Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, changes to income assistance are on the way, but changes could happen now to improve the lives of NWT residents.

Will the Minister provide a ministerial directive that ensures ECE staff reduce the burden on clients by taking all measures to obtain the financial information that they have access to on behalf of clients? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister share with us how many permanent longterm health workers that are living in currently living in small communities across the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since that motion was brought forward, can the Minister assure this House that the health care provided in small communities has seen some improvements? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for my statement today I want to be a voice for Indigenous women. This is nothing new. I am hearing from women in my from women about their experiences with the police and want to raise it publicly.

Mr. Speaker, we know Indigenous women are far more likely to be violently victimized. According to a 2018 Statistics Canada survey, about 63 percent of Indigenous women have experienced physical or sexual assault in their lifetime compared to about 33 percent of nonIndigenous women. Indigenous women face sexism, racism, and discrimination. Many live in violent...

Thank you for that. Yes, Mr. Speaker, there have been dozens of stories, stories over the years of health centres prescribing Tylenol to very sick or even dying individuals seeking medical attention only to be dismissed or minimized and unheard. Does the Minister agree that Tylenol is being overprescribed to residents in our smaller communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, in 19th Assembly on June 1st, 2022, Motion 5419(2) called on the government to improve health care in the small communities. I want to ask the new Minister of Health and Social Services what has been done since that time to improve health care in the small community? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know that I've been advocating for housing for our constituents, and we know that we are in a housing crisis in the Northwest Territories. It's not just in Northwest Territories. It's across Canada we know we are in a really bad situation to provide more affordable housing and to increase housing stock, especially in small communities.

In small communities, we never heard of homelessness before, but lately we do have a lot of homelessness and we have warming shelter. Why do we have warming shelter in small communities? If we had more housing to give away to our...

Can I have unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We should be an example of our behaviour we want to see across the territory. We don't always have to agree in this House or like all the decisions that are made, but with consensus government we can show how we can disagree and still be respectful and kind as we move forward together. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do support this motion as well. Wherever we go in the Northwest Territories, housing is a priority for everyone in the small communities. And every you know, when we think about it, every government that comes along, they try to make housing a priority but fails to make any real meaningful changes. And we need to start thinking about the housing differently, you know, because small communities are different from larger regional centre. And to make to improve the housing situation, there is always a policy review. Like, why are we coming up with these...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and welcome Harriet Koyina of Behchoko. Thank you.