Debates of October 16, 2025 (day 63)

October
16
2025
Session
20th Assembly, 1st Session
Day
63
Speaker
Shane Thompson
Word PDF
Members Present
Mr. Edjericon, Mr. Hawkins, Hon. Lucy Kuptana, Hon. Vince McKay, Mr. McNeely, Ms. Morgan, Mr. Morse, Mr. Nerysoo, Ms. Reid, Mr. Rodgers, Hon. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Hon. Shane Thompson, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek, Mrs. Weyallon Armstrong, Mrs. Yakeleya
Assembly Members
Topics
Bill 21: An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act
Bill 22: Legislation Act
Bill 23: An Act to Amend the Children’s Law Act
Bill 24: An Act to Amend the Family law Act
Bill 27: An Act to Amend the Protection Against Family Violence Act
Bill 28: An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, No. 2
Bill 29: First Responders Workers’ Compensation Amendment Act
Bill 32: An Act to Amend the Public Service Act, No. 2
Follow-up to Oral Question 439-20(1): Respite Care and Home Care in Dehcho Communities
Follow-up to Oral Question 502-20(1): Public-Private Partnership Project Leases
Follow-up to Oral Question 503-20(1): Public-Private Partnership Project Records Management
Follow-up to Oral Question 582-20(1): Reducing Primary Care Wait Times in Yellowknife
Follow-up to Oral Question 628-20(1): Junction Lights on Highways No. 4 and No. 5
Follow-up to Oral Question 656-20(1): Construction of New Housing Units
Follow-up to Oral Question 693-20(1): Elders in Schools Program
Follow-up to Oral Question 694-20(1): Targeted Amendments to Waters Act Regulations
Follow-up to Oral Question 706-20(1): Community Counselling Program
Follow-up to Oral Question 712-20(1): Nurse Practitioners
Follow-up to Oral Question 742-20(1): Shelter Encampments in Yellowknife
Follow-up to Oral Question 746-20(1): Mandate Implementation Update
Follow-up to Oral Question 747-20(1): 911 Service Disruption Update
Follow-up to Oral Question 749-20(1): Guidelines for Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Government of the Northwest Territories
Follow-up to Oral Question 758-20(1): Implementation of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Call to Action
Follow-up to Oral Question 762-20(1): Functional Communications Review
Member’s Statement 698-20(1): Community Ambulances
Member’s Statement 699-20(1): 2023 Wildfire Emergency Response After-Action Review
Member’s Statement 700-20(1): 2023 Wildfire Emergency Response After-Action Review
Member’s Statement 701-20(1): Condition of the Dempster Highway
Member’s Statement 702-20(1): Housing Access for Elders
Member’s Statement 703-20(1): 2023 Wildfire Emergency Response After-Action Review
Member’s Statement 704-20(1): Standing Committees’ Recent Activities
Member’s Statement 705-20(1): Wildfire Evacuation of Fort Providence
Member’s Statement 706-20(1): Missing Person Frank Gruben
Member’s Statement 707-20(1): Nation-Building Projects
Member’s Statement 708-20(1): Celebration of Life of Hilary norwegian
Member’s Statement 709-20(1): Eulogy for Moses Larel Luwalira
Minister’s Statement 144-20(1): Sessional Statement
Minister’s Statement 145-20(1): Ministers Absent from the House
Question 763-20(1): 2023 Wildfire Emergency Response After-Action Review
Question 764-20(1): 2023 Wildfire Emergency Response After-Action Review
Question 765-20(1): Funding of the NWT Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Question 766-20(1): 2023 Wildfire Emergency Response After-Action Review
Question 767-20(1): Community Ambulance Services
Question 768-20(1): Financial Supports for Emergency Evacuees
Question 769-20(1): Language Barriers in Accessing Housing Supports
Question 770-20(1): Dempster Highway Conditions
Question 771-20(1): Funding of the NWT Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Question 772-20(1): 2023 Wildfire Emergency Response After-Action Review
Question 773-20(1): Additional Housing Units to Tlicho Communities
Question 774-20(1): Electronic Emergency Signage on Highways
Question 775-20(1): Highway Construction in the Sahtu
Question 776-20(1): 2023 Wildfire Emergency Response After-Action Review
Return to Oral Question 666-20(1): Northwest Territories Legal Aid Commission Capacities
Tabled Document 371-20(1): Additional Information for Return to Written Question 18-20(1), Surgical Wait Times and Backlogs
Tabled Document 375-20(1): Northwest Territories Power Corporation Amended Capital Budget
Tabled Document 376-20(1): Report of the Northwest Territories Integrity Commissioner on the Complaint by Mr. Benjamin Adams about Mr. Shane Thompson, MLA
Written Question 17-20(1): Staff Turnover and Vacancy Rates
Written Question 18-20(1): Surgical Wait Times and Backlogs
Statements

Written Question 18-20(1): Surgical Wait Times and Backlogs

Speaker: Mr. Glen Rutland

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question asked by the Member for Yellowknife Centre on May 29th, 2025, regarding Surgical Wait Times and Backlogs.

1. The number of patients currently on the waitlist.

Summary of current operative waitlist, numbers per service as of June 2025:

· Orthopedic 150

· Gynecological - 80

· General Surgery 127

· ENT - 70

2. The average wait times.

The average wait time for operative services differ greatly from patient to patient, depending on the urgency of the medical condition and physician direction. For elective operative procedures for orthopedics, including hip and knee joint replacements, once booked, a patient can expect to wait approximately two (2) years for an elective joint surgery in the NT.

3. The median wait times.

Please see response above.

4. The number of surgeries cancelled or delayed in the past 24 months and the reasons.

Later today, I will table a document which provides a Summary of Rationale for Surgery Cancellation for 2024 and a Summary of Rational for Surgery Cancellations, until July 2025.

5. A breakdown of patients by community and age group.

Surgical wait time data is not collected to that level of detail. To identify community and age-group granularity would require additional human resource capacity not currently available in the health and social services system.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.