Frieda Martselos

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too will get up in support of the motion.

This motion is to address the healthcare deficiency in small communities; the access to doctors, specialists must be addressed.

Personally I've always addressed each concern brought to my attention from my own constituents to the Minister's office. I just want to mention that 99 percent of the answers, in the replies, have always been positive. And I want to thank the Office of Health and Social Services for that.

The Indigenous file for small communities is extremely important. And the leaders at all the former meetings, in my...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to provide this House with an updated status on the polytechnic university at its earliest possible time? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please provide some clarity regarding the meeting that took place on May 30th at city hall of Yellowknife about the polytechnic university. What is the intended purpose of that meeting? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the other day, on May 30th, the mayor and council of Yellowknife held a meeting to discuss whether the city should enter into a memorandum of understanding with Aurora College and the Government of the Northwest Territories about the location of the Yellowknife campus for the future polytechnic university. There were multiple media reports about that meeting which implied some concerning and misleading information about the future polytechnic university and where its main campus and headquarters will be located.

Mr. Speaker, it has already been reiterated...

Madam Chair, during that time that this of the serious incident in March, the whole community was in lockdown. It was a very, very serious situation. And, you know, and there's a lot of disappointment with some of the things that happened with regards to seeing we always seem to protect the person who potentially committed the crime but we always and we kind of make sure that everything is right for that person, but we always forget about what's right for the victims.

And I think that that family was victimized and they will never ever get over it. It's a life changing situation for them. It...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I spoke about a shortage of RCMP staff in the community of Fort Smith. I would like to ask the Minister of Justice if he believes that a lack of RCMP staff would translate to a lack of overall public safety for the people of Fort Smith? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister assure me that the RCMP vacancies can be filled with casual members from other jurisdictions until the permanent staff are all in place? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us what the Department of Justice is doing to address the RCMP staff shortage that is currently affecting Fort Smith and other NWT communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, throughout this Assembly, I have done several Member statements about the RCMP and the need for improved and more accountable policing within the constituency of Thebacha, and across the NWT. Today I want to continue highlighting some of the concerns I have seen and heard about the RCMP as of late.

Mr. Speaker, because of the effects of the pandemic on mental health and the serious incident in Fort Smith in March, I am concerned that the RCMP does not offer casual replacements to ensure the community is fully served by eight members. For safety reasons and...

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide a timeline or any further details for which he anticipates that all or most of the vacant RCMP staff positions will be filled in Fort Smith? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.