Kieron Testart

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, Mr. Speaker. That was a good summary of how our system works, how our child and family services system works, but what I am asking about is when people are raising concerns about the well-being of children in the system that aren't in custody or that are in custody, who's looking after the system? So if the very system is the problem, where do Northerners go to get assistance? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I feel like the handsome men are getting overlooked so I am going to recognize a handsome friend of mine, the grand chief of the Tlicho Mr. Jackson Lafferty. Great to see you here today. And I also want to give a shout out to all of our interpreters. We could not do this job without you. I think a few of you are in Range Lake,, but thank you so much for the service you provide in keeping Indigenous languages alive and well here in the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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...

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...

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, Mr. Speaker. Well, that's disappointing but -- because it is important work. But my concern about it is if it's just for Cabinet and we don't get to see it or the public gets to see it, we're letting the unit decide what is core. Right? They're defining non-core or discretionary medical services. We're letting this unit decide what Northerners need and what Northerners don't, and that could have big impacts because the most expensive services are definitely in small communities. So will the Minister commit to transparency around this process so we can make sure we all have an...

Thank you to the Minister for making that clear. Will the Minister endeavour to communicate with all early childhood providers and let them know -- clarify this position so there's no more confusion, they're not under this misapprehension that they're going to lose funding if they don't do this, and that they can clearly indicate that parents decline. Can the Minister commit to sending out letters or using the departmental resources to get that clarification out so there is no more confusion in the territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, child care providers have been reaching out to MLAs recently and they feel that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is forcing them to collect sensitive personal information, including ethnicity and sex assigned at birth, and they feel that they are under threat of losing funding if they refuse. Forcing families to disclose this information as a condition of service to access or funding constitutes indirect or adverse effect discrimination, non-voluntary statistical reporting. Providers now feel caught between compliance and protecting...

Your Standing Committee on Public Accounts is pleased to provide its Report on the Review of the Auditor General's 2025 Audit of Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories and commends it to the House.

The Speaker of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly tabled the Report of the Auditor General of Canada to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly - Protected and Conserved Areas in the Northwest Territories on May 23, 20251 ("the audit" or "the report").

The Office of the Auditor General's report provided detailed findings on the GNWT's readiness and capacity to...