Michael Nadli

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In respect to the NGO Stabilization Fund that we’ve made a priority here today, there are real needs at the community level. For example, in my riding there is a real need for youth programs in terms of ensuring that there’s funding for programs and resources. At the same time, we’re contending with real social issues like homelessness. For those reasons, this fund is relied upon from the community organizations outside of Yellowknife.

For the Premier, as Minister of the Department of Executive, is the Premier willing to consider enhancing the NGO Stabilization Fund for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, do a lot of important work in our communities. Some receive GNWT funding to deliver critical services such as shelters for the homeless, mental health and addictions services, services for disabled people, friendship centres, daycare and youth centres and women’s shelters. Put another way, these groups are doing vital social service work that the government would have to do if they weren’t there, and doing it better.

The NGO Stabilization Fund was established in 2009 to help these groups stabilize and develop the capacity to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to provide its report on the 2011-2012 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories and commends it to the House.

I understand that a couple years work went into the review of the Medical Travel Policy but it remains unchanged. What is the status of that review? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I made a statement on medical travel, and my question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services. Medical travel involves, especially in my riding of the Deh Cho, either patients travelling from Hay River Reserve or else by plane, if they have the choice, or else from Fort Providence, Kakisa or Enterprise travelling by vehicle. Unfortunately, sometimes people are not given the choice to travel that long road between here and Fort Providence, so it becomes quite the experience.

Who decides if it’s okay for a patient to travel home by taxi after surgery? Is...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and move Committee Report 3-17(4) into Committee of the Whole for consideration today.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed the 2011-2012 Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. Members would like to thank Ms. Elaine Keenan-Bengts for her report and for her appearance before the committee at the public review on April 15, 2013.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly. Her primary role is to review and make recommendations on public bodies and decisions related to the Northwest Territories Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, or the...

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister indicated, if medical travel is required, a physician is required. Communities that don’t have health centres, in particular Kakisa, if a patient has to travel to either Hay River or Yellowknife, they make a decision. If there’s going to be a review of the policy, can that be considered to accommodate the needs of residents from Kakisa that doesn’t have a health centre? Mahsi.

How does the Health Minister justify not paying for meals and accommodations when a patient has to come to Yellowknife for medical reasons? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since being elected, I have been pointing out some of the ways people in small communities are at a disadvantage when it comes to receiving services provided by our government. Medical care is one of the biggest and most important. As we all know, there are many medical services that are not available in the small communities, so people have to travel. In my region, that often means going to Yellowknife.

There are no commercial flights and people can only travel by road, either by taxi or by private vehicle, and it is a pretty rough trip for someone who is in pain. Many...