest Territories. It's a successful program, it's working and I look forward to seeing Norman Wells' telehealth being hooked up and being used. So I'll look for some other initiatives that would serve the people in the Northwest Territories on this project. Of course, I'm going to put my 25 cents in for the Sahtu region. I'm going to leave it at that, Madam Chair.

The other question I have with the telehealth is I really, really want to give the Minister credit for and a pat on the back for the telehealth through the phone system. We use that many times in my communities. I used it another time in another community. This system works good. I have experienced myself personally in witnessing a call and it being answered by somebody at the other end of the phone that was very helpful, was very patient and was giving some really good information. It helped with the elders and some people in my region. It was quite surprising that this person at the other end of this line took the time to really sit down, I guess must be sitting down, and talked to this person in my community.

Madam Chair, I want to know, this service here, how much of this is known to people who speak their first language in an aboriginal tongue? Because the elders that we work with didn't know about this. No fault to anyone. How much is it known out there just like we know A&W or McDonalds? It's second nature. I guess that's what I'm getting at, Madam Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the Tele-Care is a success and is starting to be used more often by people all across the territory. In fact, we're trying to step up the issue of people who seek the service in their own language. This program is available in all of the aboriginal languages of the Northwest Territories. One of the areas, for example, if people out there watching this, if they open their phonebook, flip over the first page, inside there is a full page on the Tele-Care plan and how it works. We're starting to put more of a push on the aboriginal side of it so people know that they can use that and use their own language when they call that service. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. Madam Chair, I hope the people are watching so they can use this program here.

I want to ask the Minister in terms of the question on the retention. I'm not too sure if this is the place where I ask about the Nursing Program at Aurora College, so I just want to get some clarification on that, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the area we have identified for recruitment and retention here on the human resources side, we hold the money but we do work with other departments. As I laid out earlier, the number of areas it covers, the majority of that, well, there's 10 entry-level nursing positions and then nurse mentorship side of the equation, and then our community health development program. The other area there is also the recruitment and retention being done when you talk about the graduate program that we have, that we work with Education, Culture and Employment, and they hold the bulk of that area of either enhancements or how student financial assistance works on the double remission rate for working in small communities. We work with them on making sure that our nursing graduates are aware of that program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. My questions would be on the Nursing Program at Aurora College. Madam Chair, I have a number of questions I want to ask. Is this the spot where I can ask these specific questions? Thank you.

I'll consult with the Clerk. One moment. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you. Madam Chair, my question to the Minister on the program is we do have a Nursing Program in the North here. The government has taken steps to allocate thousands of dollars to train the northern students and the Minister has spoke on the success of the program. My questions are: how many students do we have in the program today or in the last few years; what's the success rate; how many graduates are reported as in the news; how many of these students are actually working here in the North; what measures are...what commitment does this government have to hire these trained nurses in our health centres; how do you measure these successes; and, are these northern students staying in the Northwest Territories? I'm asking these questions to the Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't have the actual details with us. We can provide that information. Normally we have, in a graduation year, about 15 to 20 nurses. The program is offered up to each graduate nurse on what we call a Placement Program. They can select to be a part of it or not. We do have

some nurses go south; they are recruited by southern facilities. We do lose a few to that area that choose not to be part of our Placement Program. Of course, that affects their remission of the student financial assistance loans, as well.

The details on how the loan and student financial assistance works for the nurse graduates themselves, when the Department of Education, Culture and Employment comes up, they'll be able to provide that detail. They can also provide the graduation rates. We do have some information that I can provide to the Member on the amount of nurses that have been hired, how much of it in the North and the success rate. We'll provide that information. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Next on the list I have Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I wanted to comment and question a little bit on the professional development, recruitment and retention, human resource area. One of the things I've heard from individuals who have worked or are working at Stanton, especially in the management side of things, is that a lot of their time is spent, or taken up, dealing with staffing issues and union issues; too much of their time. In fact, they don't get a lot of time to actually do the job that they've been hired to do.

What I'd like to suggest, and I don't know how this might come about, but is there somebody specifically at a facility like Stanton that would deal with union issues, staffing issues, so that managers who are hired to manage a ward or look after things in a certain area, all their time is not taken up dealing with staffing issues and union issues? I think that's the first question I'd like to ask.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.