Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Improving Fertility and Family Planning Supports in the Northwest Territories.

In June 2024, 189 residents of the Northwest Territories petitioned the Legislative Assembly to direct the Minister of Finance to investigate the impacts to the territory of a declining birth rate and how it may impact population growth; the increased demand for fertility treatments for individuals and families to conceive in the Northwest Territories; and, the feasibility of providing fertility treatments at no upfront cost to the Government of the Northwest Territories by providing a territorial tax credit for individuals undergoing fertility treatments.

Although the GNWT responded that there has been a decline in the birth rate from 2013-2022, and that a decline in population, including the birth rate, would have significant implications on the territorial economy, in addition to GNWT own source revenues decreasing, the GNWT noted that it has no mechanism to track demand for in vitro fertilization or IVF.

To begin to understand the scope of the issue more fully, I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services: * a)

What additional resources are required to begin tracking prenatal screenings so that the GNWT can collect data on individuals struggling with infertility;

What additional resources or processes are required to allow for patients to self-report their usage of IVF supports for the purposes of data collection to better understand territorial demand for IVF;

What additional resources would allow the Department of Health and Social Services to better track the number of IVF referrals to fertility clinics provided to Northwest Territories residents each year; and,

Can the department provide a comprehensive list of fertility-related issues, which could allow for medical travel supports for residents, in comparison to other jurisdictions?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.