Glen Abernethy

We'll certainly work with committee. We will keep them updated both with the review and the report, as well as moving forward.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in March there was a motion that all Members of the House supported, including Members on this side. We have moved forward, we have begun the development of the plan. We intend to have it done March 31, as originally indicated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the past few years there has been an increased understanding and awareness that in Canada there is a disparity between the health status of Indigenous people and other Canadians. Acknowledging this reality forces us to confront difficult issues, including the legacies of colonization and the residential school system, and the fact that mainstream institutions have often not served Indigenous people effectively.

We must confront these issues if we are going to change. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action challenge us to acknowledge that the...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake that Bill 13, The Marriage Act, be read for the second time. This bill sets out the rules for governing marriages in the Northwest Territories. It sets out eligibility, the requirements and the process for getting married in both civil and religious ceremonies. It also creates prohibitions and offences. Lastly, it provides for administrative measures such as the appointment of registration of officials, authorizes the making of regulations and, consequently, amends the Vital Statistics Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, with respect to services currently provided in Hay River, I believe those agreements are already in place; I will confirm that for the Member. As far as medical travel, medical travel will cover any of our northern residents if they are referred to a service in a different community. If they are referred to a service that is in Hay River, and it has to be a service that is in Hay River, medical travel would apply obviously. If the service is not available in Hay River, medical travel would apply to the point where it is available recognizing our protocols. Our agreements are with...

We are in Canada. Regardless of where you go, as a Canadian citizen, to receive health services they are covered through reciprocal billing. In the Northwest Territories, if somebody from Fort Resolution made the personal choice to go see a practitioner in Hay River today, there is nothing stopping them from doing that.

When the system kicks in, whether or not somebody is going to get support, say through something like medical travel, it would have to be based on a referral. There is nothing stopping residents from Fort Resolution going to see a doctor in Yellowknife or going to see a doctor...

Mr. Speaker, I mean, I've said it once, I'll say it again: until we do the analysis, we won't know if we are spending our money wisely and effectively. We might actually be able to get significant benefits for our residents with the existing money if we change the way that we're doing business. I think this is practical and responsible. The Member is absolutely correct, we have an aging population here in the Northwest Territories, and there are some more demands. Does it require more money? Does it require us to change the way that we're providing home care services and reprofiling money from...

Mr. Speaker, we have made no financial reductions in the area of homecare in the Government of the Northwest Territories. It's conceivable that we do have some staffing changes from time to time that may have a temporary impact. But I come back to my original statement, at the end of the day the homecare that's provided to an individual is based on clinical needs, those clinical needs can change. I would encourage the patients to deal with their practitioners to ensure that they're getting the level of support they need to ensure that they're meeting their clinical needs.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the intention at this point is to have an annual conference on the antipoverty work that's being done across the Northwest Territories. This is actually a great opportunity for people from across communities who are undertaking community and regionbased activities to come together and learn from each other and share best practices. What's working in one community can be done in another community. So it's a wonderful opportunity to come and keep the conversation alive and keep it current and mould and change as needed, based on new information.

This year, we...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled "Mind and Spirit: Promoting Mental Health and Addictions Recovery in the Northwest Territories," and "Building a Culturally Respectful Health and Social Services System, October 2016." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.