Kate Reid

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize several visitors in the gallery who are part of the Family Violence Shelter Network. As mentioned, Hawa Dumbuya-Sesay, who is the executive director of YWCA-NWT; Sherri Tambour, program manager, Hay River Family Support Centre; Donna Rogers, executive director, Inuvik Transition House Society; Terry Esogak, a shelter worker, Inuvik Transition House Society; Sandra Elias, Aimayunga Women's Shelter, Tuktoyaktuk; Brenda T'seleie-Pierrot, safe home coordinator, Fort Good Hope with the YWCA; and, Amy Fraser, victim services coordinator and safe home lead from...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is a very perhaps silly question but on page 37 of the mains, the fees and payments line under expenditure category has gone up since 2023-2024. Can the -- and I've looked throughout the various functions of BC, and it seems to be going up through most of them. So can the Minister explain what fees and payments going up means? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And great, I'm so glad that you're able to relieve some of those pressures. My question specifically is the $8.8 million which is allocated from -- what I understand from HSS to the health authorities, that's always allocated that way? It was never administered by HSS; it's always been administered by the health authorities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And, yeah, just correct me if my understanding is incorrect, but it's my understanding that the city of Yellowknife is really the only public library in the Northwest Territories -- has the only public library in the Northwest Territories that is not funded by this line item. So every other public library is funded in this line item, is that correct? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I guess I'm misunderstanding or misstating my question. The item on page 218 is listed as an HSS expenditure but then on page 219, it looks like it's shifting to the health authorities, so the -- to my mind, this $8.8 million is moving from the department to the authorities to deliver, or am I misunderstanding? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And, yeah, I appreciate that. It's important to know where we're starting so we can know where we're going.

When does the Minister feel that she might have that baseline a little bit more on firm ground? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So my questions to start are about medical travel benefits. I am looking here at the line item on page 218 of the mains, and I can see that the actuals in 2023-2024 were just below $30 million, and then the revised for 2024-2025 slightly over $24 million, and now we're estimating for 2025-2026 going ahead at $8.8 million. So my question is if this is another one of those items that we have a base amount and then we adjust as necessary, or are we restricting benefits? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes, thank you. If the Minister has maybe high level data around the percentage of students that are accessing this program, that would be great. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So with the revitalization of public health that the Member for Yellowknife North was asking about earlier, will there be a contemplation of adequate staffing levels throughout the system so that surge maybe doesn't have such a strong impact on various regional centres when required? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Earlier the Minister highlighted that the wellness counsellor is -- the wellness program for school-based mental health and wellness counsellors is captured in this activity. Could she tell me which line item that would be? Thank you.