This is page numbers 79 - 104 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd 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 housing.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now that the Minister knows that the primary barrier to people being involved in social inclusion is transportation, what are her next steps to bridge this gap? Thank you.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

The department will use the information to develop programming that will put in place support for older adults in Yellowknife, and that includes transportation. We are in the early stages of designing the program, and we are working with the steering committee to complete it by the end of March 2020. The health authority will go through an expression of interest process to find an organization to deliver programming, and we are aiming to have this completed in early April so that we can start to begin the program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have to respect the work that the NWT fishers do and the product that they deliver to us. This is why we have contributions and grants to assist them with the associated high costs of doing business. Can the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment confirm the total grants and contribution and subsidies for the commercial fishing industry? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can confirm for the Member that, in 2018-2019, a little over $565,000 was provided to the Northwest Territories Fishermen's Federation in varying supports. The Northwest Territories commercial fishing industry is eligible to receive funding and support from ITI in two different areas: the Great Slave Lake fishery support program, which is specifically for commercial fishers on Great Slave Lake and primarily to offset freight costs from Hay River to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation plant in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the second one is the Northern Food Development Program. As entrepreneurs and small businesses, fishers are also eligible to apply for funding from the Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development Program, or the SEED Program, which many already do. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

The NWT fishers depend on these grants and contributions to offset those high costs. Can the Minister of ITI confirm what percentage of these contributions go to the NWT fishers and, if any, to fishers outside the NWT who have not met the residency requirement?

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

I can tell you that all of the SEED and Northern Food Development Program funding went to resident and Northwest Territories fishers. For these two programs, you must be a resident of the Northwest Territories to be eligible for funding. Applicants are required to produce a valid driver's licence or healthcare card.

When it comes to the Great Slave Lake fishery support program, all fishers who hold a commercial fishing licence on Great Slave Lake, a current boat certificate, and sell fish to the Northwest Territories Fishermen's Federation fish plant are eligible to receive support under the freight support stream. This program pays out based on the poundage of fish delivered to the plant. Under this program, there was one non-resident fisher who received contributions last year, totalling about 2.5 percent of the total payout to fishers.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

With respect to the residency requirement, there seems to be a difference between what is in the SEED Program and what is in the commercial renewable resource use policy. The SEED Program requires six months, and the other one is three years. I am just wondering if the Minister has looked at that and if the Minister is willing to reconcile that difference, because I would rather see the money stay in the North. I would rather see it be three years than the six-month requirement due to the fact that it is pretty easy to get a driver's licence here and it is pretty easy to get healthcare here. Anybody could do it and take our money and leave.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

I appreciate the Member raising this concern to me. It is not an area that I would express to be very familiar with. When I did hear of the discrepancies in the residency requirements, it does make me ask the same question as the Member. I have not had a chance to follow up with ITI on the reasoning behind why a six-month residency versus three years for the fishers. I do commit to getting back to the Member with that answer, as well as committing to a general overall review of most of the programs or all the programs that I have in my departments, which I am getting started on.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Due to the high costs associated with the fishing industry, can the Minister of ITI confirm that these grants, contributions, and subsidies will be revisited at some point to determine if they accurately reflect the high cost associated with that industry? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Yes to the Member's question. The department has and will continue to review all of its funding programs to determine if they are meeting their objectives. Members may or may not be aware that, during the 18th Assembly, the support for NWT fishers under the Great Slave Lake Fishery Program was revisited and, in fact, it doubled from $225,000 to $450,000. Right now, we are of the opinion that the programs and services offered to Northwest Territories fishers are adequate. In fact, our jurisdiction is among the best in Canada when it comes to supporting individual fishers.

More importantly, though, Mr. Speaker, we are working with the Tu Cho Cooperative to realize a vision that we share for the revitalization of the Great Slave Lake fishing industry. It will position the Tu Cho Cooperative to ensure that the Northwest Territories' producers see the benefit of having a direct say and even ownership in their industry. With increased demand, access to higher markets and pricing, and new products, we want to realize greater returns for new and lifelong fishers working on the lake. Rather than subsidies and grants, we see this as a way to increase opportunities and returns in the fishing sector.

I would also like to acknowledge that I understand there are concerns within the fishing industry in Hay River, and I do commit to the Member to further discussions with him going forward to ensure we work on those together. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Question 53-19(2): Application of Medical Travel Policy
Oral Questions

February 11th, 2020

Page 85

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, nowhere in the Medical Travel Policy does it mention whether the Minister or any government worker has the ability to overturn a doctor's recommendation for a non-medical escort, so my question is: under what authority does medical travel personnel have the ability to deny a non-medical escort despite a doctor telling a patient otherwise?

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the question. This is often a misunderstood issue, and it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the role of the clinicians in the administration of medical travel benefits. While our clinicians have an integral role with respect to medical travel, such as making a valid medical referral for the patient and making a recommendation for the escorts, medical travel assistance is a benefit program offered by our government and administered by our medical travel staff. The Medical Travel Policy does not give our clinicians full authority over escort decisions. The criteria for non-medical escorts are stated in the policy, and recommendations for an escort must be aligned with the criteria of the policy.

In June 2019, the Minister of Health and Social Services issued a directive formalizing the delegation of the implementation and administration of medical travel policies, excluding the appeals policy, to the NTSSA by the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services. The directive states that the NTSSA, through the medical travel office, coordinates the medical travel program for all of the Northwest Territories, including Hay River and the Tlicho. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

The person who denied the two cases that I mentioned in my Member's statement was done from a desk by departmental staff here in Yellowknife, a staff member who probably has no medical background, who dictates to our communities at large. Is this a professional medical practice that the Minister approves of?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

The role of the medical travel office is to ensure that the Medical Travel Policy is being administered consistently and as intended by the policy. When a clinician makes a recommendation for a non-medical escort, the reason for the escort is written on the form and often accompanied by a letter providing further explanation. I have full confidence in the medical travel office's ability to determine if the reason aligns with the criteria that is listed in the policy. When medical travel staff deny coverage for non-medical escort benefits, there is often a follow-up communication between the clinician and the medical travel staff to confirm the escort decision. There are also an exceptions policy and appeals policy to consider unique circumstances and to ensure the policy is being applied as intended.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Supporting our doctors in their decisions has always been my priority on behalf of the members of Thebacha and the NWT. Does the Minister feel doctors' decisions for a medical escort are vital and valid?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Yes. I have mentioned that the doctor's role is essential to the implementation of the Medical Travel Policy. However, doctors have a role as advocates for their patients, and sometimes make recommendations for non-medical escorts that do not align with the criteria in the policy and would lead to significant inconsistencies in the benefits provided to one patient over another.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, a complete evaluation of this department's Medical Travel Policy should be done in favour of a doctor's professional opinion and the patient's well-being. When will this be done?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

We revised some of the medical travel policies in 2019, and we will continue to work with this over the next year. I will keep the Member and the Standing Committee on Social Development updated on this work and provide a briefing at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.