Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I can say is that we are working closely with CAN on how to move international-educated nurses into our system. We are working -- you know, we do graduate -- I believe this year is another large class that will be graduating from the nursing program. I am not sure how much more capacity our college could have to expand that. But I also know that we have many, many NWT residents that are also outside the territory currently training, and a lot of them want to come home and, you know, we have jobs for them. So we just need to ensure that we are making...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, within the communities, dental -- or sorry, community health reps can be doing a lot of that health promotion, especially in the public, in the schools, making sure that, you know, it's an important part of teaching kids to make sure they're brushing their teeth. Also, the other piece underway is the modernization of dental equipment as I mentioned. But I would like to say that there are some Indigenous governments that have taken some more leads in this area, and I would -- the IRC for instance, they have established their own program, you know, with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the Member's question, right now what we are doing, immediate steps what we are doing is ensuring that there is a process for everyone who is covered under their insurance, applicable insurance. So for First Nation/Inuit, that would be through NIHB; Metis benefit, then they would go through that program or extended health benefits or employer benefits. But while saying that, that will help to access the travel to get to the dentist in the capital, or if you're in the Beaufort Delta sometimes it helps to get you to Whitehorse, what we're doing right now is we've -- we...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Additional Information for Written Question 30-20(1): Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority Action Plans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, where we are focusing on is during COVID, as many people know, that we ceased to be able to send dentists into the community. Those RFPs that went out to the private dentists who do provide that support in small communities, right now we are working with Indigenous Service Canada to be able to get that up and going, and we should be -- I believe we're ready to be putting out those RFPs soon so that dentists will be traveling back into the communities. We are not at the stage in health to be doing any of the training of that. That is a discussion that I can have with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that Nunavut has a contract with the Northwest Territories to be able to provide those services; however, I do believe that we prioritize, you know, all of the -- everyone that's coming into the system, but I'd have to take that back and get more detail on how that would work. But I do believe that if we weren't able to meet the needs, you know -- like, I don't have that level of detail here in the House. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I stated that the reliance on agency nurses is declining in the Northwest Territories as we are strengthening the way that we are recruiting and the type of -- you know, we're recruiting half-time positions and job shares and we're looking at different ways to meet the needs of the workforce today. So that is one of the most important pieces is that we're not solely reliant on filling a lot of the needs. There's a lot of misunderstanding because there are casual term nurses that do come into the system but they are paid under the collective agreement the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have that level of detail; however, I do know that I do get monthly updates when I have my meeting with the NTHSSA. And since December, I believe we've used two and that is to ensure that the Inuvik obstetrics stays open. However, we are more and more relying on just continuing with our long-term casuals and our terms that do come back. A lot of the recruitment and retention that's been done has -- although it's not filling all our vacancies, they are filling job shares which are more permanent in the communities and that's -- you know, we're trying...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, this is one of our priorities of this government, that we all said that we needed and we wanted, and so that's why we are committed to working and moving this type of a project and supporting the Endacho Indigenous-led to being able to establish within the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Potato/potata. Well, I mean, I love the North. I would never move to Vancouver or anywhere in BC; I don't like the rain, I don't like the fires. So I believe that, you know, the North is a place where you go when you want a lifestyle and many people love and enjoy -- like, the nurses that I worked with in Inuvik, and they continue -- they're there, they love it, it's their home. You know, and I think this is the thing, is we have a work-life balance and, you know, unfortunately, sometimes, you know, we talk about, yes, there's times where nurses have to...