Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements. Member from Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Saturday, tomorrow, the community of Hay River will be hosting its annual lobster do. It's a much-anticipated event in Hay River. It's an opportunity for the community to get together. After a long cold winter, it's one of our first big annual events.
I would like to take a moment to thank all the volunteers, as much of the people that are going, it takes that amount of people of volunteers in the background to host this event, preparing and cooking hundreds and hundreds of lobsters for the community that go. It is sold out, so that's a good thing. Hopefully, there's a few Yellowknifers that decided to skip across the lake to the sunny side and take in the event. I would also like to mention that a lot of the funds from this event go to community functions, so it's a community event that raises money for the community. Although I won't be there this weekend, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to wish them a very successful, fun event for this Saturday. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Hay River South. One of these years, I'll hopefully get there. Members' statements.
Colleagues, on Monday my Member's statements will be about three amazing young ladies from Fort Simpson who are giving back to their community. Today I would like to talk about a couple of other amazing people from the community of Fort Liard.
Roslyn Firth and her husband returned to the community to help the hamlet of Fort Liard. Roslyn took on the role of helping run the community's recreation and youth department. One of her main goals were to help train a local person to take over. I am proud to say as of April 1st, 2025, Holly Fantasque is the manager of recreation and youth programs for the hamlet of Fort Liard. I would like to thank Roslyn for coming back to the community and providing Holly the support and encouragement she needed.
Holly lived her whole life in Fort Liard and graduated from Acho Dene School in 2019. She was a member of the Liard Giants soccer team for eight years and attended many soccer competitions in the Deh Cho region and beyond. She travelled to Spain with a group of Liard soccer players in 2017, a trip that took them around Spain and to the soccer stadium in Barcelona.
I am proud to say that I had the pleasure of knowing this young lady since 2011. I witnessed her being a member of the community soccer program. I can tell you she was always a leader and encouraging others to do their best. It was not about winning for her; It was about doing her best on and off the soccer pitch. I personally felt that she would be great in whatever career she would choose. I may be a bit biased, but I am glad when I heard that she decided to enter the field of recreation. I was very excited.
Holly completed the recreation and northern leadership and recreation and northern management courses within 14 months in 2024 and 2025 and was an outstanding student. She completed her Indigenous Sports Circle training modules, mental health first aid for those supporting youth, and her C diploma with Grassroots Canada soccer in 2024-2025. Holly is a very capable young woman and no doubt has a long and successful career ahead of her. Liard is fortunate to have her on board, and I'd like to wish her all the best.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to take the opportunity to recognize one of our pages - who's just left the room a second ago. Sam MacKay is a Yellowknife North constituent, and I want to thank all the other pages as well here today from St. Pat's High School, which is also in my riding. And I believe Sam's parents were up in the bleachers a few minutes ago but are no longer but wanted to welcome Bill MacKay and Sarah Flaherty to the House as well. Thanks for being here and for being Sam's parents.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome our guests from the Auditor General's office, Mr. Jerry Demarco, Ms. Carey Agnew, and Ms. Emilie Anne Duval. It's great to have their assistance at the Standing Committee of Public Accounts. We had a wonderful meeting with them last night, and we look forward to seeing them again soon. Thank you. Thank you for being here.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member from Yellowknife South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to have a representative from Yellowknife South acting as a page this week. Naya Nichols is a student at St. Pat's, and thank you for your service this week.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we have missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to your chamber. I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It is always nice to see people in the gallery, and I'd like to thank you for allowing us to represent the people of the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I won't be asking questions regarding ratios because my colleague from Great Slave had raised it the other day, and it seems like it's moving forward. But I'll focus in on the administration process and the analysis.
Mr. Speaker, during a public committee hearing, one of the questions I had that never got answered was our health care czar is travelling far, wide, and whatnot, up and down wherever, and from wherever apparently -- that causes issues with individuals but I'll recognize that -- that despite that they're a publicly appointed administrator, I would like the schedule published as to who they've spoken to, when they've spoken to them, and where they're going. Because it's very important that Northerners see what's being done and also feel what's being done. So is the Minister able to publicize their schedule? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to ask that this House respect that the public administrator's position is the public administrator, and that we honour that. We don't -- you know, we don't call each other names in here, and we shouldn't call people that we have working for us different terms.
