Lesa Semmler

I will keep it short. We have the two transitional housings right now just because it's -- we've never had that program in the territory, we're just analyzing the current one that's open and operating, and then we'll be -- and that one's an NGO in Yellowknife that's non-Indigenous but it services anybody who comes back. But we also are working with an Indigenous up in Inuvik. But I will take this back too, because I know that my department works with housing and, you know, I hear the Member, and I know of the struggles that her region is having. But we also, you know, have heard from Hay River...

Could I use 20 minutes? So the medical travel policy, because it's not an insured service, we don't get funding for this and so what we do is we support, through our medical travel office that we fund currently, is we manage insurances. So behind the scenes, we try to manage insurances.

So if you're a GNWT resident, then you go through medical travel, your form goes in, then necessary decisions are made based on can this service be provided in the Northwest Territories in your home community, in the regional centre, in the capital, and if not, in Edmonton and where, and then that gets approved...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will get ADM Mathison to explain the funding roller coaster.

At this time, the -- as I mentioned, the new ten-year agreement is to respect the next ten-years and so using the inflation -- and that's why such the difference because the last contract ten years ago, there wasn't as many inflationary, there wasn't as many -- you know, the cost of travel wasn't as high. So what we have shared, I -- as I mentioned, I will take this back and share publicly with what I can share publicly. And I will see if I can do a different -- a comparison of the two -- the two, the previous and this contract, to show why the cost difference. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, when we have agreements with Alberta, especially with specialist services, the agreement is to offset their costs to be able to have that person designated for us and so they would be based in Alberta still; however, we fund the position to be able to support the Northwest Territories. And I believe that it's two part-time positions that they're -- that they're looking at to be able to support the hematology/oncology. And I believe they have one, but they're struggling to find the second one, and according to their standards is that that's why they stopped...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I believe we work with the -- well, we do work with all of the Indigenous governments through -- with the Council of Leaders, and we have the Indigenous -- or we have the council's -- what is it -- the health working group through the Council of Leaders; however, you know, if an Indigenous -- and this is one of the areas where it's exciting because, you know, with Indigenous governments and self-governments, you know, they can work directly with Indigenous Service Canada as they have -- they have detect funding pots created for wellness, and so it's exciting...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, currently regular physician staffing average about approximately 1.4 full-time equivalent positions per team supplemented by locum coverage. So we can have, you know, another two locum physicians on any given day. There is one dedicated full-time equivalent position for locum coverage for same-day access across the program. And nurse practitioner ranges from point-8 to 1 based on certain accommodations with the full-time staff. And we continue recruitment to achieve full complement remains a priority. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This was federal funding that expired, and so this program is very important to ensure that, you know, patients can be discharged earlier and be able to continue on IV therapy, so they will go through the outpatient IV therapy program. And also where people are, you know, going through emergency, they're not having to be admitted, they can just -- if they -- if they need to have IV therapy, they can be seen and then they can go to the IV therapy clinic to be able to get that outpatient treatment. It's very important that we make sure that, you know, we don't -- we put...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, if the Member is referring to the Council of Leaders, I know that there's usually a communique from the discussions that happen. And I can bring this back to my -- to my colleagues -- sorry, it's been a long day -- bring back to Cabinet, and then I can see if there's a report that's generated or an update for Members on the discussions that happen. I do know that we do have the AOC chair that attends, and I am not sure how that briefing or information is passed along, but I will bring this back to my Cabinet colleagues. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe with all of the legislation that was scheduled -- initially was scheduled to be able to go through for the 20th Assembly, my colleagues on the executive council and myself, we had to prioritize the legislation from each of our departments. I believe that the legislation that the Member has referenced to was lower on the list of the other legislation that we had that we wanted to ensure that got finished before the life of this government. Thank you.