Debates of March 1st, 2018

This is page numbers 3595 – 3638 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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 going.

Topics

Oral Questions
Prayer
French-Language Services, Assessments And Celebrations
Unlocking Our Potential At Association For Mineral Exploration Roundup And Prospectors And Developers Association Of Canada
High Seas Fisheries Agreement
Status Of North Slave Metis Alliance Claim
Youth Apprehension Policies
Small Community Economic Development
Arctic Energy Alliance Funding Shortfall
Public Education Campaign And Resources For Cannabis Legalization
Housing Initiatives Under The Sahtu Dene Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement
Eulogy For Hank Mark Lafferty
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Public Education Campaign And Resources For Cannabis Legalization
Youth Apprehension Policies
North Slave Metis Alliance Claim
Arctic Energy Alliance
Indigenous Representation On Co-Management Boards
Support For Youth Entrepreneurs
Ground Ambulance And Highway Rescue Services
Youth Apprehension Policies
Northern Summit On Economic Development
Audits In The Office Of The Public Guardian
Medical Travel
Tabled Document 104-18(3): Revised Ministerial Mandate Letters For 18th Legislative Assembly Executive Council, December 5, 2017
Tabled Document 105-18(3): Follow-Up To Oral Question 82-18(3): Economic Opportunities Arising From Legalization Of Cannabis
Tabled Document 106-18(3): Undermining Subsistence: Barren-Ground Caribou In A "tragedy Of Open Access" By Brenda Parlee, John Saldo, David C. Natcher For Science Advances
Extended Adjournment Of The House To March 6, 2018
Bill 6: Cannabis Legalization And Regulation Implementation Act
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Committee Report 5-18(3): Standing Committee On Government Operations Report On The Review Of Bill 1: Western Canada Lottery Act - Funding Policy For Disbursement Of Lottery Funding
Committee Report 5-18(3): Standing Committee On Government Operations Report On The Review Of Bill 1: Western Canada Lottery Act - Limits On Accumulated Deficits Or Surpluses In The Physical Activity, Sport And Recreation Fund
Report of Committee of the Whole
Orders of the Day

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the cost drivers are occurring in the authority, but the department is working with them to identify those cost drivers and trying to put some scope on the things that are driving costs to help us better understand the deficit so that we can efficiencies and make improvements to get maximum bang for our dollar. It's kind of a cooperation. It's working together. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

February 28th, 2018

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that from the Minister. Is there a specific study being done on overtime relating to nursing, or is this just kind of broader effort to look at efficiencies as part of transformation? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The second one the Member described. Thank you.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

A broader effort, okay. Is there anything specific, though, that the department is looking at doing to address overtime in nursing? Are we looking at setting service standards? What is it that the department is doing to try to address this problem? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The setting of service standards is part of the work that the department is doing with the authority, given that we've moved to a single authority. This is real opportunity for us to set those standards. That's part of the important work we're doing to try to help us control costs.

Stanton is continuing to do some work around scheduling and trying to improve their scheduling so that they're minimizing double shifts, triple shifts, those types of things, and hoping to control some of their costs that way, as well. There are all sorts of things happening. One of the big ones is, obviously, standards. The other one is individual regional operations, looking at how they're scheduling, in particular, Stanton.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I don't want to seek another commitment on the Minister on this, but I just want to give him a heads up that this is something I am going to ask again in the business planning for next year, so I am hoping that we've moved beyond just talking about some of this stuff and that the Minister can discuss it in a little bit more detail about what we're actually doing to address this issue, but I will leave it at that for now. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Anything further? Seeing none, I will call this activity. Nursing inpatient services, operations expenditure summary, total activity, $34,108,000. Does committee agree?

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, committee. Moving on to supplementary health programs, beginning on page 192. Comments or questions? Ms. Green.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, during the business plan process, we talked about how the department was negotiating with Health Canada around the new terms and conditions for the NIHB agreement, and I am wondering if the Minister could update us on the status of those negotiations? Thank you.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Work continues in this area. I am not participating in negotiations, so I would like to go to the deputy minister for some detail. Thank you.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Cooper.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Cooper

Yes, we have been having ongoing discussions with the federal government around NIHB. We supported and co-hosted a round table before Christmas that looked at improvements, the administration of the program that we may have to undertake together, and I know that it was very well-received. We had leaders from all over the NWT come together and provide this feedback, and learn about how the program operates.

With the report out of that work which is going to help us improve the program delivery, we are moving to finalize some of our work on any changes that might be coming in NIHB, and we expect to be in a position very shortly to be able to announce what direction that's taking.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Ms. Green.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the answer from the deputy and look forward to the decision. Did these negotiations also include adjustments to the formulary? I note the deputy talked about service delivery, but are they also about the formulary? Thank you.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Cooper.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Cooper

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We don't as much negotiate the formulary as provide input, sort of trend data that helps inform the NIHB in them developing the formulary, so it's not really a matter of negotiation. It is their formulary. We run the program on their behalf, or we administer the program on their behalf. Data that we gather in terms of both utilization and also demand for certain drugs and so on that are in demand can help the program determine what should go on the formulary next, but I think, if I'm not mistaken, I believe the NIHB are actually aligned with the Ontario formulary, so the real work on that list takes place out of Ottawa and in line with the Ontario approach.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Minister Abernethy.

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is more of an encouragement than a negotiation when it comes to the actual formulary. Thank you.