Thanks to the Premier. That’s exactly why I’m bringing this up, although it’s extreme. The science is recognizing that we are dealing with an extreme situation and the government is thinking about these things, so it’s an opportunity. The regional expectations are great. Hopes and dreams are based on fossil fuels. I know this sort of thing will be very disappointing to them, but on the positive, renewable energy development is much more labour intensive, much more equitable in spreading the benefits around and produces a much more durable economy.

Does the Premier agree with that and is he going to take that and pursue every opportunity to follow that model of development? Mahsi.

Certainly, we are headed in that direction. We expect to be spending significant amounts of investment in alternative and renewable forms of energy. Just to show some of the things we are already doing in our government of the 17th Assembly, through alternative energy products, building retrofits, biomass projects, cumulative savings of over $3.3 million have been achieved in the last three fiscal years; the energy conservation projects have helped reduce the Government of the Northwest Territories’ reliance on fossil fuels, heating oil in particular. Since 2007, Public Works and Services energy conservation projects have displaced the equivalent of 13 million litres of fuel oil and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 35,000 tonnes by the end of 2013-2014. We are planning on investing much more in those areas.

When you see the results of the Energy Charrette, contrary to what the honourable Member across the way was talking about yesterday, it’s more than just a report. It is a report that is being promoted across the Northwest Territories. This government will respond to the recommendations and we will take action. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I heard the Premier say he will respond to my recommendation and get us out of the fossil fuel business. The science is clear. It’s peer reviewed in the most prestigious science journal we have globally. Yet, the Premier is pursuing fossil fuel development in his expensive travels about the world and so on.

Will the Premier, in fact, shift the resources? I believe looking at the budget we have about $5 million in fossil fuel development. Will he shift those resources in pursuing a sound and sustainable economy that’s based exclusively on renewable energy? Mahsi.

I think the Member is putting words in my mouth. At the Energy Charrette we were told we have very complex 65 megawatts and we will still need to burn fossil fuels in order to have redundancy. You reference our travel around the world and I think many of the Members here have travelled around the world as well. They should see the value in doing that. We see oil and gas development having a future in the Northwest Territories, but we will be investing millions of dollars in alternative and renewable forms of energy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Two days ago was World Cancer Day where it was said one in 10 patients don’t take the medication they need due to cost. Earlier today I mentioned the fact that the GNWT is one of the few jurisdictions left in Canada without a catastrophic drug coverage plan. Under the current Extended Health Benefits Program, the GNWT does cover many diseases and conditions under a plagued, misaligned NIHB formulary while other conditions are sorted through a complicated consortium of case-by-case management policies. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

In 2010 the Department of Health and Social Services undertook a review of a supplementary health benefits program. This joint working group recommended an income-tested catastrophic drug

coverage plan which was never implemented. Can the Minister indicate why not?

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Minister of Health, Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a man with a passion for pharmaceuticals, I am happy the Member has raised this question here today. The department is not at this time pursuing a catastrophic drug program here in the Northwest Territories. Rather, we’re working on the development of a pharmaceutical strategy which is building on the work that has been done over the past few years, including the report the Member mentioned that was done by Alberta Blue Cross – Pharmaceutical Strategy Options for the Government of the Northwest Territories – as well as ongoing work that is being done by the Program Review Office in the Department of Finance.

The pharmaceutical strategy is going to adhere to a number of principles moving forward and those principles are access, safety, effectiveness and appropriateness for use, as well as system sustainability.

Among other things, part of this pharmaceutical strategy is actually going to include a program to cover catastrophic coverage or provide catastrophic drug coverage, a program to cover expensive drugs for rare diseases, exactly what the Member is talking about, as well as moving to an NWT-specific formulary. So we’re not moving forward with a specific catastrophic drug program. We’re moving forward with a pharmaceutical strategy that will include the types of things the Member is talking about today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I do appreciate the Minister reminding us about this pharmaceutical strategy that had not ever come to light here in the Assembly. It is not the panacea for all the solutions to the questions today.

