Kieron Testart

I think that to start off I'd like to thank all the colleagues and all the MLAs for their hard work on this document and for collaborating effectively to bring something complete to the table. That being said, there are several issues with this process that I think need to be improved upon. The mandate ought not to be a business plan. We have business plans for those. It ought not to be a budget document. We have a budget process for those. What it ought to be is a set of political commitments that are gathered together to form a concise plan that gives certainty to Members of this House and...

Given the imminent concerns of our fiscal situation in the Northwest Territories, will there be costsaving efficiencies as a result of standardizing care in the NWT?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the importance of the health care system and that any major changes to it are significant concern for our residents, will the Minister of Health and Social Services provide an explanation for the delay of the transformation of health care in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, one of the highest priorities of any government must be the health and well-being of its citizens. The delivery of quality and affordable healthcare is a cornerstone of good government in Canada and it's something that Northerners have come to expect. Yet the standards of the Northwest Territories' healthcare system vary wildly across regions and not all of our residents have the same standard of care. The 17th Assembly recognized the need to take action on improving healthcare and began the process of health system transformation in an effort to provide the best possible care to...

I would like to speak in support of my colleague's motion. When we are speaking of our overall vision moving forward, reminding people of some very specific point in time, entirely relevant statistics and fiscal challenges are not as helpful to a plan, a plan to move ahead. I would prefer, if we are going to speak to these challenges, that we do it in the context of the initiatives we are going to use to get around these, rather than focusing on the specific numbers that are representative of our economy in decline and challenges to our government. I would rather see those numbers reflected in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and onto the point of improved health care. Will there be reduced wait times and more access to medical professionals after the implementation of the new system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On to the issue of regional wellness committees, what progress has been made in selecting those committees? What kinds of input are going into those choices?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd also like to recognize Mandee McDonald and Erin Freeland Ballantyne. Both work with Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, which is a great made-in-the-North post-secondary institution, and it's good to see them here. Thank you.

That is exactly why I asked these questions today. We have heard at length of how great the program is and how it is achieving results. Those are the kind of the results we need to move our economy forward and I'm pleased to hear that that the Premier will be looking at expanding the program and the possibility there.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we've heard of the slowdown in our economy and the decline in mineral exploration. I'd like to ask the Premier what is being done to reverse the course of the slowdown in exploration and what concrete actions we're moving forward on.