Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services has an excellent cultural safety unit that has made huge progress on decolonizing the government's -- the health department's approach to dealing with Indigenous peoples in the health care system and creating a safe environment for Indigenous peoples. I'm wondering -- and MLAs have all been part of that process as well, and I can speak from personal experience that it was a good one. Is the Premier willing to move that unit into the department of executive and take a whole-of-government approach to cultural...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the Statement of Consistency for Bill 3: Carbon Tax Repeal Act. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories health care system has seen a dramatic increase in the use of private agency nurses since the COVID1-19 pandemic. Many Northerners are concerned about the costs of agency nurses and their impact on health care staff recruitment and retention.

I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services:

Can the Minister provide a breakdown of the total costs for public agency nurses by fiscal year since 2019-2020;.

Can the Minister provide a breakdown of the total costs for private? Agency nurses based on expenditure categories...

And I'm eternally grateful, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, does the Minister anticipate the total costs for medical travel to decrease after September 1st when the extended health benefits are changed? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister. Can the Minister update the standing committee after that meeting has been completed and any updates around routing or any other decisions that have been made? Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, yeah, I appreciate that. I would just like to know get a better sense of how this is impacting foster care and children in care in the Northwest Territories. So one of them is is the Minister going to provide kind of a written response to committee? Or if she could just explain how and when we'll get the information back to us. Thank you.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. So, like, I know it's a coming page but with the medical travel increases in the health department, it's $13,616,000. So this is a inclusive of both of those numbers, is this driven by that 450 percent in dental, like the majority of this funding? And before I turn it over to the Minister, I just want to point out that I think the clock started late for me. So I might be owed a few minutes, but I'm happy to go on the list again if I run out of time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. And thank you to the Minister. Very good answers today, all positive; I like that.

Mr. Speaker, finally, we have an infrastructure deficit. Mines need clean energy. We can't get it to them. What's the Minister's plan? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And, again, forgive me if I've missed overlooked this or have misheard this, but the change to March 1st in March 1st, what is that change? Thank you.

Thank you. So is this and is this meeting trends? Like, trends over the last couple fiscal years, or is this kind of an unanticipated increase yes, unanticipated usage rate that has resulted in the need for a supplementary appropriation? Thank you.