Kieron Testart

Thank you. And I think details are important here, Mr. Speaker. But, I mean, if anyone woke up this morning and felt the minus 40 wind in their face, they'll know that it's way more enjoyable to be working as a nurse in sunny British Columbia in Vancouver and Victoria. So we are now competing with a jurisdiction that is doing a hell of a lot to recruit 8,000 nurses. How is the Minister going to keep pace when a province is spending billions of dollars on nurses and we are still struggling to figure out how to retain them? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories table information by the end of the May/June 2026 sitting on how its strategy for advancing candidate protected areas in the Dehcho is coordinated with ongoing land claim negotiations in the region. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2023, British Columbia became the first province or territory in Canada to establish minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. In partnership between the provincial government and BC nurses’ union, implementation will occur over three years. It's worth $750 million, and there's an additional $237 million that's being spent for immediate recruitment and retention to fill an estimated 8,000 new nurses.

Has the Minister reviewed B.C.'s minimum nurse-to-patient ratio system and will she implement it in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide new capacity funding, including new grants and contributions, to provide dedicated new budget and resources to Indigenous governments to support their participation in conservation work under the Protected Areas Act that would not otherwise be covered by the project finance for permanence funds. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, nurse-to-patient ratios measure the average number of patients assigned to each nurse in our hospitals. When those ratios become too high, workloads become less manageable, compromising the quality of care and even threatening patient safety. High nurse-to-patient ratios not only compromise care, they also take a serious toll on our nurses, creating a cycle that worsens staffing shortages as burnout drives them away. Overwhelmed nurses must decide what patients receive timely care, leading to chronic stress, exhaustion, and a feeling that they cannot...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide sufficient funding in the 2026-2027 Main Estimates and establish ongoing multi-year implementation funding, including capacity funding for Indigenous governments and organizations, to support and sustain participation in the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Implementation Act until implementation is fully achieved. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories establish more flexible multi-year financing tools by amending the Financial Administration Act and related policy instruments to enable funding mechanisms suitable for intergenerational conservation commitments and to complete this work in time for it to be reflected in the 2027-2028 Main Estimates. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories examine specific historic harms that have been raised by Indigenous governments and communities, identify those that warrant a formal apology and compensation, take timely actions to deliver those apologies along with appropriate reparations. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories stabilize its operational capacity for territorial protected areas by increasing capacity funding to support management boards and by fully funding the staffing of positions identified in the establishment agreements;

And further, the government should allocate sufficient resources in the 2027-2028 Main Estimates to close capacity gaps and ensure the effective delivery of management plans, monitoring programs, and guardians initiative. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories establish an audit performance plan for deputy ministers;

And further, the plan should link performance pay to timely implementation of Office of the Auditor General of Canada audit recommendations that have been accepted by the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.