Kate Reid

Thanks, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to get to a second round of questions around the climate change draft action plan. So the Minister for ECC spoke to the fact that some of the actions I'm interested in are for the Minister of Infrastructure, so I'll ask the Minister of Infrastructure now.

Specifically, I'm interested in the unfunded action items that are talking about transportation planning studies, for petroleum product storage capacity in our remote communities, and completing a climate assessment and planning study to optimize barging operations with MTS. These are all really crucial...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the staff for fixing my microphone.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to speak today about an event here held in the Great Hall last night. Equal Voice NWT chapter had its first event - a meet-and-greet. Spearheaded by the City of Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty, over 50 women and nonbinary folks, and a few men -- thank you to the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake -- gathered to meet and learn more about running for public office.

Mr. Speaker, a diversity of backgrounds, genders, and experience is a strength in every elected leadership role. School boards, municipal...

Okay, I will stop.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Nothing further.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Recognizing that the Giant Mine remediation project will be shutting down some public access to Great Slave Lake, I would anticipate that this dock and other public points of entry will be greatly increased. So does the Minister have any contemplation of that impact on the Robertson Dock at this time? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Robertson Drive dock rehabilitation, I have been talking about this with the Minister for some time as it is in my riding. Can the Minister explain where we are at with the environmental -- or I guess, it's a technical assessment that was being conducted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So what I'm hearing is we'll understand the data after a year but we'll make changes after a year. It's a little unclear, but I'm happy to talk to the Minister further.

Can the Minister explain how we are saving money of the administration of the -- if the administration of the EHB program has been exported to Alberta Blue Cross? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what benchmark does the Minister of Health and Social Services need to see demonstrated that the band cutoff as currently working is appropriate, and how is this monitored? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It's gone back, Mr. Speaker. All righty, thank you.

Incomes above band 10 have to pay a deductible and co-shared costs for their medications. So far, 373 residents are above band 10; 245 residents are below that band and have their costs fully covered; 256 residents are currently 41 percent of all program beneficiaries are on the new EHB program that were not covered under the old one. This is good news, and I'm happy to hear that there are residents who now have coverage who didn't before. However, as mentioned during the last O and M budget session, this band cutoff is not a given moving...

Mr. Speaker, there has been a great deal of interest from the 20th and 19th Assemblies on the topic of Extended Health Benefits before and after the program changes. As the Minister of Health and Social Services knows, I am keeping tabs on the roll out of this program and need ways to ensure that they aren't making choices between paying rent and their bills or having the medication that they need. I had many questions for the Minister and, happily, I got many answers that I would like to share.

As of October 16th, 618 residents are registered in the new EHB program. Applicants are assessed...