Thanks to the Minister for those remarks. I have had occasion to visit with clients who did have access to midwifery in the NWT, visited this weekend and they certainly pointed out the benefits of the program and one of them is still
going through the process of finding herself using the emergency services and stuff the second time around without midwifery services and comparing and contrasting the cost that that must be on the system to the first time through with midwifery services. I’m very happy to see there is strong interest from the Minister in pursuing this. It overlaps I think with my second question, and last question, hopefully.
I have applauded the department’s stated objective of greater use of traditional Aboriginal knowledge in the health system but have noted the lack of a plan to actually do this. Here’s one specific example: the traditional practice of midwifery. What is the department doing in this budget to fill that gap and come up with a system so something does actually happen on incorporating traditional practices in our health care system?