Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was elected on February 10th, 2022, on byelection for the Tu NedheWiilideh riding. In October 2019, the newly elected MLA Members went to a retreat to bring forward all their goals and mandates for the respected communities from this retreat. The GNWT tabled their fouryear mandate plan, and it has been one year, on February 10th, 2022, I was elected as MLA for Tu NedheWiilideh riding. Not one Minister, not one deputy minister, or the Premier approached me on the needs and wants for my riding. Despite I made every effort to work in Cabinet to be heard, but no meeting took place to my requested date.
As the MLA for my riding, I'm sitting on committees on various overall government operations and from what I can see, this government is status quo, and the departments are moving forward with their fouryear mandate with no consultation or accommodation with my riding on the community's needs or infrastructure projects. Again, this government knows best on what is needed in all communities in the NWT, including my riding.
I raised my constituent issues with the Premier, Cabinet, and Minister in the fall session where I said the train left the station and there was no way to throw on constituent issues and baggage on to the moving train with the door closed. So it doesn't matter what I say or do, this government wants me to support the 20232024 budget with no consultation or accommodation for the communities in any riding is deeply concerning. In the 20222023 budget, the GNWT allocated $3.4 million for public housing repairs. On April 14th, 2022, Northern Affairs Canada announced a $60 million federal housing dollars to address the urgent housing crisis in the NWT and allocation to be determined.
The housing crisis allocation was determined and decided by the NWT Housing Corporation at the time to use the $30 million that is Indigenous money to fix up public housing units and assets. They did not address the real housing crisis promised in their public announcement for all 33 communities in the Northwest Territories. In the 20232024 fiscal year budget, the GNWT will be spending another $30 million, CIRNAC dollars, again to fix up public housing units.
I'll be asking the Premier and Minister to work with Indigenous governments to allocate the $30 million through the contribution agreement so Indigenous governments can address their own housing crisis. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Member’s Statement 1301-19(2):
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for over a decade Canadians have acknowledged the growing shortage of speechlanguage pathologists, especially in school settings. These services are critical for all children to access education equitably. The deficit is due, in part, to the limited number of openings in graduate programs and the increased need for speechlanguage pathologists as their scope of practice widens, rates of neurodivergent children grows, and classrooms play catchup in a postpandemic world. Also, we have an aging population.
This national shortage impacts education outcomes in the NWT and was recognized as an NWTspecific concern by the 2020 Office of the Auditor General's report on education.
The audit concluded that in the decade since its previous education audit that Education, Culture and Employment had "improved its support for delivering inclusive schooling but more work was required" and that the department did not provide "adequate guidance and training for support assistants", and adding, "the needs of all students were not being met."
Mr. Speaker, low staffing levels have continued to force Health and Social Services to reorganize its service delivery of speechlanguage services. But we aren't the only jurisdiction experiencing high demand and low staffing for speechlanguage services. Our sister territory Nunavut experienced the same and has creatively addressed this through a partnership with Ongomiizwin Health Services through the University of Manitoba. Through this partnership, they provide occupational therapy, speechlanguage pathology, and physiotherapy to all students in Nunavut. Referrals are sent directly from the schools to the Department of education, which then works with the Ongomiizwin coordinator. Schools receive one to two inperson therapist visits throughout the school year. And between visits, therapists provide virtual support via video conferencing with the students or ongoing support through constant email contact between teachers and therapists.
In the NWT, last year's wait times to access speech services ranged from two months in Fort Smith to half a year or more in Yellowknife. Six months is more than half of a school year. This is far too long for students to wait for services critical to equitable access to education.
Our children cannot wait for a decadelong shortage to right itself. This government needs to look at creative solutions like communitybased paraprofessionals, funded teletherapies, and partnerships that work for teachers in the child's best interests. Without these innovative solutions, the needs of NWT students will continue to go unmet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
