Masi. Minister of NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the modular homes were purchased, prior to my term and governance actually, we used the bid process and there was substantial savings, over 30 per cent savings, with using the modular homes. The cost of transportation, although there may be some differences, we still have to get those homes up by barge and stuff. There is still transport whether we use it to take the materials from the South or to bring the modular homes, there would still be a transportation cost within that, the amount I cannot state at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, the community's been waiting. You know, there's going to be other challenges with NTCL having their challenges as well. What is the department planning as an alternative to getting these units shipped up to the communities?

The NWT Housing Corporation is well aware of the issues of the one barge going into some of the northern communities, and so we are really being proactive and trying to get all of our material for this year actually ready and to be shipped on the next NTCL boat that's going out.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned also, we're losing upwards of 20 jobs in our communities as a result of this. How can the corporation justify putting these people out of work, Mr. Speaker? Our small communities depend on these units being built in our communities, it's plain and simple. The employment rate is going to stay below 35 per cent because we're losing these jobs, Mr. Speaker, so how can the department justify that?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As stated, we do use the Business Incentive Policy to evaluate all proposals. We have sent out new proposals for this year and, coincidentally, the majority of all of the proposed proponents came in are actually northern businesses. This round will actually be all northern businesses. As well though, I do want to mention that the NWT Housing Corporation does recognize that we need to have jobs in the community. In an effort to provide jobs within each community and also to have better access to the corporation and to our services, we actually employ 128 people in the communities through our LHO, local housing organization program. We chose to leave it within the communities and not make government positions, so that they are community-based programs and community-based jobs. One hundred and twenty-eight people within the communities are employed through that one initiative.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the numbers the Minister just gave me, that's throughout the whole territory, Mr. Speaker. I'm talking about the small communities here, you know, my riding, three communities: Fort McPherson, Aklavik, and Tsiigehtchic. We're losing 20 positions here. I hope the department isn't planning to carry on this sort of practice here, because look at that, 10 months we've been waiting, Mr. Speaker. We could have built at least three to four times the amount of units while we've been waiting, Mr. Speaker. How long is the department going to carry on this practice? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, as stated, we are trying to support northern businesses. The next round that came in are all northern businesses that have applied. We didn't get any southern people that have applied for them, so you will see a change within this fiscal year.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Minister of Health is feeling a little bit under the weather today, so I've got some easy questions that I hope will make him feel a lot better. Mr. Speaker, my questions are about midwifery. The 2012 midwifery report recommended creation of midwifery positions in regional centres, including Yellowknife. Whether a regional or territorial model is pursued, positions should be staffed in Yellowknife. Will the Minister commit to bring forward funds in the 2017-18 business plan to staff positions for a midwifery program based in Yellowknife? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our goal is to build this on the success of the existing midwifery programs, to enhance access to birthing services, both pre- and post-natal care, and begin work on the development of a territorial midwifery program. We are doing that work now. We have been able to hire two midwifery consultants, which proved incredibly difficult. We had some significant turnover in that area, which really delayed our ability to move forward with the midwifery review that I had indicated in the previous government. We have those consultants in place, they are going through and they're working on evaluation frameworks, one that's being done in Hay River. They're also working on a consultation schedule to go out and have some engagement with stakeholders, not to reinvestigate it, but to help us develop a territorial model. The report that the Member is referring to gave us a number of different models to explore; that was territorial, regional, and community-based. We have two community-based models. We have one regional model. Now we're looking at developing the territorial model. We're doing the work this Assembly, this fiscal year. I can't say for sure that we'll be in a position to come forward for financial submissions for the 2017-18 fiscal year. We will try, but I make no guarantees. There's a significant amount of work that needs to be done. We do have to compete against other priorities. In order for us to get money for this, we do have to look at where that money's going to come from, and look at other areas where we may have to make reductions in order to make this a possibility. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the answer from the Minister and would like to try to help him try to find some money for that. So midwifery, because I've asked the Minister questions regarding cost savings, how they could be achieved by relying on community-based midwifery rather than pediatric care. His response was that boarding and travel costs have not been included in the analysis done to date. Boarding and travel costs seem to be some of the biggest costs for the current approach. Will the Minister consider these costs as part of the consultations to take place this year on expansion of midwifery services?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, all costs will be factored into our analysis. One thing that the Member does need to remember is that bringing in midwifery services does not actually help us or result in a reduced number of physicians that are available in the Northwest Territories. There are no cost savings with respect to midwifery services replacing physicians' services. Physicians are still a key component of birthing in the Northwest Territories even with our existing midwifery services that we are providing in different communities. It doesn't mean that births that are difficult, complicated, or that they think there's going to be challenges with still don't come into a regional centre. Many of the births that are being facilitated still happen in Yellowknife, even though a lot of the pre- and post-natal care is being provided.

