This Hansard has not been finalized - this is the "Blues" in Parliamentary speak, or unedited transcript in regular speak.

This Hansard is the unedited transcript and will be replaced by the final copy soon (generally within 5 business days). In the meantime, direct quotes should not be used, when the final is published it will seamlessly replace this unedited copy and any existing links should still work.

This is from the 20th Assembly, 1st 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

Question 247-20(1): Aurora College Transformation
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Question 247-20(1): Aurora College Transformation
Oral Questions

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As acknowledged in this House before, there have been delays that are based -- delays based on the timeline that is published online for Aurora College. But as far as what other people are saying who aren't in this room and who have not communicated that to me personally, I would not be able to speak to. Thank you.

Question 247-20(1): Aurora College Transformation
Oral Questions

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Range Lake

We don't want to wander in the wildness of opinions, but I am sure that the Minister can read headlines like the rest of us. The question is, does the Minister think that -- how does the Minister respond when the board is making those statements? Does she respond by calling them and saying what's going on; I'd just like to know how she's responding to this information that's out in the public and it's causing confusion. Thank you.

Question 247-20(1): Aurora College Transformation
Oral Questions

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as acknowledged previously, I did have the opportunity to listen to the same CBC radio interview which I believe is where that headline came from. What I did hear in that radio interview was an acknowledgement by the chair that the transformation has been delayed. And, Mr. Speaker, I continue to have said the same thing now for the entirety of this session on the floor of the House. Thank you.

Question 247-20(1): Aurora College Transformation
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Question 248-20(1): Support for Arts Project
Oral Questions

Shauna Morgan

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I just have a quick question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. So I mentioned in my Member's statement today that there is a local resident in my riding who is trying to get together -- or pull together a community art project to paint some murals on public housing units that are boarded up and the department of housing has been super helpful in providing the boards and logistics, and I am wondering if the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment might have any ideas for funding that could help get this project off the ground, just some small amounts of funding, basic in terms of covering paints and materials, things like that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 248-20(1): Support for Arts Project
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Question 248-20(1): Support for Arts Project
Oral Questions

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are some arts funding programs through the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. The one that immediately comes to mind for a project like this would be the small arts grant. The small arts grant provides funding up to $5,000 for art projects across the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 248-20(1): Support for Arts Project
Oral Questions

Shauna Morgan

Shauna Morgan Yellowknife North

That's fine, thank you very much. We will be following up online, thank you.

Question 248-20(1): Support for Arts Project
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Let's get to the questions please, folks. I appreciate the commentary afterwards, but.

Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Question 249-20(1): Clients' Medical Records Required for Medical Travel
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, you know, I didn't have a question but I always questions, so I am ready to go. So I think that I'll ask the Minister of health here a question here with respect to medical documents when people go to Alberta.

So, I have been -- a constituent approached me, and I am sure I am not the only one, Mr. Speaker, so it is important to get this clear on the record, which is what's happening. When constituents travel to Alberta, their doctors don't seem to have their information and they are told they can't send them. So what the department doing in the context of interim solutions, I believe that they're changing the health program, network, software, whatever, but promised constituents are still traveling south without that information and it's causing frustration and problems. Does the Minister have an update or a solution? Thank you.

Question 249-20(1): Clients' Medical Records Required for Medical Travel
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Question 249-20(1): Clients' Medical Records Required for Medical Travel
Oral Questions

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when patients are traveling down to Alberta, depending, I mean, wherever they are coming from, there's different systems that we use and yes, I've mentioned it many times in this House, that the systems that we use don't talk with Alberta systems and that is why our -- it is in the business plan, and that we are updating our EMR, our electronic medical records, in the health system. One of those things is to, hopefully, to make sure that it does have the opportunity to connect with Alberta. What they do currently, there are many different ways that they do send documents and at this point if there, you know, depending on what clinic they are going to, what specialist they are going to, you know, there is many different things so I can get back to the Member on the ways that we provide information when we do referrals to Alberta Health. Thank you.

