Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues.

The Standing Committee on Social Development recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories, through Housing Northwest Territories, enhance transparency and reporting of distinction-based funding allocations to ensure that the needs of each community and the overall advancement of housing in the territory are being met.

The Standing Committee on Social Development recommends the Government of the Northwest Territories provide more transparency surrounding the specific age and condition of housing units allowable under the Homeownership...

No, thank you. That was a bit of a navel-gazing question so I appreciate the Minister's patience with it. But that's why I wanted to ask these questions around the OCIO because the privacy concerns are at the forefront and to make sure that it is being done properly according to our rules and according to the standards that are set by our legislation.

So with that in mind, if another department is pursuing -- so I'll use an example with health. If NTHSSA is pursuing an AI-powered electronic medical record system as part of the replacement when that RFP goes out or if, you know, the geomatics...

Mr. Speaker, each year Northerners and students head to colleges and universities across Canada where they can proudly tell their peers how the Northwest Territories helps them study without racking up thousands of dollars in student loans thanks to our first-in-class SFA program. At a time when higher education costs are rising, that kind of assistance is truly unique and has become a covenant of growing up in the NWT. Unfortunately, late this summer, Range Lake constituents began contacting my office for help because their SFA payments were late, and they had received no update. Some feared...

Thank you to the Minister for that. And I know it's emerging, and I know governments are still coming to grips with it and are moving slower than the private sector. But does the OCIO have a mandate to look at AI integration, like strategic AI integration to capital systems? I mean, I don't know what to call it, but that's kind of the idea here is to say have you tasked the OCIO to do this kind of work to be proactive about the implementation of emerging AI technology and tools into existing or new systems. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And, certainly, these schools are not alone. There are many, many schools in the Northwest Territories that are in high need. And taking stock of those assets is important; however, in the context of, again, the riding I represent and the district that my children attend, these schools are important to me, and it is very concerning that this one school in particular missed its retrofit, has water that is -- you know, you can't consume, that exposed staff in a very troubling way. The Minister's well aware of that. It seems like those reasons alone -- like the lead in the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. For the water system remediations in schools that have identified elevated lead, will the Minister commit that any remediation of infrastructure will be paid for by the GNWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The roofing or roof repair projects for Yellowknife schools. Can the Minister be specific about which roofs will be repaired? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Highway No. 4 reconstruction, I've had a number of constituents who have experienced some very concerning safety issues on that highway over the summer, including a loss of life, and I'm quite concerned about the condition of the highway and just how the maintenance is undertaken that is leading to some very tricky sections of the road. There's been concerns about lack of proper signage -- or sorry, not lack of proper signage, but where the signage is placed isn't always as visible as it could be, etcetera. Anyway, so on this case, can we hear about what the upgrades and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a father, the health and safety of my kids is my foremost responsibility. So when I learned, along with other members of our community and this House, that high levels of lead were found in Yellowknife's schools, I was shocked. It was hard to believe that somehow staff and students of William MacDonald and Range Lake school -- the Range Lake North School were unknowingly consuming potentially dangerous high levels of lead for an unknown period of time. This was relayed to me by many of my constituents and staff and faculty at those schools. During these revelations...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are no land claims issues here. We're talking about GNWT land within municipal boundaries. Will the Minister commit to closing this deal by the end of this fiscal year and get Yellowknife and every community in the Northwest Territories the land so they can access it, so they can grow, so we can build an economy that is currently, as I remind the House, in a red alert? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.