Final supplementary. Member from Frame Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate again the response from the Minister. And I am wondering if maybe something like the ISD team could be established in health considering how complex some of the files are that health system clients have. So if the Premier wants to consider a new team or an expansion of the team, it's certainly something I would support. So I would appreciate hearing from the Premier on that as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I would recommend that when there are proposals like this, they be brought forward at a point in the planning process that they could then make it into, you know, a future main estimate. So right now, we have the main estimates in front of us, in front of committee, and the money for the budget for next year is in that document, and there is not a line item for what the Member is speaking about. That being said, it's now on the radar and it could be something that is considered going forward but it would be, I am guessing, a significant investment of resources and personnel. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Premier. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was with great delight that Northerners who rely on the Northwest Territories nominee program got the rules finally last week, but there's a new points’ criteria that's been attached to the employer-driven stream. Unfortunately, my office asked for more information but were told to look for the articles and documents. People want to see what this is all about. Will the Minister publish very clear guidance about how the points system will work for the NTNP program? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, absolutely, we want people to have access to information along with guidelines that they can access so we can certainly publish some information. And this information is currently available but, I mean, I am more than happy to -- understand what the Member feels is missing, but it's available on immigratenwt.ca. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The specific -- to answer the Minister's question, the specific criteria on how applications will be -- how the points will work, how they will be weighted. People will need to -- feel that they want to see more things. They understand how the process is, that there's a new step, but they need to understand what points they will get, how that will be evaluated against other applications, the whole kit and caboodle. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, on immigratenwt.ca, there is an employer-driven stream expression of interest points grid that's currently available. This points grid goes through all the different categories, what points are afforded and how. Because the major thing that we heard was an ask from the NWT -- whether it was employers or people participating in the program -- was transparency and fairness. And so we wanted to ensure that we were both publishing the different points that they would be graded against, the grid they would be used, and then within five days of them submitting their application they would get something that would confirm how many points that they were allotted so that they could compare and know exactly where they were at. And we also made the commitment as well of making sure that we were being transparent as a government and letting people know what range different applicants were falling into within the Northwest Territories so we had an idea as an entire territory of who was applying and kind of what -- where they fell within that prioritization grid. Thank you.
Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I haven't heard any critiques about it. People just want to know how it works. So will the Minister proactively provide more clear information about this whole new scheme to everyone who is currently engaged in the program or who is interested in being engaged in the program, whether -- well, let's just say it's the employer stream. So employers who use the program, will she direct the department to proactively engage with them and make sure they have everything they need? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly the day that the program was launched and announced on February 18th, we made sure that all these documents were found on Immigrate NWT so that both people interested in applying, whether it be employers or residents that wanted to partake in the program, could access it. I am certainly keen to hear either from employers, the Member, or residents what they feel is missing because one of the kind of key pillars of the relaunch of this program was transparency so we're wanting to make sure that this information is accessible and it is available on Immigrate NWT.
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Rule 7.2(7)(2), I received follow-up information for the following oral questions from the first session of the 20th Legislative Assembly, 928 and 988. These follow-ups will be printed in full in today's Hansard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Further to the response provided to the Member for Great Slave on February 4, 2026, the following additional information is provided:
Thank you for raising this emerging issue in the House. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has reviewed Tabled Document 44-20(1) Jurisdictional Scan of Public Radon Testing and Mitigation Supports in Canada. The department has shared the Radon Action Guide for Municipalities developed by Heath Canada with the Northwest Territories Association of Communities and Local Government Administrators of the NWT for distribution to their members.
As shown by the Jurisdictional Scan, there are resources available from the federal government for private households and municipalities. The Government of the Northwest Territories appreciates the opportunity to share these publicly available resources and to help raise awareness.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Medical travel continues to place growing financial pressures on the healthcare system. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
The Department of Health and Social Services recently released its report on medical travel services. The report indicates the overall cost of medical travel has continued to increase over the past three years. Can the Minister outline what specific factors are driving the cost increases year after year?
Can the Minister provide a general breakdown of the annual medical travel budget into major cost categories such as flights, accommodations, escorts, and administrative processing so the public can understand where the program is coming under financial strain?
Does the department track cases where residents travel for medical purposes without prior approval; and, if so, how many such cases occurred in the last fiscal year?
How many medical travel requests, both scheduled and emergency, were submitted in the last fiscal year, and how does that compare to the average volume over the previous five years?
