Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a few parents recently reach out to me, and they talked about the challenges within the education system. Now, it's not a question of the school boards not meeting their needs; it's their inability to actually rise to the necessity. And it's not just these parents, Mr. Speaker; it's dozens upon dozens of parents struggling with these problems, not to mention one could only imagine the depth the problems get into the community. So what am I talking about? Assessments for students, Mr. Speaker.

We have children who are going unassessed. Their learning disabilities...

And thank you, Mr. Speaker. All that was for the crescendo here is, where the question's going ultimately, is that the Minister's aware and many of the Members, of course, is the federal government and the territorial government have some increased long-term obligations, and there's some requirements for these obligations that are going forward. That said, I would like to hear if the Minister -- will continue to support the extra costs due to the changes for long-term care that the federal government's requiring and the territorial government's now supporting and will Avens continue to be a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had more questions for the Minister of health, and I certainly hope, as it threw me off the last time to get a yes so fast, it goes just as swimmingly.

Mr. Speaker, the first question for the Minister is is she aware of the number of beds and how many are vacant at the Stanton Legacy Hospital, the Liwego'ati, currently? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate -- today I want to ask questions - surprise - to the health Minister, one of my favourite Ministers there. Not the only favourite, but in the top 7 for sure. I was going to say top 8. In top 7, Mr. Speaker.

In my Member's statement, I talked about the way we could improve our health care security as well as potentially cost and credibility in the sense of making sure Northerners are using health care and those who certainly deserve it or qualify for it.

Mr. Speaker, I mentioned BC uses a photograph on their driver's license and also has a health...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, October 30th, 2025, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the Member for Range Lake, that the Executive Council of the Government of the Northwest Territories name the new 50-unit affordable housing complex on 50th Street in Yellowknife the Anthony (Tony) WJ Whitford Building;

And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories respond to this motion in 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll certainly be happy to receive that information, of course.

Now, I understand that Avens provides long-term care supports similarly and as a partner for the overall solution, so I'm getting towards the next part of the question, which is I believe they provide approximately 59 beds, Mr. Speaker. And that partnership is so important.

With the changes that are coming in long-term care, does the department of health, NTHSSA, plan to continue and foster its decades long important relationship as a pillar of health care in this community? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker -- never mind. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about some health care innovation and certainly some opportunities that will save this government and our territory a lot of real -- some real tangible dollars, Mr. Speaker. It's about service improvement.

Mr. Speaker, using round numbers -- because I like them, they flow a little better -- years ago, I think in my first term way back in the days of yore, someone did an inquiry about how many healthcare cards that were out there, and they found that there were about 45,000. Again, using round numbers. However, our bureau of stats pointed out there's...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So approximately 1,400. I like round numbers so whether it's, you know, 1,208 or, you know, 1,440. 1,400 is a nice number. So, Mr. Speaker -- it's a clear number, sorry, not a nice number.

Can the Minister give some details on how many businesses, and northern businesses to be specific, will be impacted by the closure of these three mines? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I raise it again because it's so important. If there are propane tanks there, open fires, jerry cans, all within reach, Mr. Speaker, and garbage spewing everywhere and, in my opinion, some difficult living conditions, can the Minister provide this House, if not verbally today, some statistics and data on how often these sites are all individually inspected and what have been the results from each individual inspection with some dates? Thank you.