Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first, with respect to the fulsomeness of the public service, a lot of the growth in the last little while has actually been in the Department of Health and Social Services. A lot of other growth has actually been as a result of Jordan's Principle funding which is allowing additional services in ECE. And that said, there is a very active conversation happening, led with the Department of Finance human resources, around ensuring that we don't have positions that are sitting unfilled, that are not being fully utilized, and with a view to having those positions taken off the books so that they don't artificially or inappropriately inflate the numbers. It doesn't answer the end of the question which is to what extent there can be some supports to communities to help increase their recreational capacity.

Mr. Speaker, that, I think, is a shared goal of many people in this House, including Ministers here. It's not one that I can come up with a solution standing here. I'm happy to sit down with the Member, with a human resources perspective and with the Minister of MACA and see if there's ways that we can support communities so that they can use the funding that they have to achieve their goals. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm sure the deputy ministers are listening or they're understanding -- they're listening right now. So what I would like to ask the Minister is that -- this question that I asked the MACA Minister. In the supplementary budget, is it possible to divert money for a swimming pool in the Tlicho region? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, nobody likes a short answer of one that just says no, but unfortunately this instance the short answer is no. The supplementary estimates are -- they come forward as having been gone through the financial management board to bring about issues or things that arise. One example is the collective agreement that was finalized, so this comes forward to bring a couple of collective agreements in. And I have to obviously comply with the collective agreement. Another major item in there was fire suppression funding. We have to pay the bill for our fire suppression funding. Another big one in there, Mr. Speaker, is commitments made in the House for the main estimates. So the supplementary estimates right now aren't going to be the place where we can just move that money around. But, Mr. Speaker, there are funds -- I know the Minister of MACA already spoke to to work in his department. I know the Minister of MACA wants to see supports to communities. So, again, my suggestion is that we all sit down and see if there's a way to assure that the money that's for communities is being effectively used by them. I know as a Minister, I have funds that sit in infrastructure that we want to see go out the door to communities and if they're not going out the door, that is a problem we want to solve. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I'm sure they can find a way to do this, and this government is good at hiring consultants. You know, if they hire a consultant, they can -- if there's a will, there's a way. So they can find money to help our neighbours -- to help their neighbour. So it's more of a comment. I don't have any more questions, so I'll just leave it at that. Thank you.

Member, please ask the questions. I don't need the preambles. Thank you very much.

Oral questions. Member from Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks for this opportunity for another question. My question today is to the Minister of housing.

We have a beautiful building there in Tulita, the Tulita four-plex, that was transferred ownership to this government. It was designated for health staff but it's currently not ready and that ownership was transferred last -- the beginning of the summer. And I would like to know what measures is the housing Minister taking to make it occupied for the health staff so that'll release the current building for the teachers? Mahsi.

Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. Member for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. The four-plex in Tulita has been transferred over to health for use for the nursing staff in Tulita. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of health -- no, I'll wait for another opportunity. Thank you. Mahsi.

Member from the Sahtu, please questions, because I got a whole list of people that want to still get on the second one. Members, oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question for the -- is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Doctors are complaining about not being able to provide timely and effective feedback with respect to the structure of the system and the problems they see. Primary care doctors more specifically have proposed initiatives. I'm asking what forum does the Minister allow good conversations and discussions about proposals that doctors are providing that can help save the health care system? Thank you.

Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, within the NTHSSA, the primary care sits within NTHSSA and the doctors work within the NTHSSA. And so the doctors have -- you know, they have the medical director. They have the territorial medical director, they have the COO, they have the CEO, and they have the governing council. So they have very many levels that if they're not being heard, you know, they have very many levels. And if the -- you know, and if they're still not being heard after they've gone all the way up to the governing council, then that's when -- then, you know, the discussions between myself and the governing council can happen. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that answer from the Minister, but when the doctors are suggesting to open up the CT scan that -- system and creating avenues to help patient care and expedite it in the sense of service and save money, it's going on deaf ears. So what next if no one seems to care about the advice and direction offered by doctors, especially our primary care doctors? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as that is very operational questions, I -- you know, that is the first time I've heard that issue so that would be something that they -- I would recommend them to be raising with the COO and the CEO. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are more concerns and, apparently, that's been highlighted many times, and I think even another MLA pointed out scheduling. These doctors are saying they could provide suggestions through efficiency and management of time by doing their own scheduling and they're reaching the point that they're considering leaving, if not some have already left. Maybe we could start with the first clarity on this particular issue is how many primary care doctors do we have in Yellowknife and working in the Stanton hospital? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will have to get back to the Member on that. Thank you.

Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've been made aware that it's close to five or six doctors have either left or just recently have given their notice of leaving. I'd like that to be confirmed with respect to the numbers I've asked a few moments ago. Is the Minister aware of this, and what is she doing about it? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, this conversation that has come up in the House, it came up yesterday and, you know, and it has -- many people come within our system and, you know, we are doing exit interviews to find out why and we are using the data to change the way that, you know, we're engaging with staff or retention. So what I can say is that I don't get notified whenever there's a health care person or a doctor within the whole Northwest Territories that is hired or has left, you know, and so therefore if the Member wants to know, I -- like, I was willing to share with the Member yesterday, the variance, like, when staff are -- you know, and any -- and positions, I can provide that to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, right now we have a system that competes with itself as I said. This is not coming from my analysis; this is coming from health care workers, doctors, nurses, allied health care professionals. Why has the choice been made to prioritize locum contracts, temporary workers, and agency nurses over full-time staff? Thank you.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been no prioritize on locum workers or agency workers. Mr. Speaker, we have to follow the collective agreement. We cannot bargain outside the collective agreement on indeterminate employees and therefore you know, this -- and which leaves us if we don't have any indeterminate employees, then we have to go to the next steps which we go for terms, and then if it impacts units being closed then we would discuss that with the union and get the consent to be able to look at agencies. Thank you.