Kieron Testart

Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Different topic.

Mr. Speaker, how many agency nurse contracts have been utilized since 2021? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the story I told, that's $6,000 outofpocket for a retired couple. I have another constituent that's $7,000 outofpocket. People work paycheque to paycheque in the Northwest Territories. They can't afford these costs. Will the Minister take action and commit to solving this problem? There's a whole bunch of problems but this is a very specific one affecting a small amount of people in a very significant way; will she solve this problem? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. And, yeah, I assume that was the answer but if you need support, please bring it to the standing committee. I'm sure we'll write you a letter.

Switching gears, the Protection against Family Violence Act is scheduled to be updated. Could the Minister speak to what changes are being contemplated by the department? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this is a mandate item as well, to fix this problem, but, I mean, we have when we hear stories of people who are being asked to zoom in to their loved one who is intubated at a hospital and make decisions for them because that's the option instead of flying them down, I don't know how that's compassionate. So will the Minister specifically review this set of circumstances where there are people who cannot advocate for themselves, who are in critical condition and require a spouse or someone who can speak with power of attorney or on their...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The program evaluation, what does that entail? Are they engaging will it engage with members of the community as well to get feedback from them in addition to I'll just leave it open ended. Like, what will it evaluate? How will that what's the methodology around the evaluation? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, it's not only Northerners from smaller communities or remote regions, it's also Yellowknifers who have to deal with the medical travel system that isn't serving their needs.

Last October, one of my constituents went to Stanton Hospital because he was having trouble breathing where it was discovered he had a heart attack. He was sent to Edmonton the next day but on the way developed pneumonia and a blood infection. For a month, he was sedated with a breathing tube but despite the support of his doctor, his spouse was denied medical travel. Imagine how she felt with her husband that...

Thank you. So what's the total expenditure of the program? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So what's the status of that? Because I know that, like, when coming into this Assembly as well, I was kind of unclear if there was a pause because of COVID or because of evac or all the other unmitigated disasters that had befallen the 19th Assembly. So where are we at with the community safety officer pilot? Thank you.

I have general comments rather than questions, but the Premier's free to ask or to answer or speak to what I have to say. But I'm quite pleased with what's being proposed in the main estimates and also the business plan. The legislative agenda for this department is sufficiently robust in both the kind of machinery of government or machinery of the public service that has to bring forward things like Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Acts and the Legislation Act and the unsexy pieces of legislation. Forgive that forgive me if that's unparliamentary but that's really what it is. But we do...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the reason I ask that is we're here they're only used for obstetrics, they're only used for these, like, hard to find units, we don't want them to shut down. But the concern is that we're going to lose health centres in small communities. So is the Minister aware of any circumstances right now where a small community health centre is going to be staffed with agency nurses?