So with that, in 2010 the honourable Minister Abernethy, in his former capacity as a Regular Member, recommended that the GNWT create a benefits plan for low-income families that do not have prescription drug coverage. The Minister responsible has been acting in this capacity for the past 585 days.

Can he inform the House if he has made good on his very own recommendation? Thank you.

Recognizing that we do have an Extended Health Program, we are moving forward with the pharmaceutical strategy, which is going to actually cover the exact types of issues that the Member is talking about. We will continue to move forward and work with other provinces and territories who are trying to put forward programs to address the high cost of pharmaceuticals as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m trying to create a pattern of a department dragging its heels. In February 2013 the deputy minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Debbie DeLancey, stated in this Legislative Assembly, “We need to look at our catastrophic drug coverage, expense of drugs and possible review of our formulary.”

Can the Minister indicate why his department had not followed through with this promise two years ago? Thank you.

It’s not a matter of dragging our heels; we are in fact working on this particular issue. However, lack of in-house pharmaceutical expertise does make the project of this nature quite challenging.

The department has actually hired an expert consultant on pharmaceuticals to assist in the guiding of the understanding of this complex issue. As a pharmacist, I know the Member does understand how complex this can be. We have made recent amendments to the Pharmacy Act to enable a prescription drug monitoring program to be implemented here in the Northwest Territories. The Program Review Office is completing a review of pharmaceutical management, purchasing, coverage and regulation. The final report is expected this winter. We’re also doing a review of the current use of group purchasing organizations by authorities to identify cost-saving opportunities by improving formulary management, drug purchasing as well as looking at moving away from the NIHB formulary to an NWT formulary. We certainly look forward to input from committee as we move forward.

So, it is moving slowly but it is in fact moving forward and we will get this done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Things are moving slowly. Issues and concerns surrounding the efficiency of our current Extended Health Benefits Program are well-enshrined in this House.

As I indicated earlier, the Minister has been acting in office for 585 days, has had ample time to review this file and has made unfulfilled promises to committee and to its residents.

Can the Minister indicate how many more days he needs to implement a proper catastrophic drug plan for all Northerners? Thank you.

If committee would like, I’d be happy to come and have a briefing with committee to show them where we are to date and help us get some advice and guidance as we move forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment about his statement today on increasing the minimum wage in the Northwest Territories.

Can the Minister indicate to me, did the department look at the economic impact of increasing this minimum wage?

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Minister of Education, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As I stated, we did establish a committee that did their research across the Northwest Territories and outside the Northwest Territories with our provincial counterparts. So we did look into those matters as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I sent that information out when the department sent out the minimum wage, and I got a pretty good response that most people had concerns about it affecting the minimum wage people, the students and those people that are around the minimum wage.

Does this entice businesses to cut back on employment by increasing this minimum wage? Has that been looked at?

Those are just some of the areas that we did seriously look at, as well, whether it be small business or big business. But at the same time, I did make a statement that most of the organizations pay well beyond $10 an hour and there’s just a small number that’s still paying $10 an hour. So those are areas that we explored. We did our research. We have worked with businesses as well. We had the Chamber of Commerce, both NWT and Yellowknife, so that covers the broad sector of organizations. We want to make sure we cover all areas, which we have done. Mahsi.

That is exactly my point. I think most people think it’s a good thing to get an increase in wages, obviously, but the minimum wage earners that are there are the students out there, the students that are coming back, the students that are working after school. If we have increased that minimum wage by 25 percent, I am thinking that some of those employers will consider cutting back on those types of positions, so have we looked at that impact?

Yes, we have looked at those potential impacts, and the research is telling us that there is minimal impact in those areas.

Again, most of the businesses are paying well beyond $10 an hour. When we did our research, $12 to $15 per hour is the starting point for these businesses. We have talked to a lot of businesses and they have already told us, a lot of them, that they are way beyond $10 per hour. Mahsi.