Denny Rodgers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, non-insured health benefits are meant to reduce barriers to care for Indigenous peoples, but today in the Northwest Territories this federal program is not meeting the needs of the people it is meant to serve. The GNWT administers NIHB on behalf of Indigenous Services Canada, yet ISC continues to underfund this program, leaving our territorial health system to subsidize a federal responsibility.

Mr. Speaker, it is like asking a small mom and pop shop to cover the costs of a billion-dollar corporation. It simply isn't fair, and it is not sustainable.

Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move the chair rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, just quickly. So do you have the detail on how long that position had been vacant? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 448-20(1), 2026-2027 Main Estimates, Department of Health and Social Services and the Department of ECC. Committee also wishes to consider Tabled Document 453-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2025-2026. And, Tabled Document 454-20(1), Supplementary Estimates, (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2025-2026. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for that. So around that, I guess that same theme of being involved, what opportunities, Mr. Speaker, will there be for Indigenous governments and local communities to stay involved as this project moves forward?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about the community engagement sessions that are taking place across the Mackenzie Valley on the proposed Mackenzie Valley Highway. Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the MLA from the Sahtu, is currently attending these sessions alongside members of the strategic infrastructure, energy, and supply chains' team.

These sessions give residents a chance to hear where the project is at, what work is being planned, and what the next steps are for the project and communities. They also give people a chance to ask questions and share their views directly with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for that. Mr. Speaker, my final question is when the residents of Inuvik head south with their commerce to head into the Yukon and head into possibly Alberta, Mr. Speaker, when can the Minister anticipate that they can put their left signal light on and take a left turn and head all the way down to Yellowknife instead, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up to my Member's statement, I have questions for the Minister of Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide an update on the community engagement sessions and what the department's hearing from the residents as they engage with the community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 448-20(1), 2026-2027 Main Estimates, the Department of Health and Social Services. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I certainly appreciate that. We'll look forward to a reply on that. If the college is no longer interested in funding this, again this important organization, at least for another year so they can seek funding in other sources, would she commit to looking at either the department of ECE or ITI to look at ways we can at least short-term fund this organization for a year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.