This is page numbers 3723 – 3762 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th 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 health.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister of ENR, Mr. Miltenberger.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, Mr. Speaker.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, I understand, again, that these meetings have been happening with the working group. I understand that those are those people with Aboriginal treaty rights and responsibilities for wildlife management. As we know, problems developed during the Wildlife Act. They were always leaving out consultations with those without those rights until very late in the game where their input becomes ineffective and the result, of course, is unnecessary tension and division. I am sure that is not the intent of the Minister, but the Minister is well aware of this.

What is the Minister going to do to immediately set up a meeting with the stakeholders group? I understand the meeting next month is again with the working group and not the stakeholders group. I would love to be corrected on that. Mahsi.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, I fully expect that there will be a meeting within the same time frame with the stakeholders Wildlife Act Advisory Group. Thank you.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, thanks for the Minister’s response. The Minister has already met with the working group on defining the issues. Would the Minister meet next, before the working group, to get the contribution of those without Aboriginal and treaty rights on defining what the issues are to be addressed in the regs? Mahsi.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, if I was unclear, I apologize. I haven’t directly met with the Wildlife Act Advisory Group about the regulations. I made some comments at a function about the Wildlife Act where they were in attendance, but I have not met with the Wildlife Act Advisory Group. They have met with ENR officials and looked at the logistics and technical aspects of the work to be done. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks very much for that clarification.

Will the Minister commit to getting both of these groups together for a refreshing all-under-one-tent discussion? Mahsi.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

I will work at that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently I was down in Edmonton with a number of my Social Programs colleagues and the Minister of Health to visit the medevac centre at the Edmonton airport. I’m certainly glad to see the operation that has been put into place.

As we all know, presently there’s a medevac contract out and one of the requirements of the contract is for what’s called CAMTS, Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transportation Systems. This is a critical component of the medevac contract that’s out right now.

The Minister will probably cite his three-line sentence that he repeated four times yesterday, but this isn’t specific to any proponent of the contract. For the public’s sake, why was CAMTS selected as a critical element in the medevac contract for accreditation for a particular proponent to have to substantiate this? Quite frankly, the director of the Edmonton medevac centre said it was a system that didn’t make sense for the volume of patients the Northwest Territories has, would cost millions of additional dollars that we can’t maintain through the volume of medevac patients we have where it balances itself out. In other words, you need the patients to keep accreditation and it’s impossible.

Could the Minister help enlighten this House why CAMTS is an important accreditation for this medevac contract? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. An RFP is currently out for the delivery of air ambulance services in the Northwest Territories. It is being overseen by a fairness commissioner, who will make sure that all aspects of this RFP are fair, reasonable and equitable to all applicants. As a result, I will not be speaking about this RFP. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

I’m certainly glad the public sees the response to these types of questions, because these are fair and honest questions. Quite frankly, it will cost multi-millions of dollars in addition to a medevac contract than it normally does just because there’s a demand.

Were there other options to build into this particular contract, because once it’s awarded, it’s over. Are there any opportunities to build in accreditation options to avoid using this multi-million dollar accreditation process that will never be used, difficult to certify and impossible to maintain, as provided by the director down at the medevac centre?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

An RFP is currently out for the delivery of air ambulance services in the Northwest Territories. It is being overseen by a fairness commissioner. As a result, I will not be speaking about this RFP. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

I’m going to ask a question specifically to CAMTS, not the RFP. Maybe the Minister can explain what this is and why it’s important in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

I will get that information from the department and share it with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, is the department able to provide a cost analysis of CAMTS versus other types of accreditations are out there? Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d be happy to provide that information to the Member. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, titled “NWT Health and Social Services System 2012-2013 Annual Report: Measuring Success and Focusing on Results.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. I hereby table the 2012-2013 Annual Report of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. McLeod.

Bill 10: Northwest Territories Lands Act
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, February 21, 2014, I will move that Bill 10, Northwest Territories Lands Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bill 10: Northwest Territories Lands Act
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 17, motions. Mr. Moses.