David Krutko

Deputy Minister Melhorn.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Neudorf.

Well, the Minister hit it right on the head; that is the problem with your service system. The service system you have for small communities is a referral system; it’s not a service system. I’d like to ask the Minister, since you’re the one that raised it, what are you doing to provide service to all the communities of the Northwest Territories so we have services that are real services, not referral services where you find somebody to come in and check you out, they find out your sick and medevac you out?

I’d like to ask the Minister if you are going to do anything to improve the services in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding the written request that I asked for information on the cost of physicians and registered nurse visits to Tsiigehtchic. I noted in the response, the Minister stated that there were eight physician visits to Tsiigehtchic between 2008 and September 2009. She also made reference to nurses-in-charge have made 20 visits to Tsiigehtchic between October. All together, between the two positions, it’s 28 days they visited Tsiigehtchic, which is less than a month.

I have been asking this Minister for going on...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask a direct question to the Minister. I’d like to ask the Minister if you even have the capacity to do this job or should we find someone else to do it.

The community of Tsiigehtchic want a full-time nurse in that community, just like any other community of similar size in the Northwest Territories. That’s all we’re asking for. To continue to stand here and say, well, we’re providing services, but they might come in once a month or twice a month is not service. For me that’s a referral system that this government is turning into. I’d like to ask the Minister what efforts are being made to get a full-time nurse in Tsiigehtchic.

Could we get some order in the House? The sidebar is getting a little loud over here.

Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses in.

Mr. Minister, for the record, could you introduce your witnesses.

Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to acknowledge the many performers that have gone down to the Olympics to showcase the Mackenzie Delta’s dancers and drummers.

Mr. Speaker, from Fort McPherson the Gwich’in Nation dancers, which consist of some 15 members from fiddlers such as Dennis Thompson and Michael Francis who are well known throughout the Northwest Territories, and also includes the Aklavik drummers and dancers who have showcased their drumming and dancing all over Canada and internationally. Part of the dance group includes some 12 youth and I think, Mr. Speaker, that...