Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the Canada Health Act guarantees access to ensure health services that are accessible, universal and publicly funded;

AND WHEREAS the "medicine chest clause" is a treaty promise of ongoing health care provided to Indigenous peoples as recognized by section 35 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms;

AND WHEREAS the provision of healthcare services is the responsibility of the Government of the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS only 59 percent of Northwest Territories residents aged 18 and older have reported access to regular health providers in 2023 compared to an average of 84 percent in Canada;

AND WHEREAS nine family doctors have left their practice in the Northwest Territories since 2024, resulting in a 49 percent vacancy rate, with a further 42 percent vacancy for specialists;

AND WHEREAS the Northwest Territories Medical Association reports that 63 percent of current physicians are considering leaving their practice in the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS some nurses in the Northwest Territories are calling for the establishment of a standalone collective bargaining unit to address chronic labour relations issues, low staff morale, and stagnant wages;

AND WHEREAS frontline practitioners at Stanton Territorial Hospital have reported that emergency department services may be interrupted or cease altogether if immediate action is not taken to address staffing matters;

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 healthcare 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 a 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 healthcare 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 at hospitals 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.