This is page numbers 405 - 450 of the Hansard for the 15th Assembly, 6th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was going.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners
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Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the Nurse Practitioner Program there are a number of areas that we are working on. One is through the education progress through Aurora College, setting up a program so we can have nurses enter into that program and receive bursaries. The other one is more through the process itself of once we have nurse practitioners in the system, and I must say that Hay River pioneered, I guess, with the processes. They hired the first nurse practitioner that came out of our program and has continued to work in that environment. We are, within the system, going through some growing pains where we're trying to find the proper fit for nurse practitioners throughout our system and we'll continue work with nurse practitioners in all of our authorities, including Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, in that area. The networking side of it, as well as the conference side, I've been informed that the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority falls into that program and works with all other authorities in the same area. Thank you.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Well, that is -- Thank you, Mr. Speaker -- a bit curious, because there are conferences, there are professional development workshops and things that are available, but apparently there is no funding under the health and social services authority in Hay River to allow our nurse practitioners to access things like that. There's no money for travel, accommodation, any tuitions or fees for workshops, there's no money for resources, books that they may need in order to enhance their practice in Hay River. So I'd like to ask the Minister, is he aware of any specific contribution to the budget of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority that is specifically allocated for that type of thing? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners
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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

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Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners
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Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not aware of a specific budget line that is transferred to the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, but I've been informed by a public administrator down there that they're working with the senior management to encourage the networking that needs to happen throughout our system. Thank you.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners
Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners
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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as with so many health care providers and professionals right now that are in short supply and in high demand, there are recruitment and there are retention bonuses that are offered. Are there any such incentives or inducements being offered to other nurse practitioners in the Northwest Territories right now that are not being offered to ours in Hay River? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners
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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

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Question 155-15(6): Support For Nurse Practitioners
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Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in our process, there would be a bit of a difference between through the Government of the Northwest Territories workforce and the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority workforce, because both would, if there are, and I'd have to check to see if in fact there are some differences, but because there are negotiations through their negotiation processes, there may be some differences, but I'm not aware of any and I will look into that. Thank you.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

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Jane Groenewegen

Jane Groenewegen Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the Minister's offer to look into that, because we have been dealing, for some time in Hay River, with the issue of fairness and equity. Although we are an anomaly with our own health board and our own union -- we're different in Hay River -- at the same time, we want to make sure that we are not at a disadvantage when it comes to the professional development, the recruitment, the retention and wage parity, and parity on every level for our health workers in Hay River. So I would like to ask the Minister if he will assure us and that he supports the concept and the philosophy of fairness and equity to all health care providers in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

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Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue around the health and social services authority and the workforce there has been one that has come up from time to time as it is in an anomaly in the Northwest Territories health care delivery system. It is something I do believe we need to look at. The fact is, through the department, through the Nurse Practitioner Program, the training initiatives, we're trying to incorporate all authorities into the same training criteria and standards as well as the networking that's available. So we'll continue to push that and work on that. But I think, as I had stated I believe earlier during a number of questions from the Member, that the Government of the Northwest Territories does need to look at overall what's the best way of delivering health care to all the residents in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to raise some questions with the Premier on the Mackenzie Valley highway and the discussion he may have with the Prime Minister or he maybe had some discussions with his fellow Premiers across Canada, especially the western part, in terms of really pushing for the Mackenzie Highway to come through the south to the north here, or from the north down to the south. Can the Premier tell me, is it in the federal government's eyes right now to put the Mackenzie Valley highway down the valley? Can we just do it? Enough talking.

An Hon. Member

Just do it.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Honourable Premier, Mr. Handley.

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish the federal government would just do it, because I think it's a good idea to do it. I think Diefenbaker started that. Prime Minister Diefenbaker started over 50 years ago. We've got to build infrastructure. We can't just keep studying these things. We've got to get on with it.

Mr. Speaker, I've had discussions over the past few years with the Prime Minister, with Minister Prentice, with Minister Cannon, anyone who would listen to us. Myself and the Minister of Transportation have both been strong advocates of it. So we need to get on with it.

Mr. Speaker, the one thing that the federal government has always tied major investment in the Mackenzie Valley highway to is the pipeline. We've got to keep our eye on that file as well, because I think that will provide the economic reason for a good highway down the valley. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

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Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway
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Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Imperial Oil indicated that if the federal government puts some money into infrastructure like the highway, it would bring down the cost of building the pipeline. Is there any update from the federal government on this angle? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway
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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway
Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway
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August 19th, 2007

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Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, it's true that those discussions did take place with Imperial. Imperial agreed that, yes, that would make a difference. I have not seen their latest model for how they propose to build the pipeline, but they're afraid of having their pipeline attached to a highway from an environmental review side, so they've been a little bit reluctant to engage in that. But, Mr. Speaker, we presented that argument to the federal government as well and I can tell you that all of our economy is going to be dependent on good infrastructure some day. Thank you.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway
Question 156-15(6): Mackenzie Valley Highway
Item 7: Oral Questions

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Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm really puzzled why Imperial is so afraid of putting a highway next to the pipeline. They're not afraid of taking our gas out of the North here and taking it out of the Sahtu region and filling their pockets. It's a win-win proposition here. People in the North win; people in Canada win; Imperial Oil can win. Mr. Speaker, I'll ask the Premier on this point here. Would he bring it up again through his Department of Transportation, through the government here, and get this Mackenzie Highway bridge built, similar to the push that's going on for the Deh Cho Bridge?