Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, thank you to the Premier. I appreciate that we can't make decisions here. but we can ask succinct questions. I think that's the best way to do it. So will the Premier at least ensure that a policy lens for cultural safety is included when policy analysis is done on government briefing notes? There's a matrix that they use, can cultural safety be one of those to ensure that we're not missing out when we're making decisions or advising Ministers and decisionmakers on how we should proceed on things. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to rise in support of my honourable friend, the Member for Deh Cho's motion. I think what's significant about this is it's not just an affirmation to declare housing a priority or housing important but housing as a fundamental right of Northerners. And this is very significant because taking a rightsbased approach to the issue of housing would give new clarity to how fundamental it is to our citizens and, in particular, to Indigenous peoples who have struggled with a lack of affordable, suitable, and adequate housing for a very long time. And...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on Pink Shirt Day, as this year's Black History Month comes to an end, to speak to the government's cultural safety and strategy. Safety certainly is a spectrum, Mr. Speaker. There are many obvious ways we must keep ourselves and each other safe from mental harm and physical harm every day. Cultural safety and traumainformed approaches, particularly outlined in the Department of Health and Social Services's cultural safety action plan, is creating a space where Indigenous peoples feel safe and respected, free of racism and discrimination. Of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the 19th Assembly the Government of the Northwest Territories increased supports to communities and municipalities to reduce the municipal funding gap by $5 million; however, the government has not made the analysis of the municipal funding gap publicly available. With the rates of inflation and rising costs of goods and services, how do we know that $5 million has addressed the funding deficit?

My questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs:

Can the Minister provide the current value of the overall municipal funding gap for the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker; you are efficient as ever.

Mr. Speaker, an estimated 2,200 Northwest Territories residents do not have access to any health benefits, do not have access to any benefits like those through employee or thirdparty insurance plans. The Minister of Health and Social Services has implemented changes to the Extended Health Benefits Policy that will impose a lowincome threshold on eligible benefits.

My questions are to the Minister of Health and Social Services:

Can the Minister explain the income assessment process to determine eligibility for all benefits, including exact...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I recognize that we are  we are a small jurisdiction in the global field of the minerals industry. We do have a great program, the Mineral Incentive Program. The Minister talked about it. Will she triple the Mineral Incentive Program? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, seeing as there's extra time, I thought I ask my friend the Minister of Finance if she  what she's going to do to support the mining industry here in the Northwest Territories. She's got the money. We need some tax credits. Has the Minister reviewed the submission  the prebudget submission that the chamber of  of the NWT Chamber and Nunavut Chamber of Mines has put forward to the federal government for a North of 60 tax credit? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I note under the agreements, some of these contributions seem very low. $4,000, Canadian chronic disease surveillance system agreement. $4,000 for epidemiology support for substance use agreements. I'm not sure what you can do with that. So I'm assuming this is multiyear agreements that are just kind of paying out. It just seems quite or a very limited amount of contributions. So could the Minister just explain how this money is flowing and if there's a larger pot that we're not seeing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, can the Minister explain what this funding is for. Is it for staff positions, training programs? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a number of pilot projects for small modular reactors taking place in the southern provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta in particular. Can the Minister commit to monitor the outcomes of those projects and report back to the House or to the standing committee? Thank you.