Debates of February 26, 2026 (day 85)

February

2026

Session

20th Assembly, 1st Session

Day

Speaker

Shane Thompson

Word PDF

Members Present

Hon. Caitlin Cleveland, Mr. Hawkins, Hon. Lucy Kuptana, Hon. Jay MacDonald, Hon. Vince McKay, Mr. McNeely, Ms. Morgan, Mr. Morse, Ms. Reid, Mr. Rodgers, Hon. Lesa Semmler, Hon. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Hon. Shane Thompson, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek, Mrs. Weyallon Armstrong, Mrs. Yakeleya

Assembly Members

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Monfwi

Topics

Member's Statement 930-20(1): Information Technology in Northwest Territories Healthcare

Member's Statement 931-20(1): Rock the Rings Curling Festival

Member's Statement 932-20(1): Global Water Bankruptcy

Member's Statement 933-20(1): Primary Healthcare Services

Member's Statement 934-20(1): "Following the North Star: Primary Health Care Reimagined Together" Summit

Member's Statement 935-20(1): Three-Phase Electric Power in Enterprise

Member's Statement 936-20(1): Medical Travel

Member's Statement 937-20(1): Future of the Mining Industry in the Northwest Territories

Member's Statement 938-20(1): 2025 Northwest Territories Youth Volunteer of the Year Award Recipient Ava Erasmus

Minister's Statement 186-20(1): Tourism 2030 Update

Minister's Statement 187-20(1): Auditor General of Canada Progress Update

Minister's Statement 188-20(1): Recognizing Outstanding Volunteer Awards Recipients for 2025

Motion 67-20(1): Establishment of an Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, Carried

Motion 68-20(1): Appointment of Member to the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission

Motion 68-20(1): Appointment of Member to the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission, Carried

Question 1101-20(1): Midwifery Services

Question 1102-20(1): Jordan's Principle Funding

Question 1103-20(1): Canadian Institute for Health Information

Question 1104-20(1): Housing in Inuvik

Question 1105-20(1): Transboundary Water Agreements

Question 1106-20(1): Primary Care Framework

Question 1107-20(1): Three-Phase Power in Enterprise

Question 1108-20(1): Medical Travel OUtside the Northwest Territories

Question 1109-20(1): Midwifery Services

Question 1110-20(1): Nurse Retention

Question 1111-20(1): Data Collection in northwest Territories Healthcare

Question 1112-20(1): Transboundary Water Agreements

Question 1113-20(1): Relationship with New Chair of the Unuvialuit Regional Corporation

Question 1114-20(1): Paramedics

Question 1115-20(1): Housing in the Dehcho Region

Question 1116-20(1): Apprenticeship POsitions in Infrastructure

Question 1117-20(1): Healthcare Informatics

Question 1118-20(1): Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link

Question 1119-20(1): Healthcare Informatics

Recorded Vote

Return to Written Question 27-20(1): Physician Recruitment and Retention

Tabled Document 480-20(1): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 29-20(1): Report on Committee Project: Housing as a Human Right

Tabled Document 481-20(1): Photos of Holdover Fires on Highway 3 Approximately 15 km from Fort Providence, Taken December 11, 2025

Statements

Question 1117-20(1): Healthcare Informatics

Kieron Testart

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sure you'll be surprised to know I have questions about health care informatics.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of health said in October that our health IT is, quote, outdated and can't do anything more. Is the vendor for that technology still providing security patches? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Lesa Semmler

Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes.

Kieron Testart

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Her own letter states hospital charts are paper-based. The virtual care action plan calls for -- calls the systems independent islands of data. So how much of the $700 million for the total budget of the authorities allocated to EMR replacements? Thank you.

Lesa Semmler

Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the EMR replacement hasn't come forward yet, so we're still in that process of developing the RFP. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Kieron Testart

Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the public administrator has been in place for 14 months with not much to show for it, unfortunately, Mr. Speaker. Has he been tasked with bringing the NWT into CIHI compliance? And if not, what is the $700 million buying in system accountability? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Lesa Semmler

Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have 33 communities. We have a state-of-the-art territorial hospital. It is very expensive to run. And we have -- I don't know how many staff that -- off the top of my fingers, but we have the greatest amount of frontline staff next to education, and that is what's cost -- the cost of the budget. The department, as well, holds a lot of the money. And so what the public administrator is not in charge of leading the EMR. The RFP is being between I think the office of the OCIO. And in the department, we have our own staff that are working towards getting that RFP out. When the NTHSSA becomes involved in that part is when we start to do the work of establishing -- what are they called -- the pathways within our system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.