Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the opportunity to stand up today and reflect on what we have achieved together over the past two years. The government's mandate provided an ambitious road map, but I believe that we have made substantial process in a number of areas that are priorities not only for this Assembly, but for residents of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Chair, I have travelled throughout the Northwest Territories, I have met with community leaders and stakeholders, I have listened to the concerns of representatives in this House, and it is clear that concerns about the impacts of mental health and addictions on our community is a priority for all.

Last fall, the Department of Health and Social Services completed a Mental Health and Addictions Strategic Framework that sets the stage for enhancing the range of programs and services that are available to our residents. Last week, I tabled the first of three action plans to be completed under this framework. The Child and Youth Mental Wellness Action Plan outlines concrete achievable actions that will take over the next five years in partnership with government departments as well as external stakeholders. These actions will make a real difference in the lives of youth across the Northwest Territories.

Another priority in the government's mandate speaks to taking action so that seniors can age in their communities. Mr. Chair, we have delivered on this priority. We completed a major long-term care review that identified key areas for action. Our Continuing Care Services Action Plan outlines how we will enhance and improve services available for elders, including expanding homecare services and vibrant day programs. New investments in homecare have allowed us to expand services in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River, and, for the first time, offer homecare services in five Dehcho communities, but we also need to take care of elders who are no longer able to live independently.

The government has rolled out a detailed plan to address the projected shortfall of 250 long-term care beds over the next ten years, and their funding is included in the capital plan to make good on that commitment. In the next three years, we will see an 18-long-term-care-bed facility open in Norman Wells, a 48-bed facility constructed in Hay River, a 72-bed facility within the old Stanton Hospital in Yellowknife, and plans underway for facilities in Inuvik, as well as Fort Simpson.

Mr. Chair, just over one year ago, we achieved a major milestone with the establishment of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority. Integrating six existing authorities has allowed us to implement improvements to care and services delivered to people across the entire Northwest Territories. We have already made significant progress in establishing consistent standards of care across the Northwest Territories. We have improved our ability to deploy staff in situations of physician shortages, as well as community crisis response.

We have seen how implementation of territorial electronic medical records is helping to ensure that patients no longer fall through the cracks and are no longer required to keep telling their stories over again as they move between regions. With the establishment of the new regional wellness councils and the Health and Social Services Leadership Council, regions now have a voice at the territorial level and can bring their issues and concerns forward in ways that they could not in the old system.

Mr. Chair, we have made great strides in addressing the challenges of aging infrastructure. Hay River and surrounding communities are now benefiting from a state-of-the-art regional health centre, the new health centre in Fort Providence opened last year, and we are poised to move into the new health centre in Fort Resolution. The new Stanton Territorial Hospital project is on time and on budget and will serve residents from across the Northwest Territories and the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut.

Finally, Mr. Chair, I am incredibly proud of the work that has been done in the health and social services system to respond to the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and to address disparities of health outcomes for Indigenous people. Our commitment to building a culturally respectful health and social services system is being realized through the rollout of cultural safety training for frontline workers. We are in the early stages of piloting elders-in-residence programs at Stanton Territorial Hospital and in the Sahtu and the Dehcho regions. We are working with the Deline Got'ine government to implement a traditional healing project.

Mr. Chair, none of this work is accomplished by working in isolation. As a Minister, I have invested a tremendous amount of time and effort in reaching out to communities and stakeholders. I value the knowledge and wisdom of the people in our communities. I value the partnerships we have created with our government departments, our Indigenous governments, and with non-government organizations. I value the perspectives of my colleagues in this House, and I want to take this opportunity to thank you and your contributions to improving health and social services for all residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.