Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, health system researchers identify two potential ways to reduce health system costs - prevention through public health education and ensuring people take their medication. When I was a university student, our high school English teacher and his wife were sent to Edmonton where their baby was born premature. I went up to U of A Hospital where they sat teary eyed waiting for their tiny baby to finish her first surgery. Their baby Katie survived her surgery, persevered through childhood, set territorial records at this year's Canada Summer Games, and is now a third year university science student with a 3.95 GPA. Today, Katie is the NWT's only resident with cystic fibrosis.

Katie, who's sights are set on speech pathology, is deciding where to accept a job offer on graduation. But the cost of her medication plays a key role in deciding where to call home. Katie takes two medications - a nationally publicly-funded Trikafta at $300,000 per year and a second one that the GNWT helps support at $12,000 per year. If proposed changes to the specified disease program move forward, Katie will no longer receive GNWT support for her medication. Ironically, half of the Canadian provinces, also desperate for speech pathologists, will cover Katie's second medication.

Madam Speaker, Katie's story is one of many. I also serve single parents who exceed the income threshold but live on the poverty line with the North's high cost of living. NWT residents who sit above the income threshold but whose medications would cost roughly $20,000 a year, and others who would choose more opportunities for family and reduce medications for themselves.

The income threshold chosen by the GNWT are below liveable wages, and liveable wages do not account for high costs of life saving medications. Beyond the strain this will put on northern residents, this also stands to further strain our healthcare system.

With this change, many Northerners will join other Canadians who face decisions to not fill their prescriptions, take smaller doses than ordered, or cut back on food, heat, and family expenses to try to cover drug costs that, for some, will be suffocating, and mismanaging medications ultimately drives up hospitalization.

Hospitals now dominate all healthcare systems in high income countries. Canadian annual hospital care is roughly $77 billion. The average hospital stay in the NWT is almost twice the national average at just over, ironically, $12,000. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement for the first time this sitting.

---Unanimous consent granted

Very big thank you, colleagues. Madam Speaker, this is not a whole-of-system thinking policy change. This is a quick fix that looks at one budgetary line item in a vacuum with potentially harmful impacts to the health of other Northerners and the health of the system's collective bottom line. I urge this government to reconsider. They do not have a grasp on how many people will no longer qualify for support and, ultimately, what the cost will be to the system. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, with COVID pandemic moving to an endemic we are seeing the closure of events moving to opening of events. I'm happy to advise the House that Open Sky hosted its 20th festival at the beginning of September. I was able to partake in some of the events during the September long weekend. The festival is usually celebrated annually, and this was the first festival since 2019 and the beginning of the COVID pandemic.

They celebrated with a weekend full of workshops, vendors, and music. For this special festival they chose the theme of "Deh Cho Boogie" with a logo designed of a guitar playing kiwi bird. This year was special to them and the community as it was their 20th anniversary and to remember the late founding member Lindsey "Kiwi" Waugh.

Throughout the festival, they counted about 95 to 120 visitors per day, which was a great turnout for them. Visitors were able to participate in one or more of the 15 different workshops offered during the weekend, such as soapstone carving, earring making, or painting, Listen to some music, meeting with friends, and enjoy some of the local bakery and seeing what the other eight vendors had to offer in locally made arts and crafts.

One of the highlights was the cake cutting on Saturday. The hosts were lucky to have Pat Waugh, her daughter and grandchildren, do the cake cutting. This event attracted lots of people to stop by which then enjoyed other activities being offered.

Organizers would like to thank everybody who joined them in celebrating the 20th anniversary, participating in the workshops, and Fort Simpson for being such a welcoming community. As well, a huge shout out to all the sponsors without whom they wouldn't be able to offer such an amazing event.

Madam Speaker, we are already looking forward to next years festival. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife South.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as MLAs, one of the platforms that we use to raise support for causes is here in the Chamber. Younger generations, meanwhile, are often very effective on platforms like TikTok and YouTube to get their voices out to those who will listen. One of my young constituents is one of those youths using social media platforms very effectively, and I want her to know that people are listening.

She had recently posted to Facebook a video sharing the reality of what too many young people are still facing every day at school. The video showed, for example, what it feels like to be someone who doesn't look athletic, as in relatively thin in stature, let's say, and so may be the last person chosen to participate on a team and yet also faces negative judgmental comments along the way. It showed an example of the kinds of stereotyping that happens based on a person's experience and appearance.

