This is page numbers 3897 - 3946 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 know.

Topics

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. As I'm sure the Member knows, the NIHB program is a federal program, and we of course have people who are eligible for NIHB benefits here. And as the assistant deputy minister said before, the benefits for everyone else are pegged to the NIHB benefits. So in order to change that, we would need to lobby the federal government. And it seems to me that wouldn't be easy because it's a national program. So they would have to give to all NIHB recipients what they give to the NWT NIHB recipients, so it would be challenging to change that. I don't know if there's anything else to add on that. No, that's good? Okay.

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

Okay. Thank you. Member for Thebacha.

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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Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

I think, Madam Chair, because this -- this is automatically given to the -- the reimbursement amounts are given for the noninsured health benefits. It's a major problem with the people that it serves. It's always been a problem, you know, to -- like, I even with -- with Salt River or it's going to be a problem -- it'll be a problem even when the Metis enter the program. And I think that's why there has been this -- this kind of roll out period for the Metis, but it -- you know, I just don't want to -- I don't want to be in a situation where it's even -- that people are not getting the care that they should be getting under this program because a lot of the programs and some of the drugs that are in this are not covered, okay, and it's -- it is a major program -- it's a major problem. And you know, we're talking about the majority of the people in the Northwest Territories so that -- that of Indigenous descent. So it is a concern that I -- that I bring here. 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. Minister of Health and Social Services.

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, I understand that health officials meet with the federal government to talk about NIHB from time to time, to bring forward these kinds of concerns about whether coverage is adequate, to what extent coverage is available and so on. So this -- this is something where a meeting is planned for this year and so if you have specific issues that you would like to draw our attention to for that meeting, then by all means, please send me an email with that information so that we can include it in our consideration for what we're going to bring to that meeting. 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. Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Are there any further questions to the information items on the -- 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. I'm looking at page 199, and there's the territory health investment fund, and it doesn't show that there's any money in this budget or going forward. But I know that we got $7.1 million. We got $5 million for medical travel, a million for the sustainability positions, and a million for some primary positions. So I was just hoping to get an explanation of why that is and whether that territory health investment fund is actually located in these main estimates currently or whether that has to come forward; we just didn't get it in time. 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. Minister of Health and Social Services.

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. I think that the details of this fund were agreed after the main estimates were developed. But for more information, I'll ask Mr. Elkin. 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. 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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Elkin

Thank you, Madam Chair. This was a bit of an accounting issue. As new federal agreements expire and get renewed, the new process is we no longer recognize them as work on behalf of others. We actually incorporate them and load them into our budget. So the $7.1 million that we got this year, it would be $5 million would show up under medical travel, a million dollars around -- would show up under the culture and innovation division for the primary healthcare reform, and another million would show under the administration under the authority for the sustainability team. So it's just a different way of where it's represented. So what you're seeing is you're seeing the previous agreements from two years ago. 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.

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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. Okay, I appreciate that. I guess I'm happy to see it's in here. Can I just get an update of -- I actually don't know if it's public yet. I tried to find what the total agreement amount was and for how many years under the Territorial Health Investment Fund. 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. Minister of Health and Social Services.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair. It's my understanding this is $7.1 million and it's a one-year agreement to March 31st next year. Two-year agreement, that includes the year we're in and next year.

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. 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. I'm perhaps premature to ask this question. Do we have any update on whether this is something we will see going forward? I know this is kind of like every -- well, it's for a number of years now the territories get together, they try and identify some priorities, and then we go begging to Health Canada to fund things. I just -- it would be nice to see the Territorial Health Investment Fund become a bit more predictable. I'm just wondering if we have any hope of that or any news. 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. Minister of Health and Social Services.

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, it would be great if it was longer term. The other thing that would be great is we have an array of federal funding pots that are for specific things - home care, addictions recovery, sustainability, medical travel, and so on. There's some discussion about whether all the federal contributions should be grouped into a bulk transfer over -- you know, with different parameters over multiple years rather than having all these individual funds to negotiate year after year. And I think that that's one of the things that's being -- discussed in connection with the Canada health transfer, is do we top up the Canada health transfer to include all these specific funds, or do we continue the way we are, or do we have a base fund and a top-up fund. So those are the discussions that the Premier is engaged in. 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. Are there any further questions to the information items?

Seeing no further questions, please return now to the departmental summary found on page 169. Okay, Health and Social Services, operations expenditure, total department, 2022-2023 Main Estimates, $594,777,000. Member -- Mr. O'Reilly.

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

March 9th, 2022

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Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Sorry, I almost lost track here; I was having so much fun. Thanks, Madam Chair. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services at this time. Mahsi, Madam Chair.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

The motion is in order. To the motion?

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

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Some Hon. Members

Question.

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

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried. Consideration of the Department of Health and Social Services, 2022-2023 Main Estimates, operating expenditures, total department, is deferred.

---Carried.

Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

What is the wish of -- what is the wish of committee, Mr. Norn?

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

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Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Madam Chair, I move that the chair rise and report progress.