Kieron Testart

Mr. Speaker, Jordan's Principle is a federal program that distributes billions of dollars nationwide annually to raise the standard of living for First Nations children. There is no funding cap. The program is on demand and available to First Nations' families, their service providers, and their community governments, so long as the application provided to Indigenous Services Canada identifies the needs of First Nations children which are not currently met or up to the standard enjoyed by their non-Indigenous peers. Therefore, every year a large portion of what the federal government...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide us with guidance on how we should reach out to people who have been coming to our offices concerned about this program now that this is -- there's some hope that the program could be expanded -- or extended that we can get those numbers back. People continue to ask, so. And it's good that this information's out there so people know what's at stake. So can the Minister give guidance on what we should be providing back to our constituents who are worried about this program -- about their spots coming to an end and having to leave the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week my 2-year-old came down with a nasty ear infection and though I was able to stay at home with him, 811 instructed my family to err on the side of caution and have him checked out. As Yellowknife Primary Care accepts booking just after they open at 8 a.m., I made sure to have my phone in hand ready as the seconds ticked closer to the right moment to make my call. First, 8 o'clock, then 8:01, 8:02, 8:03, 8:04, and finally I hit dial just as 8:05 came on to the screen of my phone. When the phone rang, I eagerly anticipated my opportunity to arrange...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in 2023-2024, we lost a family physician, an obstetrician, a pediatrician. These are frontline physicians that provide primary care services that families need, that Northerners need. I get the public administrator is busy doing this work. We haven't seen that plan. So I'm going to turn again to this: What's the public administrator's role in this, and when are we allowed to find out about it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier this sitting I had asked questions about physician staffing in the Northwest Territories. We learned that nine physicians have left since fiscal year 2023-2024, and now we're hearing that 64 percent of physicians in the Northwest Territories are planning on leaving. This is a crisis to put it mildly, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister's plan to reverse this trend and bring either new physicians here or -- or bring new physicians to the Northwest Territories and keep the ones we currently have? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is interesting news, Mr. Speaker. I believe the Northwest Territories has already welcomed around 80 asylum seekers and refugees to the Northwest Territories. Seems like something we can do. Is the Minister going to be taking the federal Minister up on his offer and get our quota back? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is it a plan, though, that's being executed, or is it piecemeal decisions called primary care reform? We're hearing a bunch of different facts. We're seeing a bunch of different actions being taken. We still don't have online booking. Other places do. So is this, again, a comprehensive costed plan with clear milestones that this Assembly can judge, the public can judge, and we can actually see some improvement? And not just for us but for the people who work within the system as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Health and Social Services provide this House with a comprehensive plan for primary care reform that is fully costed, has clear milestones, and is based on input from patients and healthcare workers? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that's a great assessment of the problem but we're looking for solutions, and the Minister mentioned the work the association's doing. But what's the work that the department is doing for recruitment and retention of physicians? She mentioned university spots, there's too few. Are we funding new university spots? Are we expanding the residency program? There's a ton of things we do that are actually very helpful that we've heard from physicians are useful. Are we going to expand those programs? Like, when are solutions going to come forward? We all know the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, the clock is ticking on the federal government. I don't think we have much long left with them. And certainly many people who are asylum seekers are able to work in the Northwest Territories as well. This seems like it could be two birds with one stone. And certainly the North is welcoming to people, and this would help solve a lot of problems. We have precious little time to get it done. When will the Minister have an answer for the House on this issue? Thank you.