Kieron Testart

Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister's going to -- or the Minister for Education, Culture and Employment is actively going to be working on this immigration file when she goes to Ottawa. So there's another issue that's come up that hasn't been raised on the floor of the House to my knowledge, and that's from workers who are now expecting children, if they wait for the NTNP to reopen next year, some of them will go on maternity leave which may make them ineligible to apply, forcing them to wait another year to -- for access.

What is the Minister doing to ensure that expecting parents aren't excluded...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, many of these non-insured services are critical services. I believe the urology department at Stanton is non-funded. So what services are we -- well, let's just get into that.

What services might we lose or might cost people to use after this review is done? Could the Minister give people a heads up, because if they're getting free care right now and they turn around and start charging them, we're going to hear about it in this chamber. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a real privilege to have a former Premier in the chamber today, and it's a real privilege to represent that former Premier as my constituent in Range Lake. So thank you, Caroline Cochrane, for being here today with your partner Rory. It's always great to have eyes in this the gallery, and you are definitely a VIP. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Voltaire famously said, quote, "I disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." These immortal words are the crux of the matter of this debate, that being the speech of Members of this Assembly that is not subject to our rules of debate, nor the privileges we enjoy as parliamentarians.

Mr. Speaker, Members enjoy certain individual rights and privileges by virtue of being elected to this House. The privilege of freedom of speech in parliamentary proceedings is generally regarded as the most important of the privileges enjoyed by Members...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, almost every week since I hit the campaign trail in 2023, I have heard from frontline workers that our healthcare system is crumbling from the weight of inaction. I want to share one of those stories today that left me with a profound sense of urgency.

Last weekend, I received an email from a physician who had spent seven hours in the emergency room, not as an attending doctor but as a patient. Their child was suffering from a laceration and there was only one doctor on shift, leading to treatment delays in an already overworked and overwhelmed emergency...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a lot going on but there there's a lot of -- but what's going on is a system of health care that's failing people. We hear it every day. So, Mr. Speaker, will the Minister -- can the Minister tell us what steps the public administrator is taking to guarantee that the emergency room does not close? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, May 28th, 2025, I will present to the House Bill 29, First Responders Workers' Compensation Amendment Act, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, thank you. I mean, in this case it is a surgery for gender affirming care. It is top surgery. But given that Ontario has far more capacity to provide gender affirming surgeries, why can't our health system send NWT residents there, given the political climate in Alberta is compromising access to timely and appropriate care for those seeking gender affirming surgeries? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm glad to hear that we're talking about the whole territory, not pitting regions against each other. To that end, we know that the Inuvik hospital often suffers similar shortages and staff. Can the Minister guarantee to this House that labour and delivery services at the Inuvik hospital will remain open over the summer, preventing moms and their families from travelling to Yellowknife, or farther, to have their babies? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know -- I spy some healthcare workers in the gallery, so I thought I'd ask some health care questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Will the Minister of Health and Social Services give her guarantee to this House that Stanton Hospital's emergency department will have an emergency physician physically present for all times this summer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Thank you.