Caitlin Cleveland

I was counting. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my last question for the Minister, then, is will they change the criteria of the program to include NWT residents so that even people who have made their home here for the last ten plus years and want to contribute to this deficit of staffing and a staffing shortage can partake in this program? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm wondering why we would undersubscribe a program or sorry, underfund a program. And I mean and maybe that's just how we go in Health and Social Services, is underfunding our programs and we need to stop doing that. But if we have 30 potential spots, why would there not be 30 potential bursaries for 30 potential nursing students so that we can potentially say, okay, we only have 29 firstyear students; let's put this one last spot out there so that we can recruit one last person to make sure that this program is fully subscribed. So why is...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions, to start, are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

We learned last week that there are currently 30 spots in the Aurora College nursing program. So I'm wondering if the Minister can tell us how many bursaries are available? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. While we're giving all the love right above me here, the Arctic Energy Alliance, I'd love to direct some above Cabinet over there. We also have in the House with us this evening or sorry, this afternoon, Avery Parle, who is the vicepresident of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour. So welcome.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have no more questions at this time.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Minister also brought up the huge quantity of overtime that nurses are doing and healthcare professionals are doing and how reducing that really is going to be a mechanism to retain staff so they do have that worklife balance and are able to, you know, really work in safe working environments. And so I'm wondering if a future supplementary appropriation will include bursary programs essentially for education in return for service within the public service so that we can really create our own nursing pool and then create our own pool of people that are doing...

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to whether or not there are any anticipated expansions of the Labour Market Supplement Program? I know that many of us have heard from different constituents who feel that they have been or who have been cut out of the program and who have indicated that they may go to their deputy heads in regards to this. And I'm wondering if the Minister has any indication as to whether or not they've heard from different deputy heads or if there is a plan to expand the eligibility for this program within this fiscal year...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my first instinct is to not support this bill to move past second reading, but I am going to; I want to first tell you why.

First, I want to tell you why my instinct is to not support it. The cost of living in the Northwest Territories is suffocating many NWT residents. Everyone is feeling it. Between the added cost of inflation, supply chain, energy, food, health, and housing, the people I serve are feeling the added financial pressures that come with living in the Northwest Territories. Over the last year this territory has seen rate increases from...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions are for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation to facility alternative energy.

The Northwest Territories Power Corporation is a Crown corporation that owns and operates the Northwest Territories' hydroelectric facilities and most of the Northwest Territories' diesel power plants. NTPC is tasked to provide an essential service to Northwest Territories residents and businesses by ensuring access to reliable electricity. The Northwest Territories' energy mix includes fossil fuel, biomass, hydro, natural gas, wind and solar installations...

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we have $193.7 million deficit within NTHSSA. Two of the main reasons for this deficit creeping up are cost of overtime due to staffing shortages and underfunded locum costs. So I think that investing in education in exchange for return of service is a good investment of this territory. So my question comes back to investment in bursaries is will this government provide bursaries in exchange for years of service to anybody who wants to be a nurse so that their program is fully subscribed every year? Thank you.