Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can understand the concerns coming from the Member about illegal activities in public housing units because this is happening across the territory, and this is something we're all facing in our constituencies and is in our ridings. So what's happening in Fort Resolution is happening throughout, and I just want to emphasize the need that we need to work together, and we need to work with the RCMP, we need to work with the communities, we need to report illegal activities. And there's an actual app that's available online that people can download. It's called P3 Tips. If you don't want to report, you know, with Crime Stoppers, you can report with this app, and it would be anonymous. So that's important for people to know.

In terms of Fort Resolution and their concerns, LHOs, one thing they must do is they must be able to prove the illegal activity to the rental officer to obtain an eviction order. So proving the activity can be a challenge. LHOs often rely on a submission of evidence from others who may be too frightened to come forward. So that's why I was talking about this app that might be able to provide this evidence. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm glad to hear that the wish to work together is key, and I agree on that issue. I'm just want to know if the Minister could work with the local leadership and the RCMP and myself after session is done so we can start looking at a way to dealing with these issues because these issues are very series, and we got to make public housing safer for our tenants and also for the community. I just want to see if I could get a commitment from the Minister on this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And safe for staff because staff are going into these housing units and having to upkeep and maintain these units, and sometimes they can't even get into the unit. So illegal activities, they're barricading the doors, and it's difficult for staff. But with the RCMP, the RCMP and the rental office have met with Housing NWT, and they meet with program advisers, they meet with the LHOs, they have training with the LHOs. The RCMP regularly meet with Housing NWT officials to ensure information is shared and how improvements can be made. So the RCMP also encourage local detachments to assist LHOs by sharing whatever information is available that they could legally provide and that won't disrupt an investigation. So these are some of the ideas that are talked with districts, with LHOs, with RCMP, and with community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I really appreciate those comments. I just want to know if I'm able to get a commitment from the Minister to work with local leadership and the RCMP and the rental officer, maybe perhaps we could have a public meeting in the community within -- sometime in March or April and start looking at ways as to how we can address this issue and work together on this issue. So I'd like to get a commitment from the Minister on this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm always happy to have discussions with communities for safer communities and expelling, like, illegal activities and in communities, so happy to have further discussions about that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I recently learned that it's the Minister of Health and Social Services's responsibility to regulate veterinarians in the Northwest Territories through the Veterinarian Medical Act. One of the issues that's come up recently with a closure of a clinic here in Yellowknife is vet records do not move with the vet if they open their own clinic. This is a concern for patients. They want to ensure that their pet care continues to follow their vet. Can the Minister let us know how she can help make that possible because currently our Act does not allow for that whereas other jurisdictions, they have Acts that permit the transfer and -- transfer of records without the need for a court order or voluntary disclosure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member, from Range Lake. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member has stated, the Veterinary Profession Act does fall under one of the -- under my portfolio; however, it does not speak to records. It doesn't -- and so what happens usually individuals in southern jurisdictions for the owner of a veterinary clinic to be practicing, the veterinarian -- and they usually are the ones that have control over all the records. So in the circumstances that the Member -- you know, unfortunately, we've all seen in the news and everything with the Great Slave clinic shutting down, you know, there is some uncertainty of what's going on. But our legislation at this time doesn't speak to any veterinarian records, and those would be the property of the owner is my understanding. So at this time, we are not looking at the legislation for this as we have many pieces of legislation that we are working on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the somewhat -- not absurd but unfamiliar territory we're in because this is veterinary medicine. But our Act it's six pages long. It's 12 clauses long. It hasn't been looked at since, I think -- beyond minor changes -- 1988. Is this something the Minister can put on the legislative agenda for the future? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think a lot of our legislation is old and, you know, as we prioritize getting through some of the legislation that we have, I will make sure that this is added to the list and to triage it as we do all the other legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate that. Is there any kind of a plan to expand veterinary medicine in the Northwest Territories? Currently we only have four vets, I believe, working and only two doing small animal medicine. Does the department have any programs or supports available that would ease in the recruitment and retention of veterinarians in the Northwest Territories?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, currently the Northwest Territories has 35 registered veterinarians, Mr. Speaker -- registered veterinarians which include those who visit the Northwest Territories to provide locum service when needed. I know that of 33 communities, our smaller communities are overrun, I hear from my colleague to the next of me, in her communities the dogs are, you know -- and so these services that are coming into our region are not just for our sick dogs but our dogs that are here that need just basic vaccines, neutering and spaying. You know, we have a lot of partners in the capital that have been doing big, huge work for this region. And I know in Inuvik, we have some dedicated veterinarians that keep coming back and returning. And, yes, there probably could be some more work around this; however, right now, unfortunately, the work that we have under the work that I have under my portfolio this is not, unfortunately, at the top of my list. But I will make sure that there are -- you know, we will take a look at it. We have it on the list as to what can be updated. If there is something easy that we can take from our neighbours to look at our legislation to review, if that can meet the needs of the territory. I'll just leave it at that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In collaboration, I just want to ask my question to the Deputy Premier.

You heard my statement a little bit earlier today in regards to the issues in Fort Resolution. I wanted to invite the Premier, perhaps in April, to a community meeting in Fort Resolution with the housing Minister, RCMP, etcetera. So I just want to see if we could get a commitment to plan a meeting together probably in April sometime. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Okay, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, the Deputy Premier cannot make a commitment for the Premier so if you're asking for the Deputy Premier to come and have that meeting, then she can answer the question. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Either the Premier or Deputy Premier. But in this case, the Deputy Premier. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had a very lovely visit in Fort Resolution last year when I was there, so -- and I can't make commitments obviously for the Premier or his schedule. I know I've already got a visit myself planned in April but certainly happy to see -- Fort Resolution is not that hard for us to get to. If we can work together and find a date in April, I'm happy to try. And if I can't, it may well be that the Premier's able to. But, again -- so let's try and see if we can make some dates work. I know that the housing Minister's nodding as I'm speaking, so at the very least I expect she may be planning something. So happy to try, Mr. Speaker. I don't have my calendar in front of me, so I'm just hesitating to commit before I know whether it's even within the realm of possibility. But as I said, happy -- happy to go back. It was a lovely visit last time I was there.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'd just like to maybe also invite the Minister for --

Deputy Premier you were talking to, so you -- thank you. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, you want to be put back on? Okay, I'll put you back on. Thank you. I'll put you back on.

Oral questions. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.