Okay, well, it needs to be revisited again so. I know that we need to, so. If not, then I wouldn't be here doing this statement and questions.

Can the income threshold levels and community zoning be re-examined to better reflect accurate costs of living in each community? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Certainly didn't want to get too far ahead of ourselves and know that I've had great conversations with the Member about this program, and also acknowledging that our buying power with our dollars these days is much different than it was before. And so previously committed to the Member to reviewing the income thresholds of the program to ensure that it is still meeting the need of seniors and also getting to the purpose of the program. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Monfwi.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister commit to conducting community engagement on the senior home heating subsidy program? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I've had the great privilege of travelling to some of the Monfwi communities in the previous term with the Member and have committed as well to doing the same this year and would be more than happy to follow the Member's leads on any conversations that the Member would like to see happen in the community while we are there. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Member. Member, do not recognize people that were not in the House. People are here, and that's what we need to appreciate. That's what we're working with. Not the people who were not here. Okay, thank you. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you for that, Mr. Speaker. It was very enlightening.

Yesterday, due to the ECE Minister's absence, the infrastructure Minister heard my concerns, instead spoke about whether a planning study to replace the Kaw Tay Whee School and gymnasium, which was supposed to take place in 2019, had occurred. She needed time to find the answer to that question. Is the ECE Minister aware now if that study went through? If so, is she ready to act on its recommendations and get a new school for Dettah? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly I would like to acknowledge the Member's statement from the beginning of the day today. We have 49 schools in the Northwest Territories, and they were large -- our infrastructure across the territory, including arenas, housing, and the rest, was largely built at the same time. So we certainly go through all of our schools and infrastructure and have to make difficult decisions on prioritization and look first and foremost at safety and accessibility, and then from there determine what we need to start with. But I certainly hear the Member that it is a continued concern for his community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Regarding the addition of the new school and gymnasium to K'alemi Dene School in 2021, an assessment for the project was considered but not selected. Can the Minister commit to commitment to getting a new -- five new classroom and a gymnasium and a community hall for the K'alemi Dene School addition onto this year's capital plan if possible? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what we do is we sit down, we send out a survey to all of our education bodies and speak with them about what their needs are, and at that time education bodies, the DECs and DEAs, are able to identify what it is that they are requiring and where they're at. We also work with the Department of Infrastructure and go through the condition ratings of the schools. And then we also, to be quite honest, look at the priorities of the Assembly. I can tell you that education and having safe spaces for school -- for students across the territory is absolutely a priority of mine, as I know it is many of my colleagues.

In regards to our small capital, just as an example, there were 75 needs identified across the territory for small capital, and we have multiple schools, and leadership from multiple communities identified their schools as wanting to be next up. And so we have to ensure that there is some evidence-based and data that goes along with that when these decisions are made to ensure that we're prioritizing safety of students and accessibility of students to their education facilities at the end of the day. And if I could, Mr. Speaker, I would have a very long list, just like the Members that I would want to do everything at the same time, but I know that that's not a reality in our territory. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Years of denying or deferring the upgrades to learning and recreation facilities, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation students need their education and without proper facilities, it violates their treaty rights for education. Yesterday, the infrastructure Minister had not heard about these concerns from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, but previous MLAs have brought this up as far back as 2018.

My question is the education Minister clearly stated that the department were aware of these concerns every time they put together the capital plan. Will the Minister work -- sorry, will the Minister commit to working with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation leadership and DEA to start addressing their needs? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, those conversations occur on an annual basis when we go through our capital planning process. And I can also confirm for the Member that I have had conversations with the N'dilo DEA chair in regards to infrastructure as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a 2016 study, which evaluated dozens of patients before and after body contouring and excess skin removal surgeries, found significant improvements in physical function and mobility and that prior to their operations, daily tasks were extremely difficult for these patients. I have a constituent in this circumstance. I have been spending quite a bit of time working with the Minister's office to no avail. There are no expectations for this person's -- this individual's case. Will the Minister correct this policy, which doesn't make any kind of common sense, and bring an exception forward for my constituent? Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, I don't want to go into too much detail but I had this -- or there's been -- there's a BF on this with the Member and the answer -- you know, there are surgeries that happen and insured services -- the insured services parts were billed. There are parts of the surgeries that are not considered as insured services and therefore those pieces get billed to the patient. And that stands. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, exceptions for this kind of care have been made in the past. A patient with a very similar situation, who was not initially insured in Manitoba, has appealed this successfully but this has not been taken into account by our health and social services authority or policies and programs. Will the Minister review this case -- or this case in Manitoba, similar cases across the country, and make changes to the policy to allow an exception to my constituent? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there have been many other things that have been on the floor of this House that are not covered under insured services. If we start to open up every single piece that is -- you know, that is going to be an exception or made an exception. This was put through the process and the decision, again, still stands. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, I'm not asking for all cosmetic surgeries to be covered. I'm asking for an exemption to be made based on this patient's specific situation. The Minister doesn't want to change the definition of what is and what isn't cosmetic, can she not move towards a system that ensures cosmetic surgeries based on patient-specific evaluation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.