Debates of May 22nd, 2025

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: 2025-2026 Consolidated Budget and 2024-2025 Northwest Territories Power Corporation Amended Capital Budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for NWT Power Corp. Tabling of documents. Minister of ITI.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: 2024-2025 Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations Annual Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister of ITI. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for WSCC.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission 2025 Corporate Plan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister responsible for Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission. Tabling of documents. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the briefest description and my Member's statement and questions, I talked about the -- how easy we could do a Trespass Act. I'm tabling four copies from jurisdictions of their various forms, and they also come with various names, but they all are the same thing.

So I'm going to table the Government of Manitoba's Trespass Act. I'd like to table the Petty Trespass Act by the Province of Alberta. I'd like to table the Trespass Act from Nova Scotia. And finally, I would like to -- oh yes, the Trespass Act from BC. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, May 26th, 2025, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the Member for Yellowknife Centre, that the Government of the Northwest Territories take immediate action to improve the recruitment and retention of all doctors, nurses, and allied health care workers through higher wages, contract flexibility, and enhanced benefits;

And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories work with the Public Service Alliance of Canada and Union of Northern Workers to develop an inclusive bargaining structure for all healthcare workers to give the frontline a real voice in negotiations;

And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories undertake the following actions:

• Establish a working group composed of Members of the Executive Council and Regular Members of the Legislative Assembly to oversee primary care reform and health system sustainability initiatives;
• Move to interest-based negotiations with the Northwest Territories Medical Association before the fall of 2025;
• Publicly release the details of the new locum contract for emergency department doctors;
• Improve flexibility in locum contracts to assist doctor and nurse retention and recruitment;
• Phase out agency nurses with a three-year plan that improves working conditions for frontline staff with improved professional development and compensation;
• Enhance financial incentives for shift work for doctors, nurses, and allied health care workers;
• Implement minimum staff-to-patient ratios at all Northwest Territories hospitals;
• Implement practitioner-led innovation to ensure continuous improvement on the frontline;
• Negotiate physician license-sharing between Nunavut and Alberta to eliminate red tape preventing entry of new physicians into the Northwest Territories healthcare system;
• Prioritize pan-national physician licensing in the Government of the Northwest Territories federal engagement strategy;
• Fast-track development of new policies on emerging medical technologies, such as AI, e-consults and virtual care;
• Expand the role of nurse practitioners in all regions of the Northwest Territories to improve access to health care and decrease costs; and,
• Modernize auxiliary care and establish a licensing body for paramedics;

And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories release an action plan to implement the aforementioned actions that is time bound and fully costed by the fall of 2025;

And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories respond to this motion in 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Notices of motion. Notices of motion for the first reading of bills. First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Reports on Committee of the Whole. Third reading of bills.

Orders of the day, Mr. Clerk.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

This House stands adjourned until Friday, May 23rd, 2025, at 10 a.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 4:14 p.m.

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