Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday -- I believe it was yesterday; every day feels like a Monday around here some days.
Mr. Speaker, yeah, I believe yesterday I was asking questions about the dental review officer and the fact that I even stumbled across a point in one of the information that we have an annual contract in the range of $25,000 with him. So there is a direct relationship with the GNWT. I'd submitted a bunch of questions on, I believe, February 11th, and I am still waiting for those answers. Can the Minister update the House, and particularly obviously me -- because we have a lot of people hinging on these answers in the background in the dental industry wanting some true transparency -- can the Minister tell me when she'll be responding to my questions? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the department staff get back to me, then I will be able to respond. I know that my office did let the Member know that they're going to -- we responded to the initial questions and then came back with a whole another list of questions, so those went back. And so as soon as my office receives them, then we will send them on to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, there is some truism to the statement just made. What I will say is I sent the email on the 11th. She -- there was a follow-up on the 12th saying -- I am reasonable -- yeah, you need a little more time. Mr. Speaker, all of these questions are simple questions. This isn't my question but they're simply asking about their appointment start dates, their mandate letter, etcetera. Most of this is very easy information.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister -- this is the question: Can the Minister articulate before the House the reasoning of this delay; are they waiting for session to end or is there some type of blockage that we need to clarify? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Finance said yesterday, very, very wonderfully in her statement, about we only have so many people doing so many jobs and so we have a lot of things going on in the department right now, and a lot of that work was to do with budget negotiations and the ongoing work and as well as these -- all of the questions that come in from all of the Members, as soon as my office receives those answers, I will be forwarding them on. When my office receives answers from the department or from NTHSSA or from TCSA or from Hay River, they are vetted through my office as soon as we get them. I do not hang onto them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, these are very simple, uncomplicated questions. They're not tied up with hypotheticals or trickiness. They are honest and genuine questions.
Mr. Speaker, is the Minister suggesting that the department is incapable to responding in a timely way to Members?
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, there are many things. They also ask for a three-year full cost breakdown. That would have to go back to our finance people that are working currently on a lot of other things for this sitting. And so as those things -- they are -- you know, we prioritize them as they come in. And so all of the pieces of the questions might not be to the same person. So as we get the answers to my office, I will respond to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Mackenzie Delta.
