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PoliticsTelecommunications20TuesdayJune252013HealthWellnessOrganDonationsByRENEFRANCOEURTheNorthwestTerritoriesHumanTissueActwhichregulatesorgandonationsislongoverdueforamake-overaccordingtomembersofLegislature.Thankstorecentsupportfromcabinetitmaysoonseesomemuchneededupdatessuchasclearlyprovidingfortransplantsbetweenlivingbodiesforexampleakidneydonationtoarelative.RangeLakeMLADarylDolynnybroughtforwardamotiononJune6callingfortheGNWTtoreviseorreplacetheactinordertocreateaframeworkfororgandonationthatreectsthebestpracticesacrossCanada.Alleightregularmembersvotedinfavourofthemotionandwhilecabinetabstainedfromtheinitialvotegovern-mentHouseLeaderMichaelMiltenbergerlaterconrmedonbehalfofHealthMinisterTomBeaulieuthatthegovernmentisgoingtocomeforwardwithalegislativeproposalthisfalloutliningpotentialamendmentstotheact.IamverypleasedthereissomuchsupportDolynnytoldTheJournal.Icanttellyouhowmanyhoursofresearchhavegoneintothis...Ivecom-paredouracttoalljurisdic-tionsacrossCanadaandIveeventakenitonestepfurtherwhereIvecomparedittointer-nationalchangesontheissue.Letshopetheytakesomeoftherecommendationsbroughtforwardinmyresearch.Thecurrentactwasde-signedin1988andrunsonlyapageandahalf.AccordingtoDolynnyitlacksprotectionfromcrimi-nalandcivilliabilityfororgandonorpartiesactingingoodfaithandwithoutnegligenceanddoesnotprovideaconcretedenitionoftissue.Italsocontainsnomentionofwhomaycarryoutorganremovalbeyondreferencingtherapeuticpurposesmedi-caleducationandmedicalre-searchasreasonsforremoval.Therearenopenaltiesforactviolationsandthesaleofbodypartsorbenettingfromdonationoforgansortissueisnotexplicitlybanned.Itsalsounclearintheconsentprovi-sionifaspouseincludesacommon-lawpartner.Cleaningupthehopelesslyoutdatedlegislationistherststeptowardsimplementingtherstofcialorgandonorreg-istryintheterritoryDolynnysaid.WithoutaregistryitsdifculttoguaranteeNorth-ernerswhowanttobeorgandonorsthattheoperationwillactuallygothrough.Youcanparticipateonavoluntarybasisbysigninganorgandonorcardbutreallythathasverylittlebiteandthatcanbechallenged...Thereslegalliabilityissuesbehindpar-ticipatinginthecurrentpro-gram.Youreallyhavetohavebeingmetoftenwithtragicresultsheadded.PersonallyIveknownsomeonewhowantedtodonateoneoftheirkidneysandIcanttellyouhowcomplicatedthatwastodothatanditwasntcov-eredunderourhealthcare.Youbasicallywanttogivesomeoneachanceatlifeandlegislationispreventingthathesaid.Thisisntthersttimeef-fortshavebeenundertakentoIthinktherehasbeenachangeinmindsetamodernizationofthoughtifyouwillanditsbeingmoreacceptedbymanyofthestakeholderswhomayhavepreviouslyhadsomeis-suesaboutdonatingorgans.FrameLakeMLAWendyBisaroagreedthatorgando-nationisfarmorecommonthanitwasinthe1980s.ImprovingtheHumanTissueActisanecessaryrststepinimprovingoursystemDolynnyconcludedintheHouse.WeoweafunctioningsystemoftissuedonationtoourresidentsandtootherCanadi-ans.Letsbeclear.Rightnowifoneofourresidentsneedsakidneyoraheartoralungorevenacorneatheydepend100percentonCanadiansinotherjurisdictions.Wearenthelpingbutwedobenetfromthegen-erosityofothers.OrgandonationscosteffectiveTransplantsnotonlysavelivesbuttheyhavethepoten-tialtosavethegovernmentandtaxpayersmoney.AccordingtoDolynnyasinglekidneytransplantsavesthehealthsystemabout250000everyveyears.Theestimatedsavingsofkidneytransplantsalonewas800millioninCanadain2009hetoldtheHouseonJune6.Transplantservicesarecar-riedoutintheNWTinpart-nershipwithAlbertaHealthServicesAHSasspecializedsurgicalteamsequipmentandadvancedlifesupportessentialtoorganharvestingarenotavail-ableintheNWT.Logisticalbar-rierssuchasgeographytransittimesandlablimitationsalsopreventtheNWTfromorganharvestingBeaulieuexplainedtotheLegislativeAssembly.TheStantonHealthAuthorityhaspartneredwiththeHumanOrganProcedureExchangeHOPEProgrambasedinAl-bertawhichfundsallairandgroundtravelcostsforpoten-tialNWTdonorstotravelthere.TheyAHSarecurrentlylookingforbetterwaysbet-teroptionsforidentifyingpo-tentialdonorsincludingthepossibilityofaregistrythatwillincludeourresidentsinanyinitiativestheydevelopBeaulieusaidinthehouse.In2010-2011fourNorthern-ersreceivedlivertransplantsthroughHOPE.In2011-2012therewerevelivertrans-plantsoneisletcelltransplantandonepartialliverdonationfromalivingdonor.GNWTtoproposerevisedHumanTissueActthisfallByRENEFRANCOEURThegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritorieswantstoseetelecommunicationscom-panyNorthwestelstepupwhenitcomestoprovidingmoderninternettoNorthernclients.PublichearingsheldbytheCanadianRadio-TelevisionandTelecommunicationsCommissionCRTCinInu-vikandWhitehorselastweekheardaseriesofpresentationstohelpthecommissioneval-uateNorthwestelsve-year233-millionmodernizationplanwhichwasrevisedandcutbackinJanuary.ThecompanycanspendmoreandmustspendmoreMikeAumondtheGNWTsdeputyministerofFinanceandsecretaryoftheFinancialMan-agementBoardtoldtheCRTChearingpanellastMonday.Thegovernmentislargelyconcernedwithchangestothecompanysoriginalmodern-izationplanespeciallythedecisionnottoupgradein-ternetspeedsinsatellitecom-munitiesanditsplanstocutbackontransportexpendi-turesAumondsaid.AccordingtoAumondthehighestinternetspeedavail-ableinthe10NWTsatellitecommunitiesisexpectedtobewellbelowthetargetspeedestablishedbytheCRTC.Attheendofthedaythesesatellitecommunitieswillhavehighspeedinternetaccessat1.5mbpsdownloadand384kbpsupload.Thisisnotacceptablenowandwillbeevenlessacceptablein2017whentheplanistobecom-pletedespeciallywhenNWTsatellitecommunitieshavere-centlybeenofferedtheabilitytopurchaseinternetpackagesat2.5mbpsupload384kbpsdownloadspeedshesaid.WebelievethesespeedsareonlybeingofferednowduetotheFalconCommuni-cationsNorthwestelbroad-bandprojectwiththirdpartyfundingthatwillendin2017.Atthattimeifweunderstandthemodernizationplancor-rectlyNWTsatellite-servedcommunitieswillrevertto1.5mbpsdownloadspeeds.Thisisnotmodernization.DarrellBeaulieupresidentofFalconCommunicationsLtd.notedinhispresenta-tiontothepanellaterthatdaythatmorebandwidthfundingwouldberequiredtocontinueserviceatratescomparabletotherestoftheterritoryinthesatellitecom-munitiesafter2017.Beaulieusaidalongertermsolutioniscurrentlybeingexamined.Fifty-eightterrestrially-servedcommunitieswillseesubstantiallyincreasedinter-netspeedswhichwillvastlyexceedthecommissionstar-getsof5mbpsdownloadand1mbpsuploadEricClementNorthwestelscommunicationsmanagertoldTheJournal.Thirty-eightsatellitecom-munitieswillhaveaccesstohigh-speedinternetservedbyNorthwestelorSSiMicroalbeitatspeedslowerthantheCRTCs5mbpsdown-loadand1mbpsupload.Toraisespeedsinthesatellitecommunitiesthereneedstobeacoordinatedefforttolookatreducingthecostofbackbonespecicallysatel-litebackhaulhesaid.OnbehalfoftheGNWTAumondurgedthepaneltodirectNorthwesteltoofferservicewithaminimum5mbpsdownloadand1mbpsuploadspeedtoallitscommu-nitiesandthatthecompanyisprobablyfullycapableofdoingthiswithoutfurtherfundingsupport.Thegovernmentalsoex-pressedconcernwithbackhaultransportthewaythewirelessnetworkisconnectedfromre-motepointstolargecentralizedsitesnotingthattherehavebeenmanycomplaintsaboutitsinadequacy.OurgovernmentislookingtobuildabrelinkthroughtheMackenzieValleybecausetheareaisinadequatelyservedbyNorthwestelsexistingmicro-wavenetworkAumondsaid.AccordingtoAumondNorthwestelcancelledallplannedbreopticsexpen-dituresandreduceditstotalplannedtransportexpendituresby36.5millioninresponsetotheCRTCsWholesaleConnectDecisioninFebru-arywhichsignicantlyre-ducedthewholesaleratestouseNorthwestelsbackboneinfrastructuretohelpoutthecompetitionsuchasIristelandSSi.Meanwhilethecompanysmodernizationplanpromisestoincreasebackbonetrans-portcapacityby150percentstrengtheningoverallnetworkcapabilitiesandfurthersup-portingcompetition.Otherbenetstotheplanincludehaving100percentoftheNorthernpopulationaccessenhancedcallingfea-turesand99percentaccess4Gwirelesstechnologyen-ablingtheuseofsmartphonesandtabletsthecompanysaidinarecentrelease.WehavebeeninvestingandwebelievethatthisissomethingtobeproudofbutweappreciatethatthereismoretobedoneandthatswhatourmodernizationplanisallaboutNorthwestelsCEOPaulFlahertysaidintherelease.OurplanwillsignicantlystrengthenthesocialandeconomicfabricoftheNorthwhileensuringthatsuchinvestmentsaresustainableandcanbebuiltuponforyearstocome.NorthwestelsmonopolyintheNWTYukonandNuna-vutcametoahaltnearlytwoyearsagowhentheCRTCsteppedintoopenuptheNorthtoothertelecommu-nicationscompetition.In2011theCRTCre-questedthecompanydevelopaplantonotonlyaddressconcernssuchascompeti-tionbutalsomodernizeitsout-of-dateinfrastructure.TherecenthearingsservetoassesstheplanandhowitcomparestotherestofCanadaaswellasensureitcanbeimplementedinatimelymanner.GNWTwantsmorespendingfromNorthwestelCRTChearingsevaluatecompanysrevisedmodernizationplanPhotoEricClementTheCRTCpanelhearsapresentationinWhitehorselastThursdayfromtheDakwakadaDevelopmentCorporationpartownersofLatitudeWirelessinYukon.Letshopetheytakesomeoftherec-ommendationsbroughtforwardinmyresearch.RangeLakeMLADarylDolynnyluckonyoursideandfamilysupporttomakeithappenDolynnysaid.ClearlyrightnowwerenotapartoftheCa-nadiandatabasebuthopefullythatchangesdowntheroadaswebeginthisprocess.Asingleorgandonorcansaveuptoeightlivesandtis-suecanhelpupto50otherpeopleDolynnysaid.Morethan4000Canadi-ansareonwaitlistsfortrans-plantsincludingsevenintheNWT.Thedemandisnotmodernizetheact.Thetopicwasbroughtupin1994in1998andagainin2001.Yel-lowknifeCentreMLARobertHawkinsalsourgedformerhealthministerSandyLeetolookattheactin2009.Ithinkinterestintheactwanedabittooovertheyearsbecauseoftheculturalsensi-tivityingivingawayonesor-gansfromaspiritualperspec-tive.IwentintothisknowingthatDolynnysaid.Havingsaidthatinterestinglyenough