Welcome, and Ms. Terry Hawkins, the chair of the advocacy committee and a board Member for the Yellowknife Seniors' Society. And my constituent, a very avid advocate for seniors, Margaret Marshall. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, throughout this term, departments across the Government of the Northwest Territories have been working towards our mandate commitment to enable seniors to age in place with dignity, and we just heard some of that detail from the Minister responsible for NWT Housing. To focus this work, Regular Members passed a motion calling on the Department of Health and Social Services to create a framework for seniors. That work is now finished, and later today I will table the GWNT Seniors' Strategic Framework. This framework is an inventory of measures required for improving programs, services, and initiatives to better meet the needs of seniors and help them to stay at home for as long as possible.

Many people and organizations contributed to this framework. Their engagement reflects their commitment and respect for seniors and their valued place in our communities and territory. Their participation strengthened our understanding of the needs of seniors, existing gaps in programs and services, and provided insights as to how to enable seniors to age in place.

Mr. Speaker, the resulting framework outlines 20 key focus areas organized into four pillars: * Built Environment; Healthy Aging; Safety; and, Information and Communication.

Advancing work in these focus areas, whether through mandate commitments or departmental business plans, will be instrumental in ensuring that we can meet seniors' needs. I am going to speak to each one separately.

The built environment pillar emphasizes the importance of accessibility, suitability, and affordability of housing, along with the rest of the physical environment, to enhance the safety of seniors to participate in daily, recreational, cultural, and social activities. This pillar is about transportation and outdoor lighting, for example, that would help prevent slips, falls and injuries and contribute to personal and property safety too.

Mr. Speaker, the healthy aging pillar focuses on supporting the physical, mental, and social well-being through financial support, health care services, practical assistance, and age-friendly opportunities for activity such as intergenerational programs where seniors can connect with children and youth to share culture, traditions, and knowledge. Over the past two years, the Department of Health and Social Services offered a specific funding stream for communities to deliver services and provide support to seniors in their health and well-being.

The safety pillar addresses the right of seniors to safety in relationships, homes, and communities. Health providers will be promoting a person-centered, integrated service delivery approach, as well as providing access to advice from legal and professional experts and safety information and support. Work is ongoing to strengthen staff training to spot the signs of elder abuse and protect seniors from it.

The information and communication pillar prioritizes delivering information that is relevant, timely, accessible, and culturally appropriate. I hope the next government will invest in system navigation services to support seniors accessing necessary programs, making informed decisions, and participating in recreational, cultural, and social activities.

Mr. Speaker, a comfortable life for seniors means having access to the necessary services and support to live independently and safely at home. This goal requires collaboration and coordination of efforts with all government entities and our valuable community partners. That work has already started during this Assembly, including the increased home heating subsidy, a new income assistance stream for seniors, and access to home improvement funding. I am confident these program changes have improved the ability of seniors to age in place.

I am very proud of this framework which is the result of a motion I made as a Regular Member in 2020. It provides clear direction to future governments on areas for improving seniors' programs and services so that we all have the opportunity to age, with the appropriate support, where we choose to live. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. I move that the French version of Bill 77 be amended by striking out "par écrit" in subclause 56(1) and substituting "en conformité avec les règlements administratifs." Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, I'm just -- I'll just wait for the motion to be distributed.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I would like to make a motion to change --

Thank you, Madam Chair. On my left is Jessica Maguire, the assistant director of policy legislation and intergovernmental relations. And on my right is Ian Rennie from the legislative division of the Department of Justice.

Yes, please, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am pleased to be here today to discuss Bill 77, the Nursing Profession Act. The development of this bill has been the result of significant time and effort by the Department of Health and Social Services and would not have been possible without input and contributions from the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Members of the Standing Committee on Social Development for the time they have taken to ensure this bill received comprehensive review. I also wish to acknowledge the time and effort members of the public took to develop submissions.

Madam Chair, the primary purpose of Bill 77 is to repeal the current Nursing Profession Act and replace it with a new act that will establish a single regulatory framework for all nurses in the Northwest Territories. The bill proposes to repeal the Licensed Practical Nurses Act and transfer authority to regulate licensed practical nurses from the Department of Health and Social Services to the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The new bill will establish new nursing designations, scopes of practice, and registers, as well as associated requirements for licensed practical nurses as registered nurse authorized prescribers, registered psychiatric nurses, and registered psychiatric nurse authorized prescribers, registered nurses and nurse practitioners will all continue to be regulated under this Act. The bill further proposes a modernized process for the review of conduct of members. I would be pleased to answer any questions the Members here may have.

In favour.