Kate Reid

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Finance. In recent comments to the media around the relief given to the diamond mines as of late, $11.2 million in property tax relief in specific, the Minister has said that this is about maintaining stability for workers, families, communities, and Indigenous governments that rely on this sector. I don't doubt that, Mr. Speaker. But will the Minister consider tax relief for other working families that are struggling to keep food on the table, a roof over their heads, and bills paid in the face of economic pinch that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And yeah, I respect that answer. But if the city does desire to make a change in future, through engagement and discussion with public and Indigenous partners, would the Minister consider formalizing an agreement once more to transfer land to form a territorial park for generations to come? And perhaps she could speak about what roadblocks might be in her way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Sarah-Jayne Dempster, the president of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour who is here today with her son Corbin Dempster. Welcome to your House; really glad you could be here.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I am pointing to the relief measures for the diamond mines not because I don't believe that that isn't necessary, I do believe that's necessary, however there are lots of people who don't work in that industry who are struggling, and I'm curious if this Minister has anything in her back pocket for perhaps the next round of budget that we'll be considering real and tangible ways that we can help working families. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, having had this discussion for a long time with the Minister over -- since the time I was elected a year and a half ago, I can say that there are provisions within legislation and regulation that allow for community engagement, Mr. Speaker. So if that would be a cost saving measure for the GNWT to have a community group manage that space, provide clean up of that space, would that be something the Minister would be interested in? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of ITI. So I am fairly certain she has already met with him, but will the Minister of ITI reach out to our new Yellowknife mayor about this specific topic as to whether to discuss a new agreement that could be reached to create a territorial park on Tin Can Hill. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to read my youth parliamentarian statement by Mr. Jack Penny. I have modified it slightly for accuracy but as of current -- currently as of today, but it's a pleasure to read these each year.

I would like to speak about the importance of preserving Tin Can Hill in Yellowknife by designating it as a territorial park, an area for scientific study.

Mr. Speaker, Tin Can Hill is currently under the jurisdiction of the city of Yellowknife. City council has designated it as a parks and recreations area in its zoning bylaw. In 2022, the Government...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think we're always having a budget dialogue in this room and in this House, so -- but thank you for that, and I do appreciate that effort that the Minister does every year.

I suppose my question, then, would be if she doesn't want to presuppose what the outcome of that -- of those budget dialogues would be, could she explain, perhaps, some of the impacts that previous relief packages have helped our residents in times of intense need, such as COVID, such as the evacuation; how are we learning from those experiences for the economic shocks to come? Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that.

So last week when standing committee on social development heard from the public administrator, he spoke of a people strategy. Will this strategy be ongoing and a living document so that this piece around patient-to-staff ratios can also be incorporated? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, not to preclude the work done by the Member for Yellowknife North, but a longstanding concern I have heard from nurses, prior to my time being a Member, is that of staff-to-patient ratios. And so my question to the Minister of Health and Social Services is whether or not she's willing to commit to do a review to staff-to-patient ratio to address a longstanding concern of frontline health care staff starting with Stanton, and present those results to all Members? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.