For another example, that a female who might not dress in what is a traditionally feminine manner can be judged for not being female enough. But if she dresses in a manner that magazine or pop culture tells us is feminine, they too can then be labelled for a variety of derogatory comments and ways. As if one's choice of clothing implies some kind of commitment about our values, our morals, our aspirations, or our desires.

Madam Speaker, what my young constituent had to say about that, I quote, "it sucks." I remember to this day comments made about my clothing that had, by necessity, to be inexpensive. I remember to this day comments about my body shape because it didn't portray the athleticism that was underneath it. I don't carry any hurt from that any longer, but I do carry an awareness of the importance of kindness and the need for courage to ask why we say such things to one another in the first place.

Madam Speaker, I see so much strength in young people today, particularly women and gender-diverse people. I see people wearing clothing that is about style and not necessarily conforming to rigid or narrow norms of beauty. And I see people enjoying activities because of the joy that they bring and not only because it is something they are supposed to do, or worse, not to. Clearly, we are not yet where we should be in terms of being the truly inclusive, respectful, or equitable society. But I'm very proud for my young constituent for getting this message out. I would not have had the courage to call out this kind of negativity when I was her age. But I do have the opportunity now to support and raise her voice from where I stand today. With youth like her and her friends out there, I can see and do believe we are on a good path to accelerate social change. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Range Lake.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. This week I've delivered Member statements on the theme of Remembrance Day. As Remembrance Day approaches, I want to take some time to honour those who aren't always talked about when it comes to the sacrifices made by the men and women who represent our nation and help defend democracy so people around the world can live free of oppression.

Madam Speaker, when someone is asked to defend our nation, they leave behind family, friends, children, parents, and loved ones. These people continue to go to work, take care of their home and children, they live their lives while wondering if their loved one will ever come home again. The wounds of war stretch far beyond the battle fields where men and women have fought valiantly in the name of their country. The lives of many have been impacted by war. It's important we remember and honour those who continue to live with the tragic impacts of combat and peacekeeping missions that Canada has been involved with during its existence. Many of us will hopefully never have to experience the dread of hugging a loved one as they get shipped off to war. Many of us will never have to experience that knock on the door when they find out their loved one won't be coming home. Many of us will never have to fill that hole left by a husband, wife, partner, child, or friend, who gave their life in the name of freedom.

To all those who have experienced the challenges of having someone close to you serve their country, we see you. We appreciate all that you have sacrificed. As a nation, we are here for you. Madam Speaker, on behalf of all my family who are watching, I want to say that we love you, Mom. Tally ho, Dad. Madam Speaker, Lest we Forget.

Thank you. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Thebacha.

Madam Speaker, I'd like to recognize a constituent of Thebacha, Ms. Sheila Sharp, who has come to Yellowknife today to accept an award that she will be receiving tonight. I will share more about that during acknowledgements. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I'd like to welcome CEO of Arctic Research Foundation, Mr. Adrian Schimnowski, in the House. And then we have my CA Vince Teddy. Thank you, and welcome to the House.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd just like to recognize two of our Yellowknife North pages who are here this week - Willem Kanigan and Cole Avery. Thank you, guys.

Thank you. I'd like to welcome -- if we have missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the chamber and I hope you're enjoying the proceedings. It's always nice to have an audience.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Member for Thebacha.

Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge Thebacha constituent Sheila Sharp, who received a life saving award from the Order of St. John. Sheila was recognized for her heroic efforts in saving three individuals from a fatal car crash in 2018 along the Fort Smith Highway.

The mission of the order of St. John is to prevent and relieve sickness and injury and to act to enhance the health and well-being of people anywhere in the world. Congratulations, Sheila.

Thank you. Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, can the Minister responsible for MACA confirm if his department has or is considering funding the Kole Crook Fiddle Association proposal to host a fiddle jamboree in his home community coming this January in Fort Simpson? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of MACA.

Thank you. I'm going to embarrass the a Member a bit here. I'd like to thank him very much for his advocacy for the youth, especially when it comes to something as important as recreation opportunities for our youth. He's been very good at getting across the message, whether it's with his riding or other ridings, so I'd like to thank him for that.

What I can do is I can confirm the department is working closely with the Kole Crook Fiddle Association to support their upcoming fiddle jamboree in January and MACA and Kole Crook Fiddle Association has entered into a one-year funding agreement to support the fiddle jamboree this year. Thank you, Madam Speaker.