Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So this is a large increase. Can the Minister tell us what this funding is inclusive of. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is good news that we'll have a firm date, and I welcome the receipt of that either here or elsewhere.

As it relates to the Grays Bay project on the other end of the corridor, can the Minister give a status update on the Nunavut side of the project as it is crucial, again, to the completion of this, to the best of her ability of course. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd also like to ask questions for the Minister of Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains.

The Arctic Economic and Security Corridor is a crucial strategic priority of this government and Canada. Obviously, it's in the planning stages. We're not shovel ready at all. The question I have is about the billions of dollars that have been promised in new defence spending in the Northwest Territories. Is any of that contingent on the ASEC corridor? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the cost of -- I believe it was the cost of living subsidy. So will that directly impact the bills that my constituents are paying? Because that's what it -- because that's where the rubber meets the road. Are they going to see increasing costs, or are they going to see a stabilized cost going forward where they're not going to see these shocks month on month; that's what they want to know. And I am hoping the Minister can tell me. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not getting some clear answers so I will have to come back to this. But, Mr. Speaker, one of the partners the Minister left out is municipalities. Will the Minister transfer land requests from municipalities, particularly the city of Yellowknife but also Inuvik, Hay River -- will he transfer those lands that they've requested for by, let's say, end of Q2 this year? We need this land now. We need to bring the investment forward. It's time for these decisions to be made; will he make those decisions? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, dovetailing on my colleague's comments about the economy, crucial to the economy, especially a natural resource economy, is land tenure. I'd like to ask the Minister responsible for Environment and Climate Change how is his department moving expediently to ensure that there is comprehensive land tenure reform so there's certainty in the Northwest Territories for investment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've already asked the Minister to deal with this. I've already had that conversation.

Mr. Speaker, I've got another constituent. The mother was sick. Stanton had to fly -- has always had to fly her out with kidney stones but they got so bad and she was told to wait. She went into septic shock and almost died. They refused to get her son to go as an escort. Instead, they had to pay thousands for hotels and accommodations, and medical travel ultimately paid for the days that they would send him down to pick her up and take her home but wouldn't pay for the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am all for efficiencies within the medical travel system, and there are a lot of baseline approval processes that don't have anything to do with medical travel exceptions that are costly, bloated, and inefficient. What we're talking about is people who need help when the system has failed them; they're falling through the cracks. Will the Minister do the right thing and approve the exceptions that are brought forward by our offices, supported by doctors' evidence, supported by the medical system; do the right thing and help these people because they need...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in speaking about medical travel, especially around exemption policies, because we can't have a one-size-fits-all policy obviously but oftentimes concerns are supported by doctors, supported by medical personnel and we're told, time and time again, policy says no. So my question is does the Minister of Health and Social Services have the authority to approve exceptions for medical travel policies, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, last year Members of this Assembly spoke with a clear, unified voice when we passed a motion calling for compassionate medical evacuation policy to standardized escort support in emergency situations. Yet, despite this call to action, the Minister has still made no plans to support Northerners facing these kinds of medical emergencies. Far too often our constituents are forced to pay out-of-pocket just to be by their loved one's side. Families deserve support in moments of crisis, not confusion, stress, and financial burden. These are exactly the kind of broken policies MLAs are...