Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to speak about the impacts on the Mackenzie Mountain School in Norman Wells.

Mr. Speaker, Norman Wells and the Sahtu region face two converging crises threatening our families and children. Imperial Oil's closure, being one, has already forced 11 students across five families planning to leave Norman Wells, with eight more potentially affected. That's nearly 20 percent of our student enrolment population, children uprooted from their schools, parents forced to choose between community and economic security. Simultaneously, the federal government cuts the Jordan's Principle funding or stripped away critical supports.

Mr. Speaker, for years, this funding provided specialized educational assistance, supports to occupational therapists, and health supports that showed us what's possible when schools are properly resourced.

Mr. Speaker, now it is being stripped away. Hundreds of student support assistants are being lost across Northwest Territories. In the Sahtu, students are losing specialized equipment, health services, and therapy. Without specialized staff, all students suffer and, critically, we lose the ability to ensure safety, education of our staff and students.

Mr. Speaker, these positions provided meaningful employment to northern residents, many Indigenous. That employment is disappearing precisely when Imperial Oil closure eliminates other jobs. We cannot stand by while the gap between Indigenous students in the North and their southern counterparts widens. We cannot accept our children losing education security. The Sahtu is resilient, Mr. Speaker, but resilience requires support, partnerships, and action planning.

Mr. Speaker, our children and families deserve better, and I encourage this government to act with urgency on this crisis demands. Later, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions to the Minister of ECE. Thank you.