Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Tlicho highway is designed and intended to provide yearround road access to the Tlicho region. It is the Tlicho's wish to eventually have allseason road extended to Gameti and Wekweeti. In this Assembly, we saw the completion of most of the portion to Whati; however, the last 10 kilometres are not completed. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister what happened to the final section of the Tlicho AllSeason Road to Whati? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, on August 28th, 2023, the day of our emergency sitting among the wildfire crisis, I introduced a Private Member's public bill, An Act to Amend the Emergency Management Act. The bill passed second reading that day and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations. The purpose of the bill is to require the GNWT coordinate its emergency response activities with Indigenous governments affected by the emergency.

Mr. Speaker, requiring the GNWT to coordinate its emergency response with Indigenous governments should not require a law. It should be a given. Unfortunately...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, every child matters in NWT, especially those in small communities with limited services. These young children, they have the same rights as children living in larger regional centre with regular dental services. And I thank my colleague for introducing the Private Member's bill. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we cannot wait four years for our young kids to have proper dental treatment. We have kids as young as like she said, as young as 12 years old needing dentures. That is unacceptable. That is unacceptable. And it is the year 2023. We should have all these...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reason why I brought this up is because the community of Whati are very concerned, especially the leadership. So that's why I brought this up at this time. And they would like to see the work completed as soon as possible because it is if you drive on it, it is not good. The last section leading to the Whati road, to Whati to the community of Whati is not drivable. So that's why I brought it up because the chief from Whati would like to see this completed as soon as possible. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to make a comment. I know that the Minister is going to be retiring and not returning in the fall. But the question that I asked, it needed to be asked. The Assembly may be ending but the work is not ending, so I just wanted to make that comment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are losing services in our communities and when we go to regional centres to access treatment, our residents are being turned away and denied access to care. What is being done to ensure there are no systemic barriers to accessing programs and services? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell this House why residents who choose to travel on their own to seek medical attention are unable to seek immediate reimbursement for medical travel? Especially when they are diagnosed with an illness that would require medical travel out of the territory. Thank you.

I don't want to get into it, but I will do it later, okay.

Will the Minister of health commit to a medical policy review to ensure that residents who access care outside of the NWT, especially in urgent situations that require hospitalizations or treatments that are unavailable in the NWT, can qualify for medical travel? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we need more programs and services in small communities. Indeed, the health care systems needs to be improved, especially in small communities. If it was okay, then all these things would not be necessary.

Can the Minister explain if any review of the medical travel policy is underway to allow for more flexibility in these circumstances for the residents of the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the health care system is failing our Indigenous population from access to quality and timely care. Our residents face systemic barriers, and more work is needed to break through the red tape to improve accessibility to programs and services. Many community members in my region travel to Yellowknife to get health care services. I am disappointed to hear from constituents who travelled to Yellowknife who feel their concerns are not taken seriously. I have also heard concerns that some people have been told they cannot book appointments in Yellowknife.

Mr...