Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we would like to have more of our young people going in to become a nurse, you know. But if our education system was better, was good like Yellowknife and other regional centre, larger regional centre, yes, we can graduate, we can send more, we can encourage. But it's going to take years some of them to upgrade. They have to go through upgrading. And, you know, like, a lot of them are behind as noted in the 2018 health status report. Our education system is low and our graduation system is also low. So, yes, we would like to encourage. We would like to encourage...

Thank you. Yeah, well the human resources increased to $1.06 million. So that's why I'm asking that, you know, and there's 80 administrative and support services even though that, you know, with the increase but there are still 80 administrative and support services positions located in headquarters. Can we have some of those jobs transferred to the region?

Thank you. Thank you. I see here, okay, the administrative has increased to $935,000. And human resources increased to $1.06 million. And all 80 administrative and support services positions are located in headquarters. Can any of these positions be decentralized to regional office, like, sonographer. You know, like, we've been asking there's a lot of challenges why some people do not want to go to Yellowknife to access services. There's the transportation. There's the childcare. There's the interpreters. So there's all kind of reason why some people choose not to go to Yellowknife to access...

Thank you. Yeah, Mr. Speaker, Tlicho government want our children and youth to be counselled, mentored, and supported by Tlicho people. It is critical that children and youth receive the support from their own people.

Will the Minister of health agree with me that Tlicho children and youth should be counselled by Tlicho people? Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize our two young girls, pages, Gabrielle Nitsiza and Keira Franki of Whati. They're both attending Menzi Community School, and their chaperone, KerryAnne Franki, and Calvin and Suzie Franki. So I would like to welcome and acknowledge them. And I would like to acknowledge all the interpreters that are here from the regions. Thank you.

Thank you. Well, I would like to see something, you know, like, because I'm sure the people would like to see something because there's a lot of young people that don't want to leave their community. They don't want to because with a housing shortage, people don't want to leave, you know, because if they leave then they're going to lose their housing, especially with the public units and leaving their family, their language, their culture behind is it's hard on some people, some of the young people, so they would rather do a lot of the training. And if we had more of that in small...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We know GNWT struggles to fill positions in Tlicho region. So why does the government GNWT need to keep control over positions they cannot fill? Can the Minister review all the unfilled position in the Tlicho region and work with the Tlicho government to transfer over positions that Tlicho government is ready to take on? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not asking for the Government of the Northwest Territories to allow the Tlicho government to apply on funds for child and youth care counselling. I want to see the government work government to government and transfer child and youth care counsellor positions.

Will the Minister commit to meet with the Tlicho government to develop a timeline for transferring over the child and youth care counsellors to the Tlicho government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one year ago, I asked the Government of the Northwest Territories to transfer child and youth care counsellors to the Tlicho government without restriction. I asked this because the child and youth care counsellors in the Tlicho region are not working but we know how important these positions are to our youth, which is why the Tlicho want to take ownership of these positions to make sure they are culturally appropriate.

We know in our region that families are stressed due to the housing crisis. This has an effect on their mental wellbeing. Our youth see and...

No. No, I think I just well, I'm more interested in the communitybased programs so I just I would like to see more of that in small communities, so. And if there's, you know, a plan on doing something about it, you know, that's good. Then I guess we will just wait and see what kind of plan they have in place. Yeah, thank you.