Thank you, Member from Kam Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to join the Premier in welcoming Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty here to the chamber. I had the honour of serving with him in the 18th Legislative Assembly, and I consider him a very good friend. So thanks for being here today, Grand Chief.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Monfwi.
Mr. Speaker, [Translation] The Tlicho has been here for the last four years, so thank you. I'd like to say thank you to Jackson Lafferty who has been here for the last four years. [Translation Ends]. Masi for being here.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery.
I'd like to recognize my favourite pilot, who seems to be my pilot that every time I get to fly to Yellowknife, Mr. Oweden, and I guess better half or less-better half, of the Member from Kam Lake. So welcome to our Assembly.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your chambers. As I've said numerous times, we like to thank you very much for allowing us, the 19 of us, to represent the people of the Northwest Territories for four years. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It is always nice to have people in the gallery.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a great pleasure to ask the first question. I'll be asking the health Minister today some questions about the lab clinic that's downtown.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain why there's such lengthy line-up there in the walk-up portion of the clinic every single day wherein in the old days there wasn't that type of backlog. What has significantly changed that things either get deferred, delayed, or denied completely? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have the exact details of the overall wait times or anything. But what I do know is that the amount of staff that's allocated through our budgeting process is full, and they have been increasing the amount -- like, the amounts of referrals for blood work have been increasing and therefore there is work to be looking on -- you know, I mean, through our business process on this area as a prioritized area for access to care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the staff are unable to meet the demand, what's the solution? Is it to hire more staff, or is it to send samples of the lab techs, what they take, to Edmonton? Can the Minister reveal the solution to this particular problem; because I've got them. I want to hear what the Minister's doing about it. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the solution is that the demand is higher, so we are working through the business process that would look at the right amount of staff for the right amount of tests that we have to decrease the amount of tests that we have to send out. We need more lab technicians. We need more lab, you know, assistants. We need different hours. So what has happened -- and just to be more clear -- is the service providing downtown clinic is the same staffing that has always been the allocation for the Stanton lab. So now they're just kind of spread out in two different locations, which is not working. And so I will say that this area is what we've been kind of working on so that hopefully that, you know, in the new year we'll be able to have a better solution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Mr. Speaker, the next comment is no reflection of the staff, but it seems like the staff are unable to keep up with the pace and the demand that's there, which is sometimes reality, Mr. Speaker. And the constituents -- last point I'll make -- is they show up there, unlike the DMV they can't take a ticket, some of them can't stand because they're elderly, they're waiting for 35 people for 32 spots. It's quite a depressing experience, Mr. Speaker. So in short, Mr. Speaker, if Stanton has an addiction to deficits, as we all know -- and I have a lot of experience around this -- why doesn't the Minister take some bold action to go out of her way and say, we're hiring new staff for these clinics and we're going to make this service equal, fair, and accessible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member has said, that the health authority has a history of doing that process but not being able to do it in a way where we need to ensure that it's done in the proper process, and that is what we are doing right now. We are ensuring that the proper process is being followed and that we are going to look at the correct amount of staff to staff -- to look at what the staffing needs is for the Stanton Territorial Hospital to support. As the Stanton Territorial Hospital supports the rest of the territory, we need to make sure that when we do go forward, it's going to be the one size that's going to target everybody right across the territory. We're going to be able to run those tests that we need. We're going to be able to service the emergency departments. We're going to be able to open up those clinics so that, you know, that the appointments are being -- there is enough staff to do them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories has three major projects that it's identified as priorities: The Taltson hydroelectric expansion and submarine line, the Arctic Security and Economic Corridor, and the Mackenzie Valley Highway. We know the Mackenzie Valley Highway is well advanced. But all these projects are very important to the future of our economy. Today I want to ask the Premier if he views the Yellowknife Airport as a strategic asset worthy of that list. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Mr. