Lesa Semmler

Mr. Speaker, you know, I'm not going to be committing anything on the floor of this House today without any information and a time to speak with the different NGOs and so therefore I've committed to meeting and speaking with the NGO and the city, and I'll leave it at that, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I am willing to do is I'm willing to meet with the city of Yellowknife. I already have received an invite to meet request to meet with them on some of the programs that they have and discussions. Becoming a new Minister, there's a you know, there was a lot of things going and then session. So my office is aware, and we are we don't have a scheduled date yet, but I'm hoping that it will be before the end of this fiscal year. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my constituent, His Worship mayor of Inuvik Clarence Wood. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member. The process of consultation began under the last government and, yes, I'd like to continue this work, and I would like to be continuing the work with our Indigenous partners to fully understand what the needs are and, like the Member has said, in having family programs, if those are what is necessary, and that's what we're hearing from our Indigenous partners, then, you know, that's something that our department will take away and work with them. And if it's not us doing the programming and supporting them in how to run these types of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the questions. Based on the past engagement of addiction in the Northwest Territories, residents want options and so hearing from the Member, these are some of the things that we heard during the sorry, when it went out to the public, like, for their sorry, for their input on addictions in the Northwest Territories. So the department is considering how best to meet the needs of the residents knowing what we've heard from them, and we know that one facility type is not going to meet the needs. And so these are options that we're looking...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm aware that as part of the work that we're doing the department is doing is exploring options for more addictions support. They're already in contact with colleagues both from Yukon and from Nunavut to see what sort they provide. As I mentioned before, I'm not familiar with this specific program but if I get the information from the Member, then I can forward that on to the department to get more details and, you know, that could be a possibility in the future that, you know, the department does go to and see what the program offers. But I am aware that there are...

Thank you to the Member for the question. And, yes, you know, I think that is how this government really wants to work, and that's how I kind of want to work within the department of health is getting that input and working in partnership with Indigenous governments. And as I've said, even in some the instances before becoming a Member is, you know, in order for us to do this properly, we need to be engaging with our Indigenous partners as majority of our people that are struggling with addictions in our communities, in Yellowknife, we see it, it's visible, it's our Indigenous people. So...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And congratulations, again. Congratulations to our Premier-elect and to all the executive that were elected. And everybody that put their name forward, the one thing that I do believe is that every single speech that we heard yesterday, we all sit around this table, this room, wanting the best for the Northwest Territories. So I am hopeful, and I am happy that we're all in this together.

I'd like to thank my family who are -- who's always got my back, my husband and my two children, my constituents because I wouldn't be here without them. And although I've been...

There's a motion on the floor to report progress. It's nondebatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

Carried

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize my son, Jozef Semmler, my husband Jozef Carnogursky, my sister Krista Carnogursky, and my grandmother Esther Semmler in the gallery today. Thank you.