Richard Edjericon

Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister committed to working with community leaders, as well as his Cabinet colleagues in health and social services and justice, to ensure that volunteers EMR services can be community-driven initiative that is not tied up in the bureaucracy of the system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the bill, at this time, there's no -- there's nothing there for my small communities from the 19th and 20th Assembly. I got a letter that was brought in with all my issues. Two years in this mandate, I don't see anything there. And March of this year, I brought it up. But anyway, Mr. Speaker, at this point in time, I don't support this bill. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to also thank the Member from Range Lake for bringing this bill forward. This bill is very important to all communities in the Northwest Territories, in particular small communities, and we know the work that goes into this position of fighting the fires in the communities, etcetera, and so, no, Mr. Speaker, I don't have an issue with supporting this bill, and I just want to thank all the frontline workers that are here today and throughout the Northwest Territories. Mahsi cho.

Mr. Speaker, before we break for the summer, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and congratulate the high school graduates in my Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding starting with:

Hannah Beck and Caleb Simon

from Fort Resolution;

Leona Lockhart from Lutselk'e.

And at K'alemi Dene School in N'dilo, I want to recognize

Patricia Black-Quitte

Tadeh Betsina

Owen Charlo-Zoe

Lora Lee Stiopu.

I also want to congratulate the Indigenous high school graduates here at both high schools in Yellowknife, starting with Indigenous graduates from Sir John:

Sara Elizabeth Anderson

April Ansetti

Rhiannon Balmer

Bianca Bates

Keenian...

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise in the House here today to speak about the bill, and I don't know where to start but the best way for me to talk about this is that I want to say small communities do matter. We got 33 communities in the Northwest Territories, and we all have our own needs and wants and ask, and I got to work with our own Indigenous governments that are bringing their issues to me all the time. And I get calls every day, evenings, weekends, and I continue to advocate for them.

Mr. Speaker, in the 19th Assembly I came in through a by-election, and at that time I brought my...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Mr. and Mrs. Testart. Thank you for being here. And I also would like to thank all the firefighters that are here in the gallery. Thank you for your services. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, Jordan's Principle exists to close the gap in the standard of living between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Every dollar provided to our schools is, in effect, an acknowledgement by the federal government that their needs have to be met by our own territorial government. What has the department of ECE allowed our schools to become so reliant on this federal government and what's their backup plan should they provide -- this program doesn't go ahead? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of ECE is travelling to Ottawa next week to meet with her federal counterparts. Would she use this opportunity to advocate to restore these recent cuts to the Jordan's Principle program before they come into place with our new MP who is now the Minister of Crown and Indigenous Relations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. I'm going to go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.