Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I've asked about this, you know, about AI policy for the government, and I happily see correspondence from the Minister's office on how we're managing AI usage as a government. But I'm wondering if we are in discussions or planning to incorporate that into our information technology, like our enterprise-wide information technology systems. Because, you know, we're seeing more and more movement in this space. It's currently driving global markets and, you know, potentially we're entering into a bubble. But, regardless, I think it's safe to say the technology is here to...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, on page 24, you can see Range Lake North School rear entrance ramp and accessibility improvements, and that is classified as an infrastructure contribution. So it's doable, and that's what I would expect if it was a renovation that was needed and if it was a retrofit or replacement, obviously there would be a broader discussion. So I will give the Minister that one that we don't know until we know.

But moving to that larger issue, I understand that N.J. Macpherson School is in the top five of infrastructure needs and is in basically dire need of replacement, and its...

Thank you. In the previous exchange of questions, there was a comment about funding mechanisms to pay for some of these renovations, and surpluses were identified. So my concern with that is that's what surpluses are for, of course, and Yellowknife schools, which is relevant to my riding and my work as an MLA, are also funded by taxpayers in the city.

The new education assistant program, that $14 million program that the department has rolled out, has a caveat that surpluses have to be emptied essentially before that -- or in conjunction with receiving that money. The concern that I have heard...

Mr. Speaker, this program, I think, is all nestled under income assistance. When income assistance is late for -- has late fees related to power, they pay it. So I don't understand. We have a mechanism for that. Will the Minister use the same mechanism she uses for income assistance at the departmental level to pay these late fees and take the burden off of our learners? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As per my Member's statement earlier today, why are students in Range Lake being told that they have to pay late fees and other costs through no fault of their own due to the department's lateness in getting payments out the door to kids on SFA? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister. As the former jury administrator for the Northwest Territories, this is a deeply-held issue for me because I dealt with so many people in the system who were doing juries. We actually compensate jurors around $80 a day. The same committee report recommends increasing it to $120 a day. Ontario has already done this. Nunavut pays between $100 to $150 a day. This eases with the time commitments required for a jury. Will the Minister increase fees for jurors to $120 a day? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues.

The Standing Committee on Social Development recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories, through Housing Northwest Territories, enhance transparency and reporting of distinction-based funding allocations to ensure that the needs of each community and the overall advancement of housing in the territory are being met.

The Standing Committee on Social Development recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories provide more transparency surrounding the specific age and condition of housing units allowable under the Homeownership...

No, thank you. That was a bit of a navel-gazing question so I appreciate the Minister's patience with it. But that's why I wanted to ask these questions around the OCIO because the privacy concerns are at the forefront and to make sure that it is being done properly according to our rules and according to the standards that are set by our legislation.

So with that in mind, if another department is pursuing -- so I'll use an example with health. If NTHSSA is pursuing an AI-powered electronic medical record system as part of the replacement when that RFP goes out or if, you know, the geomatics...

Mr. Speaker, each year Northerners and students head to colleges and universities across Canada where they can proudly tell their peers how the Northwest Territories helps them study without racking up thousands of dollars in student loans thanks to our first-in-class SFA program. At a time when higher education costs are rising, that kind of assistance is truly unique and has become a covenant of growing up in the NWT. Unfortunately, late this summer, Range Lake constituents began contacting my office for help because their SFA payments were late, and they had received no update. Some feared...

Thank you to the Minister for that. And I know it's emerging, and I know governments are still coming to grips with it and are moving slower than the private sector. But does the OCIO have a mandate to look at AI integration, like strategic AI integration to capital systems? I mean, I don't know what to call it, but that's kind of the idea here is to say have you tasked the OCIO to do this kind of work to be proactive about the implementation of emerging AI technology and tools into existing or new systems. Thank you.