This is page numbers 2199 - 2242 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 going.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Madam Chair, I would like to call a different witness for this division, so I wonder if the Sergeant-at-Arms could escort Ms. Mathison out and escort the other witness in.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Sergeant-at-Arms, can you please change the witnesses? Minister, could you please introduce your witness for the record?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. Joining us now is Mr. Derek Elkin, assistant deputy minister of Health and Social Services.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Welcome. Committee, we are on supplementary health benefits. Are there any questions from Members? Member for Yellowknife North.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know there has been discussion previously in this House and in the department about the possibility of providing supplementary health benefits to those who are without. That would be people who don't already have them through their employer, who are not covered under the medical Metis benefits here or the federal Indigenous benefits. Do we have a recent figure of how many people that would be? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

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

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Chair. It's approximately 2,200 people. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. Does the department have a cost estimate, or has any work been done to get a cost estimate of what it would cost to provide those 2,200 people some form of supplementary health benefits? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to refer this question to Mr. Elkin.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Elkin.

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Elkin

Thank you. To date, no, we have not undertaken a cost estimate at this point. As we go forward with review and look at what types of benefits would be covered under any possible changes, then we would explore it at that point in time.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Elkin. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. My understanding is that there is some talk about including the Metis Health Benefits or the federal government providing funding and rolling that up into the current benefits provided to Indigenous peoples. Can I just get an update of whether the federal government has made any progress on that or any information the department may have? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you. The department did a consultation with Metis organizations of the NWT about Metis Health Benefits just before Christmas. My understanding is that the results are being analyzed, and for further information, I am going to refer the question to the deputy minister. Thank you.

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Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Deputy Minister Cooper.

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Cooper

Thank you, Madam Chair. I certainly can't speak to where the federal government is in their deliberations, but I can advise that we have certainly been contacting them when we have an opportunity to discuss these issues, post-Daniels decision, particularly. We have been putting forward the position that Metis Health Benefits should be covered the same as NIHB. As yet, we continue to have our own Metis Health Benefits program. No leverage as of yet within our discussions. Thank you.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Deputy Minister. Member for Yellowknife North.

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Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Chair. My hope is one day the federal government will extend NIHB to Metis benefits and then that frees up $3 million in our budget, and perhaps we can then find a way to extend it to those 2,200 other people. Along those lines, I look forward to the department doing that work and hopefully getting a cost estimate. Has any work been done about a jurisdictional scan? Are there any other jurisdictions out there who provide some sort of supplementary health benefits to their citizens? Thank you, Madam Chair.

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

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Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to refer the question to the deputy minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Deputy Minister Cooper.

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Cooper

Thank you very much. Yes, we do jurisdictional scanning as part of our ongoing policy analysis. Certainly, there are an array of programs across the country, different approaches. Most in Canada are income- or needs-tested. We are certainly going to build on that jurisdictional analysis as part of the review that we are embarking upon of the program. Thank you.