Thank you, Mr. Chair. This was another bill that required a fair amount of work on the part of committee, and it was another bill where we ended up with a better product than what we started with. There was good cooperation from the department and committee both, and some back and forth which allowed us to get to a good place.
I just want to mention a couple of concerns that are raised in the report that are not specifically dealt with in the bill. We had quite a lot of representation from stakeholders at our public hearing and they raised quite a number of issues, which again, like the previous bill, committee considered very carefully. A couple of them are ones which are not going to end up in legislation but they are concerns that the practitioners brought to our attention.
One of them that seems kind of mundane, but it is important that it be mentioned, has to do with the fees that are paid when a profession is registered or when a professional registers under this bill. Of course, there’s a fee that needs to be paid, an annual fee, but I think we have to recognize that many practitioners in the Northwest Territories also register with perhaps another provincial body but certainly with a national body as well. We have to make sure that we keep our fees down to a reasonable amount of money so that we’re not pretty much putting people out of business through the fees that we’re charging them.
The other thing that I want to mention and that I think is extremely important
– it certainly was
important to the stakeholders
– there will be
regulations developed for every profession that ends up being registered. These four that we’re starting with, there will be regulations developed for each one of these four professions. It is imperative, and I believe the department agrees, but it is
imperative that the professionals are involved in the development of regulations. For instance, the emergency medical service providers, when the regulations are developed for their profession, the practitioners of that profession need to be involved in the development of regulations. I think that that is something which the department, I believe, has told us that, yes, that is wh
at they’re going to do, but I
feel the need to state it again.
Lastly, I want to mention that, in discussing with stakeholders about the complaints process, there was a feeling from the stakeholders that any complaints committee needs to have… A majority of members of that committee need to be professionals from that profession. That’s not always possible because we have some very small groups of professionals for some of the professions within the NWT, but where possible, there needs to be a majority on the committee who are practicing professionals of the profession that is being investigated. Again, it seems like kind of a small thing, but they are the ones who know their profession best. They are the ones who can best evaluate any concern that has been brought to the attention of the committee.
It’s understood that there will be times when we have to go outside to get representatives of the profession. I think the Minister mentioned in one of our hearings that one or I think there is a profession that has one or perhaps two practitioners, so there’s absolutely no way we’re going to get a committee of one or a committee of two. They’re going to be investigating themselves. So it is understood that we will sometimes have to go outside. But where we don’t need to, or we have enough numbers, we absolutely have to have territorial practicing professionals be the complaints committees.
I think that’s about all I wanted to say. I’m pleased again that there was enough back and forth with this bill that we have a better product than what we started with. I know it’s been a very long time coming. I’m particularly pleased that the Minister and the department acceded to the pressure from Regular Members and included naturopathic doctors in this first group of four that are going to be regulated. Members felt very strongly that they ought to be included. I’m very glad that the Minister has
done so. I think I’ll leave it at that. Thank you,
Mr. Chair.