Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I mean, I'm curious as to why the Yukon feels they need to do this, but maybe that's something the Minister could speak to her territorial counterparts. I'm sure businesses would be assured by that. There are a number of other things we can do by eliminating the red tape, reducing fees and services, make it cheaper to do business for northern businesses and Canadian businesses. Will the Minister undertake to do that work, to find ways she can cut those fees and barriers to doing business in the Northwest Territories to protect Canada's interest in the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you for that. Thank you, Mr. Premier -- thank you to the Premier, Madam Chair. The men's healing program, real quick, how are the numbers looking for that? I know this is something the Minister and I worked with -- worked on way back in the day, and it's definitely important to our communities and to -- and in particular Indigenous folks who are, you know, as much victims in the system and cycle of violence as anyone else. This is a really good thing. I'm glad to see it in here but is it seeing success? Thank you.

Thank you. And on the matter of trucking, we have trucking businesses in the Northwest Territories. They have access to these kinds of fast passes to get through provincial borders without paying dues they can reconcile at the end of the month. It expedites the whole process. Unfortunately, we can't certify that process here in the Northwest Territories, so businesses are looking -- have to base their operations outside of the Northwest Territories. Alberta seems to be the case in most areas. Is this something the Minister can correct and allow northern-based trucking companies and moving...

Thank you. And I appreciate that -- yeah, especially that youth piece is really important, and I'm glad to see that we are finding ways to use funding for gang prevention and it's targeted towards youth. But I guess my concern is, like, we have -- war zone's probably too much of an embellishment but, like, we have an increasingly -- increasing incidents of violence on the streets of Yellowknife. I see it all the time because of here, in the apartment buildings, especially where there's concentrations of poverty. So on the gun part of this, I guess the organized crime front, are we doing more -...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the midst of the dumbest trade war in perhaps global history, northern businesses are very concerned, and I know the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment is chair of the internal -- sorry, the committee on internal trade. We heard a statement about it earlier. How is the Minister going to ensure that measures like the BIP program, that are very successful in protecting northern businesses and supporting northern businesses, continue as trade barriers come down across the country? Thank you.

Thank you. And what kind of metrics are we looking at to determine if it's a success? Like, is it a number of -- I guess I'll just ask that. Like, what metrics are we looking for to inform that evaluation? Because I'd like to see these programs continue. I think they have borne fruit in other jurisdictions, and I'm really -- I hear, again anecdotically, it's going really well but, like, what practically do we need to see before we expand this to other communities? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, exceptions for this kind of care have been made in the past. A patient with a very similar situation, who was not initially insured in Manitoba, has appealed this successfully but this has not been taken into account by our health and social services authority or policies and programs. Will the Minister review this case -- or this case in Manitoba, similar cases across the country, and make changes to the policy to allow an exception to my constituent? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm assuming this is where the community safety officer pilot is being funded, so maybe I'll ask about that. I just see where the pilot project has found itself. I know it's still under review but how is it going? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, imagine after a long struggle, you're finally about to undergo a surgery you've been waiting for. You've worked your way through multiple doctors' offices, gotten your referrals in order, and have persevered patiently on the waitlist. Yet, just as you arrive for the operation, you are asked how you're going to pay for it. Up until this moment, it was your understanding that this crucial surgery came at no cost. Now you're faced with a choice: Pay thousands of dollars or give up on the opportunity and, with it, the better quality of life you've worked so...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when an exemption is brought to for an appeal or a request for an exemption is brought and the advice is saying something along the lines of this procedure will reduce medical costs because it's preventative, it will allow a person to live a full life, work a full job, and if we don't do it they're going to be severely impacted in that moving forward. Does any of that matter in terms of this policy which, I might add, is housed within the ministry or with the department rather than the health authority. So does -- is there anything a doctor can do to...