Kieron Testart

Mr. Speaker, if we can't attract people to help lead the transition from within the institution, then it's not going to work. When we see news stories like this, it sends a signal to the rest of Canada that we are not -- that this institution isn't working and isn't interested in change. So how is the Minister going to change that reputation? How is she going to help the board market their institution as one that's serious about change? That's why we're having this conversation today, because people don't believe they're serious so how is she going to help them do that? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to join in the line of questioning that several of my colleagues have brought today around Aurora College. Aurora College says that 83 percent of its milestones have been achieved. The news reporting that the honourable Member from Frame Lake mentioned, if you actually read the reporting, there's some shocking details in there. The former research chair is quoted as saying there wasn't a plan, there wasn't an idea of how we could get the chairs up and running. This was only a year ago. So the Minister is not responsible for Aurora College, but she's...

Thank you. To that point, one of the issues is the referral process that gets kids from the school to the health system. This is going to take someone to streamline that process and make it easier for that to happen. I suggest the Minister's in a good position to figure out who that person is if it's not herself. So would the Minister commit to working with school boards and health authority to streamline the referral process for students to get them the care they need? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in continuing with my -- with questions to support schools, working families, students, teachers, I'd like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment how the department is working to support schools. And, of course, this requires coordination across multiple departments because there are a lot of requirements so we might jump around a bit, but I'm confident the Minister can answer it.

First off, there's a youth mental health crisis in the Northwest Territories, and our schools are on the frontline. So what are we doing to support them and now...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister consider putting some accountability measures behind the dollars that we're giving to Aurora College? Change the funding program so they are tied to outcomes and if those outcomes aren't met, they don't get their funding and they have to seek performance elsewhere. That way we can ensure that they're performing. Because if they fail in the outcomes that the government designs that the Minister is accountable for, then they don't get funded. And they're not going to exist very long if they can't get funded. So will the Minister do that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, they've been given time. They've been given years to get this done, and they're still struggling. So clearly something isn't working. How much more time is the Minister going to give Aurora College to fail? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the Minister's going to make herself available, but I'm going to keep asking these questions and I hope it's more than availability. We need some answers, we need some solutions, we need to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, another issue is there's no -- currently, the quality of school infrastructure is up to the school -- most school boards to care for in Yellowknife themselves. The GNWT owns those buildings in other communities and for other school districts. But there's no dedicated funding for technical assessments. Since the pandemic, many of those...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Therapeutic services are another aspect that is important in schools as there is access to occupational therapists, speech language pathologists. These are highly technical specialized roles that schools need to provide supports to students. They currently don't have access to these. How is the Minister going to ensure therapeutic services are provided in all of our schools in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to take a moment today to celebrate the fact that one of our northern icons, Sharon Firth, will be inducted into the Laurentian Ski Hall of Fame tomorrow during their tribute to Canadian women in skiing this weekend. A world-renowned cross country skier, Sharon was a Member of Canada's cross country team, alongside her late sister Shirley, for an incredible 17 years. Together, they competed in countless national and international championships and had the historic honour of being the first Indigenous female athletes at the Winter Olympics. Not only is Sharon an...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize a page from Range Lake, Tika Ristau. Thank you very much for your work today. Thank you.