Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when we talk about culturally sensitive solutions, you know, I want to just state that here on the floor, and with everybody, we've been told time and time again that government needs to respectfully, you know, work with Indigenous governments, work with those that are providing care. We've created the community wellness and addiction recovery funds. You know, and those are some of -- they can use towards trauma healing. I know there's been some really good programs even up in my region. Most recently, the Gwich'in Tribal Council had a men's camp. You know...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, right now the community counselling program, which provides mental health support to all residents, could be available to support individual needs of support to preventing acts of abuse as community counsellors can work with individuals to provide individual counselling but also to provide support referrals to other treatments and options of care as applicable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by acknowledging the immense grief and pain that these families and communities are experiencing. Losing a loved one is always heartbreaking. And when that loss is sudden and unexpected, the pain can be even deeper. I want to extend my sincere condolences to those affected and recognize their understandable need for answers, accountability, and meaningful change if necessary.

I completely understand the desire to know what happened, why it happened. I completely understand that, the desire to know why it happened and, most importantly, what we as a healthcare system...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the motion on the floor that asks for non-medical escorts to accompany patients on ground and air ambulance and highway rescue vehicles and also a policy for this, one of the areas is for significant safety reasons, emergency medical transport do not support non-medical escorts to accompany patients. In emergency medical transport, the priority is to provide care to the patient. This is not intended to be insensitive to the family or loved ones; however, it's important for safety reasons. Emergency medical transports are unable to accommodate non-medical...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, March 8th, will be International Women's Day, and I stand before you as an Indigenous woman - a mother, a daughter, a granddaughter, a wife, now as a Member of this Legislative Assembly and, most importantly, a grandmother. I am deeply grateful for those remarkable women who broke the trail before me and many women in this House, those who faced countless challenges and paved the way for our future generations. Their strength and resilience inspire me every day.

This year's theme, Accelerate Action, resonates profoundly with us in the Northwest...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our public health staff are amazing, and they do try to get to everywhere. Here in Yellowknife, they did have in the grocery stores. I mean, I went on Saturdays, they had day clinics here in Yellowknife while I was here and that's where I got my flu and COVID shot. So I think it's -- well, we can look at how we are making sure that that information is -- and as the clinics pop up, you know, sometimes in public health we'll see activity, and that's when people then start to get worried and want their flu shot. And so if we start to see activity, I can bring...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with vaccine rates, you know, I mean, it varies across the territory as to where to get vaccines. Most of the health centres are the venue to get childhood vaccines, any vaccines. The community health nurse can give those. In the regional centres, we usually have public health units that do the majority of those vaccines in those regions, and the appointments can be -- you know, accessing those appointments through public health. Within Yellowknife, I know that the public health unit here there were some -- you know, some staffing, and my understanding is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there have been many other things that have been on the floor of this House that are not covered under insured services. If we start to open up every single piece that is -- you know, that is going to be an exception or made an exception. This was put through the process and the decision, again, still stands. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will have to go back to reviewing more of the documents more in detail, and I will have that information for committee when we are able to present to them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned yesterday there, I will be getting more of a briefing on the information that is -- there's lots of work going on right now and behind, and as we are ready to present to committee with a lot of this information and so when we -- once I have more of those details, I'll be able to share more of the framework and a lot of the details around this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.