Can the Minister provide the number and percentage of medical travel requests denied last fiscal year, along with the top categories of reasons for denial?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Written Questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Improving the overall reliability of the medical travel system requires addressing delays, strengthening coordination, ensuring clear communication standards and reducing avoidable repeat travel. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Can the Minister provide the average and maximum wait times for medical travel approvals over the past fiscal year, and explain what actions are being taken to reduce delays for patients who need to travel urgently?
What specific steps is the department taking to streamline coordination with non-insured health benefits (NIHB), especially for cases waiting on NIHB escort or travel approvals, and how many medical trips were delayed last year due to pending NIHB decisions?
What portion of medical travel expenditures in the last fiscal year was driven by avoidable travel, such as repeat trips caused by appointment cancellations, inadequate pre-screening, or delays in diagnostic services, and what measures is the department implementing to reduce preventable travel?
Can the Minister outline what service standards, if any, exist for communication with patients regarding itinerary changes, cancellations, or approval updates, and how often were those standards met over the past fiscal year?
What proportion of medical travel cases last fiscal year involved repeat travel for the same medical issue due to cancelled appointments, incomplete treatments, or diagnostic follow-ups, and what strategies are being implemented to reduce unnecessary repeat travel?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Written questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a written question with respect to medical travel, escort policies, eligibility, and appeals.
Ensuring fairness and consistency in medical travel requires clear escort policies, accurate eligibility assessment, and a transparent appeal process. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Can the Minister provide the total cost from last fiscal year related to non-medical escorts?
How many cases in the past fiscal year involved patients who met the criteria for a medical escort but did not receive one either due to administrative errors, capacity limitations, or policy interpretations?
How many of the medical travel requests that were denied last fiscal year were later overturned through appeals, Members of the Legislative Assembly inquiries, or ministerial interventions?
What steps is the department taking to ensure that escort eligibility is identified early, particularly for vulnerable patients to prevent last-minute denials or unnecessary hardship during travel?
What quality assurance processes are in place to review cases where medical travel arrangements were made incorrectly, such as missed bookings, incomplete itineraries, or communication failure, and how many such administrative errors were identified in the past fiscal year?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Written questions. Colleagues, being respectful of the time, we'll take a short break for the translators.
---SHORT RECESS
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following three documents: Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 27-20(1), Report on Bill 23: An Act to Amend the Children's Law Act; and, Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Family Law Act; Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 28-20(1), Report on Bill 27: An Act to Amend The Protection Against Family Violence Act; and, Waste Reduction and Recovery Program 2024-2025 Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Justice. Tabling of documents. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, Northwest Territories Emergency Management System Annual Report 2025. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Tabling of documents. Mr. Premier.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Plain Language Summary for Bill 42, Tlego'hli Got'ine Final Self-Government Agreement Act; and, Statement of Consistency for Bill 42, Tlego'hli Got'ine Final Self-Government Agreement Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Tabling of documents.
Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 26th, 2026, I will move the following motion.
Now therefore I move, seconded by the Member for Monfwi, that this Legislative Assembly calls upon the Government of the Northwest Territories to take immediate steps to establish an independent Office of the Child and Youth Advocate as an Officer of the Legislative Assembly;
And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories introduce enabling legislation defining the Advocate's mandate, powers, and responsibilities, including but not limited to the authority to investigate complaints, initiate systemic reviews, make recommendations, and report directly to the Legislative Assembly;
And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories make comprehensive amendments to the Child and Family Services Act to strengthen transparency and accountability and to require cooperation with, and responsiveness to, the oversight exercised by the child and youth advocate in relation to the administration of the Act.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 42, Tlego'hli Got'ine Final Self-Government Agreement Act, be read for the second time.
The proposed Tlego'hli Got'ine Final Self-Government Agreement Act will approve and give legal effect to the Final Self-Government Agreement for the Tlego'hli Got'ine. The Act is comprised of provisions addressing the approval of, giving effect to, and declaring valid of, the final self-government agreement, including the governance, legal structure, and authority of the Tlego'hli Got'ine government, authorizing the creation of regulations that may be needed to support the agreement; and, ultimately, serves as the legislative mechanism by which the Government of the Northwest Territories fulfills its ratification obligations under the final self-government agreement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. To the principle of the bill.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Bill 42 has been read for a second time and is referred to the Standing Committee on the Assembly for -- sorry, Mr. Premier.
