Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the Canada Health Act guarantees access to ensure health services that are accessible, universal and publicly funded;

AND WHEREAS the "medicine chest clause" is a treaty promise of ongoing health care provided to Indigenous peoples as recognized by section 35 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms;

AND WHEREAS the provision of healthcare services is the responsibility of the Government of the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS only 59 percent of Northwest Territories residents aged 18 and older have reported access to regular health providers in 2023 compared to an...

Mr. Speaker, that's an engagement plan, not an action plan, and I'm very privileged to be able to get those updates but members of the public are not. These are the people we serve, these are the people who are concerned, and the staff are concerned as well. They don't feel like things are moving fast enough. So will the Minister commit to bringing forward a clear, concise, set of actions that are going to affect the entire health system, not just one area, but the entire health system? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister develop some sort of exemption or exclusionary measure in this program for this very small class of people who are experiencing this issue. We want to keep people in the North, we want to keep people working, and we certainly want to keep people who have already contributed to the community in those jobs doing that work. So will she commit to an exemption to support expectant mothers who are in this program who are currently being shut out of that opportunity? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister's going to -- or the Minister for Education, Culture and Employment is actively going to be working on this immigration file when she goes to Ottawa. So there's another issue that's come up that hasn't been raised on the floor of the House to my knowledge, and that's from workers who are now expecting children, if they wait for the NTNP to reopen next year, some of them will go on maternity leave which may make them ineligible to apply, forcing them to wait another year to -- for access.

What is the Minister doing to ensure that expecting parents aren't excluded...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, many of these non-insured services are critical services. I believe the urology department at Stanton is non-funded. So what services are we -- well, let's just get into that.

What services might we lose or might cost people to use after this review is done? Could the Minister give people a heads up, because if they're getting free care right now and they turn around and start charging them, we're going to hear about it in this chamber. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a real privilege to have a former Premier in the chamber today, and it's a real privilege to represent that former Premier as my constituent in Range Lake. So thank you, Caroline Cochrane, for being here today with your partner Rory. It's always great to have eyes in this the gallery, and you are definitely a VIP. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to -- I too wish to turn to the NTNP worker program that we have foreign workers in the Northwest Territories. We had a town hall a couple months ago. The response was significant, and people are very concerned. So the Yukon has extended their work permits. They were able to do that with their existing relationships with Ottawa. So why are we not able to extend work permits here in the Northwest Territories? This is something that nominees are asking for. They're desperate. They're very concerned about their future. So why can't we extend the permits here in the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, my honourable friend from Yellowknife Centre talked about the challenge to the Taltson project and perhaps the optimism around it that might not be realized, and certainly, these are large scale infrastructures. So she said with projects that will take time and investment to pull off and, of course, federal investment. Hopefully, our northern Prime Minister understands that. Nunavut pays more in subsidies. Will the Minister increase the power rate subsidies to give Northerners a break? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, not only are perspective residents turning away from our territory due to soaring housing costs that prevent them from finding a home, but we're also now losing families long rooted in our communities to a cost of living crisis that is pricing them out of the homes they've lived in for generations. For these families, leaving the North was once unimaginable but with every power bill, the uneasy reality sets in: They may no longer have a choice.

Northerners now pay nearly double the national average per kilowatt hour, prices exacerbated by the fact we consume far more electricity...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, Mr. Speaker, support for this bill, for anyone who's been listening to frontline workers, seems to be a no-brainer to me. We've heard repeatedly about morale crises at the health -- within the health system. We've heard about the inability to staff units. We've heard about recruitment and retention challenges. We hire nurses quickly, and they leave just as quick. And when you have frontline workers who are coming to us and saying we need a louder voice, you know, I think we're obliged to listen. And Mr. Speaker, the intent -- the principle of this bill is to give...