Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Clause 21 of the TRC Call to Action states: We call upon the federal government to provide sustainable funding for existing and new Aboriginal healing centres to address the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual harms caused by residential schools and to ensure that the funding and healing centres in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories is a priority.

Mr. Speaker, has the Minister's department begun the process towards meeting objectives of this clause; more specifically, establishing a healing centre or treatment centre in the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these questions are for the Minister of health.

Mr. Speaker, every day when I'm back in Hay River in my home office, the issues that I deal with are or many are related to addictions. It's quickly destroying individuals, families, and it's only getting worse and we're seeing more people dying. So, Mr. Speaker, the 2022 Auditor General's Report states the importance of equal access to addiction and aftercare treatment. Can the Minister of health confirm what initiatives and progress has been made in this area when it comes to residents of the NWT?...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the last three and a half years, I have been listening to this government provide reasons as to why we are not willing to move towards an addiction treatment centre specifically for the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, this, and previous governments, continually commit to doing better. Indigenous people are asking them to do better. Yet we continue to receive independent audits that say better is not happening. The Auditor General of Canada in its report on addictions, prevention, and recovery services in the Northwest Territories stated the following: "We found...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I oppose the carbon tax. Unfortunately this vote is not about removing the carbon tax. The carbon tax is here. It's you know, it's a federal initiative. It's being you know, it's been taken to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court upheld its legitimacy. This vote is basically on who will collect and administer a tax that is being pushed on not just us but all Canadians. And what are we gaining, I guess, by using the federal backstop? Nobody here can tell me, nobody on this side and, really, nobody on that side. And even the federal government. You know...

Thank you, Madam Chair. When it comes to sports, you know, when I was younger, one of the things that I guess that really helped me out was, you know, playing hockey, I guess was the big thing. And it kept me busy. Plus the other thing it got me a job at the arena, so it helped me make money. But, you know, it kept me active. It kept me healthy. I didn't you know, it kept me away from cigarettes. It kept me away from alcohol. And when I see youth today, you know, everything is so fast paced. And sometimes I think they just don't know where to turn. They don't and everybody's so...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the North, we have access to those persons that can bring cultural suitability to treatment programs. What we are missing is a certified or licensed health component due to recruitment issues.

Mr. Speaker, is the Minister willing to consider establishing a treatment centre, whether in the NWT or in the south, that provides clients with treatment that reflects northern appropriate culture in addition to services provided by licensed health workers? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, an important component is northern culture is a northern culture treatment component for Indigenous persons is vital to success. And that cultural component must be based on the person's traditional culture and not that of another Indigenous person's culture.

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister confirm what southern treatment facilities under contract with the department provide the cultural component that best reflects Indigenous peoples northern culture? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I won't recognize my wife who is in the gallery, but I will recognize the Minister of education's mother. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. You know, it's great to say that we want to forgive debt. You know, where do we cut it off at, I guess, is going to be the question. So, you know, I really don't have any hope that, you know, we're really going to any of this is actually going to come to fruition. But if it does, I guess what I'd like to see is that we need to if we're going to forgive it, we need to know how we got there as well. Like, what put us in that position and how can we stop from getting in that position again, putting the government in the position and putting the people as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize Pat Burnstad who is from Hay River as well. Not one of my constituents I guess but R.J.'s so he'll probably let me borrow her here for a bit, so. And I haven't gotten in any trouble with her I don't think, but my colleague across. I would also like to recognize Martina Norwegian from Fort Simpson as well . And all the other members of the NWT Seniors Society. Welcome, thank you.