Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, I identified an important change to the NWT Dental Auxiliaries Act that I would like to see the Minister of health make to improve access to and delivery of oral health services for residents of the NWT. As the Member for Kam Lake, I speak for my constituents. Every dollar spent by this government, whether in my constituency or across the NWT, impacts the cost of living for the people of Kam Lake. However, I also feel a responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of all residents of the Northwest Territories.

In 2020, the Department of Health and Social Services will spend half a billion dollars on healthcare for NWT residents, and these costs continue to rise. One of the key factors driving the department's cost is that Health and Social Services is stuck in a reactive cycle of paying for emergency care rather than preventative care. Enabling dental hygienists to be self-initiated creates a more client-centred system. It allows dental hygiene services to make their way into less-serviced areas, addressing a need that has long been recognized by other jurisdictions in Canada and is desperately needed in our remote communities. With this amendment, new dental hygiene practices can emerge in the less-traditional settings. Dental hygienists could set up mobile practices to visit clients who are homebound or set up practices in community health centres.

Over the last five years, government spending on dental extractions has cost Northerners $300,000 and over $1.1 million on medical travel. Improving access to dental hygiene services will reduce the need to provide costly emergency health services, such as medical travel and day surgeries. With prevention, we can reduce the demands on our health system to treat diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular disease caused by untreated oral health disease.

I have spoken to dental hygienists in the NWT who want the authority to be self-initiated. Mr. Speaker, repealing Section 6 of the Dental Auxiliaries Act would remove the requirement that dental hygienists operate under the direction and control of a dentist.

I am willing to consider bringing forward a private Member's bill to enact this change, but I am anticipating the Minister of health's full support of this change. It costs the government significantly less to make these small system changes to improve oral health outcomes throughout the territory than it does to continue to provide services using a model that is not responsive to the needs of the NWT residents. This is an example of good government that places the needs of the public first, and I look forward to making this change with the Minister's support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.