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Doc talks may be back on

Filibuster may have tipped the balance

Yose Cormier
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 16/03) - Physician specialists and the government may resume talks sooner than scheduled.

"There's nothing formal in terms of a new date, but there is renewed contact," Health Minister Michael Miltenberger said Friday.

The two sides are not scheduled to resume contract talks until June 28, just three days before the doctors are set to resign if they don't have a deal.

A last-minute stalling tactic in the Legislature may have been the catalyst needed to get talks back on track.

Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee mounted a filibuster as doctors and concerned residents looked on from the visitors gallery.

"I wanted to see if I could prolong the session until we got some movement. I wanted to try to stay in session until negotiations were resumed," said Lee.

The sitting went until 1:30 a.m. and "as of today the process is back on. We have made a huge progress. But I won't be happy until an agreement is reached," she said Friday.

One MLA disagreed with Lee's method but said it may have worked.

Bill Braden, MLA for Great Slave, said some "interesting chemistry" was going on in the gallery as doctors and MLAs conversed.

"Various members and ministers were taking the time to say hello and exchange views," he said.

That made Braden optimistic that negotiations will resume soon.

"I have a sense that there is an appreciation from both sides that negotiations should resume," he said Friday.

Dr. Braam de Klerk, medical director of health in the Mackenzie Delta, hopes that talks will resume.

"I think both parties should settle and sooner the better. It's not good public relations for doctors and it's not good public relations for the government. I think they should try harder to reach a settlement."

If the specialists walk out, impact will be minimal on the average patient.

But for those who need urgent specialist attention will have to fly to Edmonton -- a five-hour flight from Inuvik that costs the government about $13,000.

Dana Rasiah, CEO of the Fort Smith Health and Social Services Authority, said a walk-out by specialists "may mean inconvenience, may be detrimental to the health of the client."

- With files from Erin Fletcher and Paul Bickford