Kate Reid

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, keeping in line with my Member's statement today and many Members' statements today on International Women's Day, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, I guess a status update, on there is a proposed MMIWG advisory committee in the work that the GNWT is doing in responding to the calls to justice. I would like to know what's going on with that committee and if it has been formed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I wish to rise and recognize that this Sunday, March 8th, is International Women's Day. I am proud to represent the Northwest Territories as its Commonwealth woman parliamentarian and mark this day annually.

Last year, I asked all of us to recommit what positive and lasting action looks like for northern women, girls, and gender diverse folks across our territory. We do continue to make progress, but I do not think we have collectively met the high bar I want us to set yet when it comes to sustainable support for eliminating gender-based violence for instance...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, in November and December of 2025, the committee received correspondence from Speaker Thompson requesting a review of certain rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly. Specifically, the committee was asked to consider time allowed for closing debate, length of time for oral questions, the role of the Speaker when a Member proposes an emergency debate, and if the rules should be changed to clarify process regarding reporting bills that have been referred to a standing committee for consideration. The committee continues to examine the process...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for that. I am glad the committee has been established. The updates -- the last public updates we saw, it wasn't clear. So I am curious, is the Minister able to share terms of reference for that said committee? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too want to join in gratitude for the interpreters and the wonderful work they do to keep our languages alive and shared with the people of the Northwest Territories. I also want to thank the broadcast team who also puts in long hours to make sure we're heard. And I want to thank all of the table staff, the clerk staff, the speaker's office staff, and the Ministers' staff who, indeed, keeps this building running smoothly and makes it all look very magical indeed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that Rule 3.5(1) of the Consolidated Rules of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly be amended to replace, quote, "subject to the following conditions", end quote, with quote, "if the Speaker is satisfied that the following conditions have been met", end quote. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, no, thank you to the Minister for that. And I am hoping if there are formal terms of reference that she could share those with the committee.

Mr. Speaker, also, is it possible for the Minister to share what the committee has accomplished thus far in terms of their review of the GNWT's response to the MMIWG Calls to Justice? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will also keep it brief. A few things I would like to say about this motion is I absolutely agree with the mover that there is the need to uphold the treaty rights on health care across the territory. That is undisputable.

I think the thing that frustrates me most about this, Mr. Speaker, is that medical travel is so urgent when you need it and so misunderstood when you need it and when you don't need it. I think there is more work we can do to explain how NIHB works and how it doesn't work, how Metis health benefits work and don't work adequately for our residents...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will also be brief. And I want to thank the mover and seconder of this motion. I spoke in depth to my feelings on this matter on February 26th, and I will let those comments stand, and I will support this motion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since I have the dubious responsibility of being the last person to speak to this, I will be short. Mr. Speaker, today is March 5th, 2026. I first met with the finance Minister on January 5th. Mr. Speaker, I went with my main estimates and my questions, and I peppered her for, oh, a good hour and a half, two hours, saying, what does this mean? What does that mean? Why is this happening? I don't like this. Explain this. And she answered as much as she could with aplomb and said, you know what, let's take this to round 2. And so two days later, I did the same thing again...