Question 249-20(1): Clients' Medical Records Required for Medical Travel
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While constitutents are showing up at referrals by doctors to doctors in Alberta without the information some there must be some type of standard practice, including package and process that's going on now, because we can't -- or being proposed now, because we can't have people being sent on medical travel. What a waste of money to send them there without the information. So, what is currently being done by the department to help fill this -- or solve this problem? Thank you.

Question 249-20(1): Clients' Medical Records Required for Medical Travel
Oral Questions

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we send thousands of people to Alberta so if a Member wants to know about a specific instance, is this something that he has multiple constituents that are coming to him and so if he wants to bring this forward to my office, I would gladly look into it. Thank you.

Question 249-20(1): Clients' Medical Records Required for Medical Travel
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Mr. Speaker, I am thinking this is a bigger picture which is people can't -- as the Minister has acknowledged, the systems don't talk to each other so there must be a standard of care on how we are packaging this information, whether we are emailing it down to them, or we're sending it with a constituent or we're sending it in a secure bag. Like, what's the practice of the department in these particular cases if files can't be emailed or systems can't talk to each other, they must be able to work this problem out. And it can't be an individual constituent based on the fact that the Minister has acknowledged that the systems don't talk to each other. So I am asking how do they do this or what are they working on as an interim solution? Thank you.

Question 249-20(1): Clients' Medical Records Required for Medical Travel
Oral Questions

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, before we even had electronic medical records, our patients traveled so, like I say again, if this is a specific instance because if it is and if there are many people that are going to appointments, they are not complaining through my office so maybe they're going through the Office of Client Experience and that's where I would tell these clients to also go. I would encourage any MLAs to encourage their constituents to go through the Office of Client Experience. This way we can document what the issues are and then we can rectify them if this is a bigger issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 249-20(1): Clients' Medical Records Required for Medical Travel
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Minister of health and social services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Question 249-20(1): Clients' Medical Records Required for Medical Travel
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I mean, wouldn't the Minister want to know how documents go from the NWT to Alberta and hence, you know, it would be nice to know from a constituency point of view that it may apply to other Members but the issue is that if the systems don't talk to each other, I would think that the Minister would know how they communicate their medical health information in today's environment of security information and the details, so I would think that there would be a practice and process in place, and that's what I am asking for. Thank you.

Question 249-20(1): Clients' Medical Records Required for Medical Travel
Oral Questions

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I did commit to get the many ways that we do this and I -- there is way to do it and I am not going to sit here and explain from this health centre we do it this way and sometimes if they are coming in from a small community they may go in a secure with a practitioner. The patient may go. There are multiple different ways, and depending on which physicians and, you know, so. This is the coordination of our special clinics when they refer, they have their processes and so if there are individual -- so there doesn't seem to be an issue, because it hasn't come to light, and so if there is an individual issue or if this is an ongoing issue with the Member's constituents, then I suggest that they either reach out to my office or reach out to him and then come through my office or the Office of Client Experience. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Question 249-20(1): Clients' Medical Records Required for Medical Travel
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Question 250-20(1): RCMP Use of Body Cameras
Oral Questions

June 5th, 2024

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On a different subject -- don't worry, health Minister. I am going to ask the Premier, who is the Minister of Justice, this question. The body camera has come up over the years and there was some people asking recently and is this a consideration in the long term over the territorial government's working with the RCMP to bring body cameras here North given the fact that we live in a modern world and a new world and this helps both parties involved. So generally speaking, I am going to start off with, the first question is, is this a consideration on the front of the Department of Justice to look at this in partnership obviously with the RCMP?

Question 250-20(1): RCMP Use of Body Cameras
Oral Questions

The Speaker

The Speaker Shane Thompson

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Justice.

Question 250-20(1): RCMP Use of Body Cameras
Oral Questions

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes.

Question 250-20(1): RCMP Use of Body Cameras
Oral Questions

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Okay, that's good. Is there any thoughts or knowledge with the Minister -- it's always weird, call him the Minister of Justice and Premier -- the Minister and the department as to what type of timelines or logistical challenges that may delay the timelines? I am looking to get a sense of how soon or what are we talking about. Thank you.