Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise also to recognize the appointment of Mr. Chris Comeau. I'm sure he will do -- I know he will do an excellent job because he's already been doing it. And this is -- being sergeant-at-arms is I think an understated role in the Parliaments of the Commonwealth, but it is an important one and, in some cases, a lifesaving one. So I do absolute the work of our sergeants-at-arms. And to Mr. Powder, who is a constituent of the Range Lake riding, thank you for your years of service. I know that every day you took our sittings as seriously as any other...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister agree that being present for a plan of care for a loved one who is incapacitated would meet the criteria for an exemption? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, several of my constituents were medivaced recently with life-threatening illnesses and were denied escorts because medical travel does not cover escorts for emergency circumstances, and reimbursements for their family members were denied. These escorts are vital in understanding the plan of care for their loved ones who were in an incapacitated state. But it's not policy to allow escorts for emergency medivac situations. I've raised this before. The Minister gave me some assurances that there would be a path forward. Now it appears that path has closed. Can the Minister commit to...

Thank you. And it's the -- does the territorial fire centre factor into those recommendations as well? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Members of the Legislative Assembly, it is our responsibility to act as our constituents' advocates, and though we spend most of our time here working on the bigger picture, we recognize that when policies and processes fail, intervention into individual circumstances is necessary. We are our constituents' last resort but when it comes to working with medical travel, increasingly MLAs are becoming Northerners' only option. Medical travel's inadequacies are becoming so severe that it's consuming much of our constituency work, and this is clear the system...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the ECC has received its report into -- or its after action report that had a number of recommendations. Many of those were capital recommendations that are -- I think you could find here quite clearly. So does the Minister feel that the investment by these expenditures is sufficient to meet the recommendations in that report? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the GNWT does calculate its fleet -- like, its combined fleet in terms of emissions; is that correct?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the health care worker I spoke to about the recent round of engagements within the system the Minister's undertaking and the authority's undertaking said, quote: We don't need more opportunities for feedback. The reason health care workers don't feel heard is because there's never any real action or bold moves on the feedback we've given for years.

So I'd like to ask the Minister of health today, in these town halls that she's having with health care workers what is she hearing? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And that number is $200 billion over ten years. So, you know, I appreciate that it's going to be divvied out in different places. We need to have a resolution to this. We need to find a way to retain workers. This is a blockage that's been identified to me. Will the Minister at least commit to doing an exploration of this, working with staff, working with the whole team, and coming up with a solution that's meaningful, impactful, and will actually solve this problem instead of just more listening exercises? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, is the Minister willing to look at the length of contracts? A six-month contract means the worker's going to stay in the Northwest Territories for at least a longer time commitment. We're talking about contracts that are two days long, that are a week long. Will the Minister commit to stopping that practice and ensuring contracts are long enough to keep people in the North and keep money in the North and keep continuity of care in the North? Thank you.