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I understand the question to be is it my opinion that the Yellowknife Airport, as a project, is of the same, I guess, importance as the Mackenzie Valley Highway or the Slave Geological Province or the Taltson Hydro Expansion? So I'd have to say that, you know, the airport's very important obviously. I'm in there -- Mr. Speaker, you're in there quite often. It gets used by people around the territory. No doubt that it is a very important asset. If you're looking at the Mackenzie Valley Highway, that's a multi-billion dollar asset that will be constructed over a number of years. If you look at the Slave Geological Province, it's a multi-billion dollar road that would unlock untold mineral potential. And we look at the Taltson Hydro Expansion, and that is actually really a key part of that economic corridor. So the Yellowknife Airport, it's doing its job right now. Could it be expanded to do a better job? Absolutely. But the other projects are nation building. They are of a different scale all together. And so while every piece of that Arctic corridor, whether it's the highway coming into the territory, the rail line up to the support in Hay River, or the Yellowknife Airport, they're all important pieces. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the reason I brought it up is the theme of the corridor is one of corridors, not any one project as the Premier alluded to, but also the defence aspects of it. We have DND and NORAD funding that's waiting to be unlocked. So will the Premier join the calls from Yellowknife's city hall to the Yellowknife chamber and encourage the investment in the Yellowknife Airport as part, wrap it in, the Arctic Security and Economic Corridor because it fits in with the mandate and it's a vital asset that's not -- that's currently underutilized, and we're sitting on potentially tonnes of potential to invest in this asset. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So we're trying to keep things simple. When we're talking about going to the feds to look for funding to build a road, that's what we're looking for. The larger idea of the corridor, which involves different modes of transportation, different pieces of infrastructure, it's something that we're also live to and we do have discussions with the federal government about it. Myself and the deputy Premier met with the Minister of National Defence, and we discussed a number of different pieces of infrastructure in the territory and different needs we have, including the Yellowknife Airport. I know the Minister has spoken with the finance. The deputy Premier's spoken with the federal finance Minister about this. We have multiple departments engaged in this. So this is not something that is being ignored. But that said, when we want -- when we're looking for funding to build a certain project, we try to keep things to that project. So we don't want to confuse anyone. We want to be clear about what we're asking for. But there's no doubt that there are more needs in the territory than just a couple roads and a hydro expansion, and we do keep that on the fed's radar as well, and we discuss that with them at every opportunity. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier if he can direct the federal envoy to begin discussions with the federal government on a clear plan to advance the asset -- or the asset potential and resource needs of the Yellowknife Airport. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a number of departments and Ministers working on advancing the Yellowknife Airport project in terms of upgrades and looking at the future potential, and we'll continue to do that and take a whole-of-government approach. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
So it's hard to believe that in this day and age we can't seem to create either an online system or even a phone system that works to book a primary care appointment in Yellowknife. So the first question is what is being done to ensure that people in Yellowknife can actually book a primary care appointment in a timely way for issues that cannot wait several weeks or several months to be addressed but may not qualify as an emergency that would necessitate an emergency room visit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as this has been an ongoing discussion, I have been in contact with -- especially here in Yellowknife as an ongoing basis as to how improvements are being put into place and what can be put into place. I know that we have -- you know, people can call in. To improve appointment accessibility, several other measures have been used. These include same-day access to provide appointments. There's online call-back system to streamline booking requests. And from my understanding, people who can -- they are getting callbacks right away in a timely manner. An active process for filling cancellations to ensure no appointment slots are lost. And together, these initiatives enhance efficiency and ensure patients can ensure appointments more easily. I do know that as I have briefings with the NTHSSA, and I do question how is the improvements happening within -- especially within the Liwegoati and the primary care clinic, and they are saying that the numbers are increasing and their frontline staff are being trained more to, you know, offer more appointments as -- when people call in, in general, they used to be, I would like to book a doctor's appointment, and now they're doing more -- when they are able to get through, they are able to triage them and to say, like, we can't get you into a physician on your team this time, but we can get you into this health care provider or this health care provider. And that would speed up the process, which those health care providers work as a team, they can also consult with a physician on the patient's behalf. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I was a little bit unclear whether the Minister was talking about improvements to come or improvements already in place. But the example of creating a system of same-day bookings where if a physician or locum knows they have an opening the next day that they can contact people, for example, on a waiting list or a cancellation list and fill those slots on the same day, is that mechanism currently in place, or is it being worked on? