Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So we are on supplementary health benefits? Yes, okay.

So the Minister has seen the AOC report calling for a pause to income testing this program. And I believe that's, I think, enough to understand the disposition of the House or this side of the House on that initiative.

Should that income testing be paused, what would that do to the appropriation for supplementary health benefits? Thank you.

Okay, thank you. So as this corporate management also covers policy legislation and communications, earlier this year there was quite a public snafu with communications where an inappropriate meme was shared with the public inadvertently and it had to be pulled down. What steps are we taking to avoid those kind of missteps? This is again, lots of communication comes out of this department. It's responsible for a lot of like, for language, for culture, for promoting language weeks, culture weeks, all these kind of things. They have to do a lot of communications work. So what are we doing to...

Do we know thank you, Mr. Chair. Do we know the cost per client based on the actuals, the 20222023 actuals of this program? Thank you.

There we go. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, so this department is crucial in a an important part of our efforts to reduce poverty and give people support and keep people out of the justice system, otherwise known as integrated service delivery. I know that the Premier has made this kind of the centerpiece of what his work in the Premier's office is to bring government together and offer integrated service delivery, eventually moving to a broader service NWT kind of model. But in the meantime, our most vulnerable citizens who need the most support are kind of the first stage of integrated...

Thank you. So the it looks like that supplementary appropriation doubled the cost. So is NIHB really paying for half of our addictions out of territory treatment? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. How can we, then, as an Assembly, gauge whether or not this new position is effective the way that the department intends it to be? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, June 6, 2024, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that the Government of the Northwest Territories initiate a CrossBorder Crime Reduction Forum that would involve the Governments of the Northwest Territories, Canada, Yukon, Alberta, and British Columbia;

And furthermore, the focus of a crossborder forum will increase the response to violence and drug trafficking in rural and remote communities;

And furthermore, that the focus of the crossborder forum improve efforts to disrupt...

Thank you. And I don't want to speak to the languages and culture key activity. I wanted to speak to a senior management position within which fits, I believe, into corporate management. But I can move on if you wish, Mr. Chair. But I would say to that response, I think everyone understands at least in this Chamber understands the importance of language and culture. And I just I don't know if a new ADM is going to do the things the Minister's talking about. I think if we want to expend more financial resources on language and culture programs and do something big and bold that way, or...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this could be a game changer. So I'm going to ask the Minister if she can bring it to the Council of Leaders. I think they would be best to tell us where their greatest needs are, where they think it should work. And if we get their buyin, we might be able to get some federal dollars and some bilateral support in making this happen. So can the Minister commit to getting it on the agenda the next Council of Leaders meeting? Thank you.

Thank you. Well, as and I know that the for instance, the federal government has made this commitment to develop public land for housing, which I think every every Canadian hopes to bear fruit, including those in the North of 60. When it comes to housing, teacher housing is a major issue, particularly in the small communities. I think the Minister's kind of opened the door a bit to this with her response. So do we have a game plan for how to address the urgent need for quality and affordable housing for teachers in the rural and remote communities in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.