Michael Nadli

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this report within 120 days.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you. Mr. Speaker.

Northwest Territories residents are fortunate to have had Elaine Keenan-Bengts, a lawyer in private practice, as the Information and Privacy Commissioner since 1997. This length of service provides the Northwest Territories with remarkable continuity and expertise in the complex and involved field of access to information and protection of privacy. The Standing Committee on Government Operations is grateful for Ms. Keenan-Bengts passion for information and privacy rights in northern Canada. It respects her work in reviewing complaints and making thoughtful, well...

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.