Mr. Speaker, I am not exactly sure what that means. It is my understanding that currently, in addition to the $511,000 we provide or that Health provides to Aurora College to delivery that for us, Aurora College also charges tuition for their NP program and for their IAP program. I have heard through the grapevine that once upon a time the Department of Health used to ensure that all their community health nurses that they hire to go through the IAP and that we paid a tuition on top of that. But I have heard recently that the department is no longer having their employees attend the IAP program. Can the Minister either confirm or deny that for me, please?

Mr. Speaker, there are about four things that the Member said he had heard. I can’t confirm or deny. I don’t know. That is just the information he has, Mr. Speaker. What I am saying is we are committed to hiring and expanding the Nurse Practitioner Program. We are committing to Aurora College $511,000 that we have in the past. My understanding is that IAP program did not have enrolment interest and that is the reason why Aurora College is not delivering that program today. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, does the Department of Health and Social Services require that all the nurses hired into the community health centres throughout the Northwest Territories attend and complete the Introduction to Advanced Practice? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I don’t have that information in front of me. I will have to get back to the Member.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Mr. Speaker, there were two or three questions pertaining to the details of the employees being paid to attend such a program. I need to get back to the Member as to whether they were required to do that before, and get the information that the Member needs. I will undertake to get back to the Member on that.

I do agree with the Member that I did have information that that program is not available this time, the introductory one, because of lack of

enrolment. I will get back to the Member on the two or three questions that he asked. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Time for question period has expired. I will allow a short supplementary question. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s commitment to get back to me with those details. I just want to know if the Minister was aware that since its inception we have had three to five intakes per year, three on average, with an average of 12 students per intake. I fail to see how we won’t have those registrants unless, of course, we stop our funding. I am wondering if the Minister can commit to getting clarification on that as well. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, my information is that there is lack of enrolment. I do not know the reasons for that. I will get back to the Member on the questions about what he committed to get back to. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, thank you for that commitment. I guess I would like to know when we can expect to hear about that, just to be sure we have a time frame to work with, and also when decisions are made for renewing that program that currently are hearing is to end in 2012. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, we approve the budget a year at a time. We are considering the budget for 2011-12. The next year’s consideration will go through the regular business plan process this May through September, I would think. Mr. Speaker, by then I am sure that we would have the information.

We need to look at the needs for nurse practitioners and all the other HR issues that the Department of Health and Social Services consider. As I committed already, my officials and the Department of ECE are going to continue to work on this issue, as they came to our attention in the last couple of weeks. Let me just say that the first question that the Member asked, I will undertake to get back to the Member by this afternoon. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, replies to budget address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of standing and special committees. Item 14, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 15, tabling of documents. Item 16, notices of motion. Item 17, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 18, motions. Item 19, first reading of bills. Item 20, second reading of bills. Item 21, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 4-16(5), Executive Summary of the Report of the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project; Tabled Document 30-16(5), 2010 Review of Members’ Compensation and Benefits; Tabled

Document 38-16(5), Supplementary Health Benefits – What We Heard; Tabled Document 62-16(5), Northwest Territories Water Stewardship Strategy; Tabled Document 75-16(5), Response to the Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project on the Federal and

Territorial Governments’ Interim

Response to Foundation for a Sustainable Northern Future; Tabled Document 103-16(5), GNWT Contracts over $5,000 Report, Year Ending March 31, 2010; Tabled Document 133-16(5), NWT Main Estimates, 2011-2012; Tabled Document 135-16(5), Response to the Standing Committee on Social Programs Report on the Review of the Child and Family Services Act; Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Social Assistance Act; Bill 14, An Act to Amend the Conflict of Interest Act; Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act; Bill 20, An Act to Amend the Evidence Act; Minister’s Statement 65-16(5), Devolution Agreement-in-Principle, Impact on Land Claims and Protection of Aboriginal Rights; and Minister’s Statement 88-16(5), Sessional Statement, with Mr. Bromley in the chair.

Thank you, colleagues. I would like to call Committee of the Whole to order and ask Mrs. Groenewegen what is on the agenda for today.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to proceed with general comments and the detail of the Department of Health and Social Services. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. With that, we will take a short break.

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Thank you, colleagues. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. We have before us consideration of the budget for the Department of Health and Social Services. I’d like to ask the Minister if she wishes to give introductory remarks.

Mr. Chairman, I gave those on Friday. Thank you.

Thank you for that reminder. Colleagues, general comments on the Department of Health and Social Services budget.

Hearing none, we’ll move to detail. Minister, would you like to bring in witnesses? Yes, you would. I’ll ask the Sergeant-at-Arms if he could escort the witnesses into the House. Mahsi.

Minister, please introduce your witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To my left is Paddy Meade, deputy minister of Health and Social Services; to my right is Mr. Derek Elkin, director of finance; and to my far right is Mr. Dana Heide, assistant deputy minister of operations. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Minister. Colleagues, we are on the Department of Health and Social Services. The operations expenditure summary on page 8-7, I’d like to request agreement that we defer that until after the detail and begin on page 8-8 with the Department of Health and Social Services, infrastructure investment summary. This is an information item. Does committee agree?