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is waitlists, and within the callback or the online, it is active right now. And from my understanding, any time that there is a gap or an opening or a physician or any of the health providers, it is filled with those lists that they have currently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So private clinics, private walk-in clinics in the NWT not only have systems where you can check your lab results online, which sometimes means you can avoid the need to book a follow-up appointment, but they have online systems for booking appointments. So it's unclear what's preventing the public primary care system from using an online system. Is this being explored or developed, or what are the barriers here? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while private clinics in Yellowknife may use online booking, the implementing a similar system in the public care system is significantly more complex. The public system is subject to stricter regulations, including procurement rules, enhanced privacy, security requirements that do not apply to private clinics. In addition to that, the booking system must be able to coordinate appointments across multiple provider types, such as physicians, nurse practitioners, specialists, integrate with large complex health information system in contrast with private clinics typically manage bookings for a single provider or a small team. And before introducing any new technology, it's important to fully understand the underlying challenges to ensure the solutions.
And so one of the things that we are trying to look towards is the current system that we book appointments in has no -- we cannot do anything more with it, and that's why the new system that we're looking to move towards will have all of those pieces incorporated; however, it is challenging in a smaller jurisdiction to try to incorporate that, you know, with everything and with all of our technology being, like, there's multiple different systems that also need to be fed into that one system, and not all of them are compatible. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me her takeaways from reading the Honouring the Voices of Indigenous Peoples Report? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. I would assume you're asking the Minister of Health and Social Services. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, I have read the report, and I have -- I actually met with Indigenous patient advocates before the report came out and which was -- we had a -- we spent almost half a day together, and we talked about their -- what they have in their job as tools and what they're hearing from and how can they move these things forward, and this was part of their way of moving forward some of the words of the residents in the Northwest Territories that are going through their system. And so I think it's a good report that it highlights everything that anybody in this House that continuously says we have challenge with this, and so now that we have it all data and tracked and now we can actually work towards, you know, looking at how to make improvements. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the health Minister tell me what steps she's taking to create a robust time-bound and evaluative approach to implement the 13 actions for change that can be found in this report? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, you know, I think there was some timing from NTHSSA and myself. I stood in this House and did a statement on systemic -- with cultural and safety and anti-racism in this House, and then within the day, they were releasing this report right at the end of our session. So we weren't able to kind of combine the two. However, now we are first day back, and I followed up with the NTHSSA and they have drafted the implementation plan. They've created that, and this plan is being reviewed by their executive. And once that is done, I can share an update with the Members. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm really glad to hear the Minister spoke with the Indigenous patient advocates and had a good half day session. That's really positive to hear. And that she's taken the time to review the report herself. Can the Minister tell me if there are any actions in the report that she sees that are not going to be implemented and, if so, why? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a report from their internal division to their executive as they are through the authority. So this report is actually going to -- once they get it to the executive, the NTHSSA, then that's where they will define on where and what their implementation plan is. I haven't seen the implementation. I haven't seen what they're accepting and not accepting or what they're going to continue to work on or where they may need more information. That's usually how those types of plans come. I haven't seen it yet, so I can't speak to any of that yet. However, when I do have the information, you know, I'll be more than willing to have a conversation or share that with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our people deserve to feel safe in their homes and not live in fear every summer. With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, in 2005 Tlicho Agreement was ratified and came into effect. Since that time, numerous wildfires have burned over Tlicho lands and threatened Tlicho communities. I would like to ask the Minister how many hectares of land -- he might not have the answer, but I'm going to ask him. How many hectares of land have burned within the Tlicho region since 2005? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of ECC.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question. Not data that I have off the top of my head, but I'm happy to collect that and return a response to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
