Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's -- well, it's been back to school for a bit for parents in the Northwest Territories. As one of them, I'm always keen to help support students in their education journey and working families as well. One of the biggest things that's happening in our school districts is the change to the BC curriculum. Can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment speak to the progress of the implementation of the new curriculum in NWT schools? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are rapidly nearing our one-year anniversary as an Assembly and 1,053 days until the next election. As I reflect on this, I'm also mindful of today's opening prayer from former Commissioner Tuccaro on being a force of positive change for our communities. That is why we are here. But let me ask you, Mr. Speaker, are we better off today as a territory than we were a year ago? Have we made positive change on the most pressing issues facing Northerners?

Mr. Speaker, health care is in crisis, with doctors, nurses, and workers continuing to leave the profession...

Mr. Speaker, our rules permit the House to discuss a matter of urgent public importance requiring immediate consideration subject to the following conditions:

The Member proposing the motion shall give written notice to the matter proposed to be discussed to the Speaker at least one hour before the sitting of the house;

No more than one matter shall be discussed on the same motion;

The motion must not raise a matter of privilege; and,

The motion must not raise any matter which can be debated upon a motion with notice.

Mr. Speaker, you can be assured that the conditions pursuant to our rules have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's true that you don't need to replace every book but we're talking about software licenses, professional development, and the costs that have been communicated with me and with other Members of this House are clear, there is a cost to this. It is not being able to be dealt with by coordinators in the schools, and when we download the costs on to parents, on to teachers, it means more improvement days, more professional development days, and less instructional time. So will the Minister work with school boards to provide additional funding -- maybe it's...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, how much money has the department put aside to help transition schools over this five-year period? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize a page from Range Lake, Tika Ristau. Thank you very much for your work today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my colleague from the Sahtu. The people of the Sahtu are hard hit right now, specifically in Norman Wells.

I find the Member for Sahtu words quite chilling, it could be your community next. And I think -- and that's, of course, not disparaging against my honourable friend but I think the point is very well felt. After, you know, an unprecedented season of wildfires where 70 percent or more of the territory was evacuated, I think we all have that shared sense of anxiety that we are -- our lifestyles in the Northwest Territories are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for the Sahtu, that, pursuant to Rule 3.5, that the ordinary business of the House be set aside to discuss a matter of urgent public importance requiring immediate consideration; namely, the humanitarian crisis in the Sahtu, specifically in the town of Norman Wells, where the town council has unanimously declared a local state of emergency on October 15th, 2024. The people of the Sahtu urgently require an indication of the kind of short-term and long-term strategies that the Government of the Northwest Territories...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I find that alarming. I know the Minister and I were at the same meeting but for one district in Yellowknife, the cost of implementation is around $600,000, and if it's not coming from the -- it's coming from resources that should be going to just support the schools and support our children in those schools. Will the Minister reconsider this approach and fully fund the transition that the government has mandated on school districts? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the world is coming North. Global interest in experiencing all the Northwest Territories has to offer continues to skyrocket. Year after year, we welcome tourists at a record-breaking pace who come to experience the beauty of this land to the inspiration of its people. Prior to the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, annual visitor spending has soared past the $200 million mark, and since then the industry has little trouble roaring back to life. However, we cannot expect to take advantage of this massive increase in demand if we do not have the capacity...