Point of Order
Point of order, Mr. Speaker.
Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you. I believe the Member for -- well, the Minister is calling me -- or implying in some way that I'm implying some type of negative implications or describing me in a negative way, that I'm implying something terrible. And I take offence to that. I don't have my book here to quote the actual infraction number, but it feels as if there is some type of motive -- false motives being implied. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Member from Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm just asking that -- I'm not saying that it's negative. I'm saying that it's the respect that we all in this House do with each other as titles. That is the respect that I'm asking. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was quite clear that I'm calling someone names, was her statement. That said, I wasn't calling anyone names. As a matter of fact -- and I thank you for the opportunity to do this, which is, as quoted, in the realm of health care and government, a czar is an informal term used to describe a high level official usually appointed to address a specific issue or crisis. The term is often applied to individuals or its authority to tackle complex problems in a particular field. As if anything, Mr. Speaker, it's an incredible accolade of respect for the expertise the appointed individual has been given and tasked with for a certain period of time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Colleagues, I've asked you, I'm going to ask you again, let's stop being semantics with words and that. When you answer the questions or ask the questions, please let's be respectful. Members of the public that work for us need to be -- understand that they are treated with respect and dignity that we have. So I would ask the Minister, though, to please apologize for the -- or apologize to, or remove your -- withdraw your comments on that one; just withdraw your comments, please and thank you.
I withdraw my comments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Minister, back to the question, please and thank you. The question was to you.
Okay, well ask it again. Member from Yellowknife Centre, please.
Mr. Speaker, the question was surrounded publicizing the schedule, who they met with, who they intend to meet with. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I committed in standing committee -- in the public standing committee, we will -- as the public meetings of the public administrator, we will release those publicly. Thank you.
The public administrator, Mr. Speaker, has been appointed I believe, if I could remember, for about five months. Mr. Speaker, they have a one-year contract. So what does we will do this mean? We've already had five months of water behind us, very little in front of us; can we get some timelines as to when you're going publicize this information? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I shared the last meeting that was this week with the Members, and we are working on the next couple of regional wellness council chairs as the public administrator is travelling through all the regions, attending, visiting the health centres, working with staff, meeting with the regional wellness councils in-camera and then meeting in -- and listening to the public as they bring forward their issues to these regional wellness council meetings. So as those meetings are scheduled, as those are in control of the regional wellness councils, that is when we will publish them and will release them to the Members. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of grave concern that gets asked of me is how many days have they spent here in the North in their five-month contract thus far; will the Minister answer that question or provide it publicly? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the public administrator is working full-time. They're travelling around throughout the territories. I'm not going to release publicly where he is at every given moment. I don't keep track of that. He's got a responsibility to work full-time and report back to me. And as long as the objectives are being met and I'm meeting with him regularly, weekly, myself, then, you know, I will ensure that the work is continuing and that there's changes that are happening. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our kids need access to sport, and this is yet another problem that's not being resolved by the Fort Simpson education system. Today I've been told that there are three Indigenous kids, one kid with disabilities, that are not allowed to go to the track and field meet because they need their school to sign off on their bus. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment has told the district education association that she was going to look into this decision. So what has she found? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is true, I am dealing with this at the moment, and as soon as I have a resolution, I will be in touch with the chair of the district education authority. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the deadline for these kids to get on the bus is 3 p.m. today. Will the Minister have a resolution before that deadline? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm currently working on this with the department. I also have slightly different information than what the Member is referring to on the floor of this House, but I can assure the Member that I am following up. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, the information comes to me from the parents, so can the Minister explain what counter information she received; what different evidence is before us? I just want to know. I think the parents want to know as well. This is very concerning for them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the families want to be able to bring their own children to the track meet, not to get on the bus. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to my colleagues for dealing with my consistent leaky eyeballs.
Will the Premier acknowledge that the evacuation did not go right on many fronts as outlined in the after-action review and apologize to residents of the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
