Kate Reid

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the Fiscal Sustainability Strategy was announced, the finance Minister specifically said, quote, I do not want people to presume that this is about job cuts. It's not. We are experiencing labour market shortages across sectors, and we need our public servants.

Mr. Speaker, we also need our public servants to feel valued. A large part of why I continue to ask about the status of government renewal in my reply to the budget and overall budget discussions in the House is because I want the Minister to use its findings strategically, to help place staff in areas and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I'll keep short and brief. I do agree with the intent of the motion, and I agree with much of what my colleagues have said here today, and I will be happy to support the motion. I think it's very important, as my colleague from Yellowknife North stated, that this will look different in every community. I think that this is currently framed in a sort of Yellowknife centric sort of way, so I hope that in the government's reply we have that fulsome breadth of a reply for what it might look like in some of our smaller communities as well.

I would also like to point out...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to present the petition dealing with the matter of improved fertility and family planning supports in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, the petition contains a total of 368 signatures collected on change.org. Of those signatures, 189 are from residents of the Northwest Territories. And, Mr. Speaker, the petitioners request that the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories direct the Minister of Finance to work within a whole-of-government approach to investigate the following:

The impacts to the territory of a declining birth rate...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What work has been done to assure the affected corrections employees that they can remain in the public service? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, how many people will be affected by the proposed closure of the Fort Smith correctional Complex men's unit? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Speaker. I don't have much to say to add to my colleague from Frame Lake aside from the fact that it is important that our municipalities have the ability to fully realize what they want to do and the way they want to do it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table two documents today: A letter dated June 11th, 2024, from Fertility Matters Canada regarding the Case for Support for Fertility and Family Building Care in the Northwest Territories; and, a survey by the Midwives Association of the NWT titled NWT Residents' Opinions on Midwifery 2024. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's fantastic. And will the Minister be sharing that information publicly? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. More of a comment than a question, if that's the case maybe budget higher. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Okay, thank you. I guess I'm mixing up health and social services and housing, I apologize. So I guess a followup question to that would be if we know the cost difference is basically an extra $2 million every year over year, why are we budgeting less? Thank you, Mr. Chair.