Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once again, it's that time of year to start cranking up our heaters and plugging in our vehicles as the temperatures increasingly drop overnight. Yes, we are all accustomed to winter seasons, but what many of us are unprepared for is ba winter season in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.

Keeping homes warm is increasingly becoming a struggle for too many -- far too many Northerners who can't afford the rising costs of heating fuel. And this can only get worse as economic opportunities dry up. An unsurprising consequence of this drop in a standard of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to rise in support of this piece of legislation. Bill 15 represents a very important relationship that this government has with First Nations and Indigenous governments across the territory. This bill will establish trust that will allow around half a billion of dollars of money to flow into the Northwest Territories for a whole bunch of purposes around conservation, Indigenous guardian programs, economic development, and the list does go on; it's quite exhaustive. And I think one other thing that's very remarkable is the speed at which the...

Point of Order.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will close discussion. So I was contemplating reading at length from Tabled Document 204-20(1), which is the patient survey that the Member for Yellowknife Centre and I brought forward to the House. I'm not going to do that. The document speaks for itself. But I do encourage everyone, in particular our Cabinet colleagues, to read that document and see in their own words what practitioners, members of the public, said in that survey. I think it's valuable to let them tell their own stories, and we'll continue to hear their -- we'll continue to hear those stories...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS access to health care and addressing the effects of trauma is a priority for the 20th Legislative Assembly;

AND WHEREAS the financial outlook of the Northwest Territories is dire despite the efforts of the Government of the Northwest Territories through its fiscal strategy;

AND WHEREAS sustained shortages of staff have reduced access to health care services in NWT communities and placed increased operational demands on full-time staff leading to burnout;

AND WHEREAS the Auditor general of Canada indicated an emphasis of matter in the 2022-2023 Public Accounts...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these ever-increasing rate increases are putting so much pressure on Northerners, many of them are leaving their communities. Does the Minister believe that the subsidies that are being rolled out to cushion -- cushion these rate increases are sufficient? And how does she know that? Thank you -- what went into the calculation? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, the Minister talked about -- Minister responsible for the Power Corporation -- sorry, I had to remember who it was -- talked about the general rate increase of 24 percent, and she mentioned that part of this is because we're not connected to the grid. And due to our limited economic growth, we're squeezing the ratepayers of the Northwest Territories because there's no one else to charge, and because we're isolated, we're on our own. So I'd like to ask the Minister, what is the plan to solve this structural problem? If we never connect to the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister know what the mandatory cost for -- or the mandatory certification for firefighters, how much it costs, and who covers that cost? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Range Lake families with adopted children are struggling to get their loved ones the support and care they need once they go -- once they age into adulthood. Their disabilities and circumstances are no fault of their own and yet they are not being supported by the system. Does the Minister of Health and Social Services agree that families with adopted adult children have a right to the care they need regardless of their ability? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, I appreciate that. I know some prospectors will appreciate the clarity on that, and I look forward to the successful roll out of these systems. Sometimes it feels like Elon Musk is going to get to Mars before we do, so. That's it for puns. Thank you for the update. Thanks.