Richard Nerysoo

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have one question in regards to the travel support program. There was patients from my region would have been misplaced and were located in Calgary about a week later. Would they qualify for this program, or is it still active? Thank you.

Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, that information would be helpful in addressing this with constituents who were placed on medical travel and ended up in Calgary or elsewhere. That information will be helpful. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to bring the concern of alcohol and drugs within our communities. This issue is nothing new to the residents of the Northwest Territories and this government. The legalizations of marijuana, the dealers from the southern region of Canada have had to resort to hard drugs to keep their business going. Unfortunately, these hard drugs have made their way into our communities within the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, when I was the interim band manager for the Tetlit Gwich'in Band Council, we dealt with the influx of alcohol and drugs on a daily basis. We...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the general public has lost confidence in the housing local housing authorities because they themselves have to follow these policies. Will the Minister look at doing a consultation round with the residents of the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department has policies and that these policies are determined on seemed to be determined open a waitlist. Policies should be based on family needs. A family of four should have precedent over a smaller family. Will the Minister look at revisiting its current policies in terms of housing allocations to meet the needs of these families? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to the tour with the Minister. Thank you, and that's just a general comment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think more of these consultations should be taken out to the residents of the Northwest Territories. Will the department look at meeting with the residents of the Northwest Territories to get feedback on its policies? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have residents within our communities who want nothing but to better their lives for themselves and their families. I am referring to residents of our communities who want to return back to school in hopes of finding a secure career path for their immediate future. Their hopes and dreams are soon diminished upon returning to their home communities to find that they do not have a home to go to.

Mr. Speaker, I was contacted by a constituent from my riding who stated that she wanted to go back to school for this very reason. Before leaving her community with...

Okay, I'd like to thank the Minister for that response. I think I should have clarified my question a little further.

In terms of trying to get all the patients or the referrals seen by the dentist, you know, having a team go travel to Inuvik where the surrounding communities around the Beaufort Delta can go into the communities, that's what I was referring to if the Minister has any indication to get somebody to Inuvik? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is evident that the NWT health department is having trouble recruiting dental services for the residents of the Northwest Territories. In the year 2023, there was a total of 242 patients from the Mackenzie Delta region alone who were referred to Yellowknife to see the dentist. Another 33 were referred to Edmonton.

Mr. Speaker, the cost of these patients to travel from Inuvik to Yellowknife back to Inuvik is a modest $387,200. I say modest because cost factor does not include travel from their respective communities and for accommodations while in Yellowknife.

Mr...