This does not mean that I don't support midwifery services. I've been involved in implementation of midwifery long before I was an MLA. I actually helped write the job descriptions, I helped on the implementation of the Hay River model. I believe in the service, but we've got to make sure it's costed properly, we need to have a territorial program design that's going to meet the needs, recognizing that people are still going to have to travel in and physicians are still a key part of the process. Midwives don't result in reduced numbers of physicians in the Northwest Territories.

In the area of midwifery services, Nunavut appears to be ahead of the Northwest Territories in meeting birthing service needs. Nunavut staffs midwives in the regional centres of Cambridge Bay, Rankin Inlet, and Iqaluit, which seems to be at least partly based on cost savings. Would the Minister agree that having an NWT Midwifery Program focused on regional centres, including Yellowknife, would likely result in some cost savings, or will he research the Nunavut model to investigate this?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, midwives provide both pre- and post-natal. Much of the birthing that's happening in Nunavut is still happening in other centres. For instance, many of the births that are coming out of Kitikmeot are actually happening here in Yellowknife. We need to look at the whole picture. We can't just look at little pieces and components of it. The pre- and post-natal portion of the services that the midwives are providing is amazing services and provides better results when we're actually looking at building stronger families and having healthier families and kids. I mean, we support the initiative; we're trying to find a way to make it happen. We have to build a territorial plan. We'll build it and we'll have to come forward to this House and seek some support and some financial support to make this a reality, but at the end of the day, midwifery services is going to have to compete against all the other priorities that are coming up in this House for additional money. This is housing. This is all these other types of things that are coming. We believe it has value and we'll bring forward the case at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the response from the Minister. But we've been talking about this for almost 10 years now, and we only really have midwifery services available in two communities. Can the Minister commit that he will fast track these consultations that he's talking about this summer, to bring forward final recommendations and an implementation plan as soon as possible? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Minister of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, I feel that although we did have some delays, now that we have our positions in place, finally we are able to get some qualified applicants to do the work. They are going at this as quickly as they can. This isn't their only job. They're also working on the evaluation frameworks that are being put in place in Hay River. If we're going to continue to roll out these programs, we must be evaluating the work that's being done, they're doing that important work. They're also working with physicians and the practitioners in Fort Smith, Hay River, and Inuvik, learning from what they're doing, and as I've already indicated, we're fully going to engage with stakeholders as we design this territorial model.

The report gave us options for three different models, but it didn't actually describe what those models would look like or how they would be rolled out or how they would be funded. That work needs to be done. We need to build a business case; we need to do that in cooperation with the physicians and other stakeholders. It's going to take time. It is being done as quickly as it can. I can't guarantee we'll have something for the business plans next October, I believe it is, but we will do our best. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier in my statement, I talked about treaty rights and obligations that are encumbered by the federal government and also the GNWT.

My question is to the Minister of the Housing Corporation. Treaties of NWT are, by nature, bilateral between First Nations and the Government of Canada, and on the south of 60, we have a direct relationship between the federal government and First Nations in their communities in terms of their responsibilities to their citizens. Up here in the North, we have federal transfer payments that are received by the government on behalf of the people of the NWT, but also for First Nations. Now, my question to the Minister, since taking over responsibility of housing from the federal government, what treaty obligations does the GNWT have for our First Nations in terms of housing? Mahsi.