Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement today talked about the Pharmacy Act challenges and the scopes thereof, and I also talked about the opportunity this government could have if it would only seize the day of capturing some excellent work done by other jurisdictions. I don't have to name them all because it's all provinces have updated their scope of work for pharmacists.

Mr. Speaker, what can the Minister of Health and Social Services do to either capture, emulate, create, or borrow the work that's already done to ensure our pharmacists can be a health care partner in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've spoken and will continue to speak about accessibility of health care in the NWT. This impacts directly my constituents, your constituents, constituents up the Valley, down the Valley, all the way around, Mr. Speaker. Nobody cares more about health care than Northerners I'm sure. But that may not technically be a fact, so I don't look forward to the Premier calling me on my fact checking statement on that. Everyone cares.

Mr. Speaker, not to upset the government but, you know what, I've seen the hallmark of this Assembly so clearly it actually speaks...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's -- do we ever do any follow-up or surveys of people with respect to their stay at Larga? I've heard complaints from constituents that they don't find it very comfortable, don't find the meals, etcetera. I mean, it goes on -- I won't go on, but it goes on with a lot of further not very happy experiences. That said, do we do any surveys with our medical travel clients to get a sense of how they've enjoyed their stay or may not have enjoyed their stay and ways we can make them better? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I talked to some -- in talking with some of my constituents who have travelled to Edmonton, and they've gone to Edmonton for medical travel and they're concerned about some of the medical travel rates and the accommodations at Larga House. I'm curious on how often these programs get reviewed specific to location and the rates. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what is specifically holding them back? As I mentioned, the example I gave, a constituent went and was told they would wait two months to get a flu shot, which they could have gone to their local pharmacy and got. So that said, what is holding up this work? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I never want to miss an occasion for an opportunity to work with my community colleagues. And I won't go in a similar length as my previous speaker had just mentioned about the criticism, but it's a reminder of we're here collectively and we have to find ways to work together.

It's an unusual concept, you know, that some people feel, but I think it's the fundamental concept of working together when it's outside of your community and riding. And, you know, frankly, the town of Norman Wells needs additional hope. It needs the hope from power from Yellowknife...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First by saying I'll acknowledge the Member for raising a concern, first of all. I mean, I always feels it's important to acknowledge that. And the reason I'm saying I'm acknowledging that is her perspective, I can appreciate, I hear, I feel that perspective. And I think it's -- you know, we're in a forum to welcome that. So -- but we're also in a forum to have difference of opinions, as, Mr. Speaker, you know very well. My colleague for Range Lake, his post spoke with passion and perspective, and that's one thing we constantly balance here. It was only a few months ago...

Fair enough. I'll say it this way: In some cases, they go to the Larga House and I'm curious on how often that opportunity gets reviewed. In other words, is Larga the only location or the preferred location, and if so, how often does that go to competition? I was referring to the rates as in per diems. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in late November, I received the letter from the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding my concerns about the licensing of nurses here in the North. And basically, the letter comes back and says status quo is the way we go. My question is is what's stopping the Minister for providing direction to the association saying we're making it part of our funding agreement that we find an easier way to register foreign nurses who are qualified in Ontario, Alberta, but the gatekeeper process here refuses to let them join the service that we're in dire need...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was going to wave off a second question until the Premier had said the last piece. I was going to concede on maybe his contrition in the sense of he'll communicate better or work better. For the record, Mr. Speaker, we work here too, not just Cabinet, and in theory the Premier's principal secretary should be working with Members and, you know, whatnot. That said, how much is this office going to cost now that he's made this unilateral decision? Because we know how much they're paid because on the -- what's online, the GNWT website. They're paid the highest employee we...