This is page numbers 4301 - 4324 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.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I fully understand that there's different needs. I've read the policies. I understand the community. I know that there's corporations -- companies that are in the region that probably could have got the job done months ago when it was first, but that is it why I'm asking for this review to be done because this are things in place within Power Corp -- within the Power Corp, within the Housing Corporation, that we have locals that can do these jobs and we need to ensure, as a government, that we are putting those things in place, whether they're Crown corporations. These are public dollars given to us. We approve them in our budgets. Will this Minister commit to making sure that there's mechanisms put in place so Northerners benefit? Thank you.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we can look at the results of the procurement and perhaps review and adjust as necessary. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you. And one last request. I would ask that the same penalties be put in place if they don't follow obligations. Would the Minister be considering that as well or bring that to her board when they put it under consideration? Thank you.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, we can bring that to the board. Thanks.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Given infertility is designated as a chronic illness, does the GNWT intend to recognize it as a medical condition and offer financial supports to residents? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me say I appreciate the disappointment that families experience when they want to conceive a child and they are unable to do so.

The GNWT provides services to treat underlying medical conditions that cause infertility, both diagnose and cause infertility. This is part of our insured health services. And that would include medical examinations to determine the reasons for infertility as well as treatment and surgery to correct physiological and anatomical causes of infertility.

When it comes to IVF, in vitro fertilization, this is not an insured service in the NWT, and there are currently no plans to include it as an insured service in the NWT. Thank you.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have to apologize to the Minister because I'm going to ask a question that I did not provide in advance just in relation to what she said.

So the pieces of treatment that are covered, will medical travel pay for any medical travel associated to access those services because a lot of those services aren't available in the territory? Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you. Mr. Speaker, this would go through the normal referral process of the patient going to a general practitioner potentially leading to a more specialized investigation and if a diagnosis is provided that requires treatment out of territory that is an insured service, then that would be part of the regular medical travel program where I'm sure the Member is familiar with the criteria for providing medical escorts. So we're talking about two different things here. We're talking about infertility as a medical condition and we're talking about in vitro fertilization. Thank you.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my next question for the Minister: is Health and Social Services doing any work right now to explore expanding the financial supports for fertility treatment that they do provide to NWT residents? Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are not exploring any of those options. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like Newfoundland, the NWT does not offer fertility treatment in its own jurisdictions, and the travel for this can be quite expensive, and I know that the Minister did reference working with a specialist, getting approval from a specialist and travelling south. But there seems to be a bit of some gray area between what some see as being a chronic illness and what some see as being an elective process. And so it means that not everything is covered and not everybody has access to medical travel. And so is the Government of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services willing to explore financial grants that cover travel costs for people like the province of Newfoundland has done in order to support families in their quest for family expansion? Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this would be, I think, decided on a case-by-case basis depending on the diagnosis received from the physician and what follow-up steps are required. And if this is part of our insured health services, then there's the potential for access to medical travel.

I'm not familiar in any detail with what Newfoundland and PEI offer so I'm unable to make that comparison. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Oral Question 1098-19(2): Hay River Flood
Oral Questions

May 27th, 2022

Page 4319

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these questions are for the Minister of MACA.

I've got a concern that, you know, with the extent of damage in Hay River, we're going to see an influx of contractors. You know, I suspect that a lot of them are going to be reputable and qualified, but we're going to have some fly-by-nights, and I can see that costing us additional money at the end of the day.

So I'd ask the Minister, who is vetting contractors, or are we going to be vetting contractors to avoid the fly-by-nights? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister responsible for MACA.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the quick answer is no. We're hoping the contractors that people look at are reputable. But the contractors that we have in place, the assessors, and the abatement crews, they're reputable with these are companies that we know that are working there. We encourage the residents that are being impacted if they are going to get contractors there, make sure that they -- make sure that these people are reputable moving forward.

I can tell you that in the experience from my experience last year, a lot of the contractors that we used were all reputable businesses in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to go back to timelines because, you know, that's a big concern for people is that, like, they've got their applications in. Some of them have had their assessments done already and, you know, they're looking for that, you know, that next step, and we haven't really had any timelines from the department. So I'd ask the Minister when can applicants expect a timeline with respect to claim approvals with approved amounts? Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you. As I explained to the Member here, the process is to make sure they register first. Once they register first, our pathfinders will be working with them. We also then have assessors. Once the assessors are looking at their residence, how it's impacted, they do a report. Then we get the report. We bring it forth to the resident. That's the pathfinder's, that's a responsibility. Then we explain the process to them. From there, if the resident wishes to ask for an advance because they can't afford it, then it's seven to ten days from the time we put it in to assess them. The Department of Finance has streamlined it. It used to be 30 days; they've streamlined it to seven to ten days.

So to give exactly a timeframe, it's impossible because it is going to be specifically to the individual as we move forward. So we're moving as fast as we can, working with the residents. We're telling people to reach out to our pathfinders, make sure they work with our pathfinders. They will keep them updated as quickly and as possible as fast as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, right now in Hay River one of the big issues is accommodation. I know there is an RFP out for accommodation; however, with the extent of the damage we're going to see contractors, you know, coming to town, and they're going to need places to stay. And, you know, with summer coming on, we've got government staff going in, you know, for whatever reasons. We have tourists coming in. And right now, you know, the hotels are probably, you know, and motels, are filled up with people who have been displaced.

So can the Minister confirm who has the responsibility to provide temporary accommodation at this time for those people that have been displaced? Thank you.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when you look at the situation, so accommodations, we've done an RFP for B&Bs, hotels, motels, and we also are in the process, if it's not already been done, for camps. So that there is for the residents that are impacted. We are working with them. There's a number of residents that are staying with friends, family. They've got their 5th wheel I guess you'd call it. They're already working on there.

So in regards to accommodations, should they, right now if they're elderly that have disabilities or young families that are impacted by homes, we have a vetting process, then we provide accommodations. If people want to stay in hotels themselves without doing that, then that's their cost right now. They could put it -- or either Disaster Assistance Policy, and we can look at it but I cannot make any promises. Right now, it depends on the situation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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