Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In this process of technology, my laptop died just before so I'm going to go with the roughest of notes with the most genuine of hearts. It's true; I always speak from my heart.

So, Mr. Speaker, regardless of the issue, I wish to speak to one theme I hope is true is the fact that when I do speak for an issue, I do care about it and -- in the sense of that the impact this has on Northerners is -- and the choices we make. Now, keep in mind the last Assembly barely passed its own mechanism to manage its own carbon tax processes and, frankly, I don't think they did enough time and enough soul searching to examine what's the best method for Northerners.

Now, it's not easy for me to say let's give it back to the feds to manage. I mean, I was here during devolution when all we talked about is making sure those people in Ottawa stop making choices for us; let us make our own choices. But, I mean, it's true on this particular one why would we carry the burden of the federal government system on this particular one?

I think, as my honourable colleague, who I appreciate initiating this -- the bill, the process, and conversation at the very least, has it right. I mean, if we cannot manage these things by knowing what they're doing, why are we doing them? And I mean, it's significantly stressful and I struggle with trying to figure out that if we don't know if it's having any positive impact, then I mean we have to question why are we doing these things? And then furthermore why are we shifting the burden on our citizens.

Now, I also agree the fact that there -- you know, there may be the slightest or thinnest or modest of veils that we don't know what's going to happen next. And that's not a defence of doing nothing. As a matter of fact, that's almost the worst defence of status quo, just because we do it this way we should continue with this way. But as the hallmark of asking what's relevant, why are so many jurisdictions choosing to use the federal system versus go with your own ways, the Northwest Territories is doing it.

I'm not convinced we're doing it better. I'm not convinced we can be as nimble with these types of responses and problems that we see across Canada. I'm convinced that the federal government still doesn't recognize our unique challenges. Yes, they've come part way in all fairness. I should tip my hat to that. But we must keep the advantage of working with them, and I think that they will find a way to work with us if we choose. So, Mr. Speaker, without the broadness of my finer detailed notes as my computer is just barely on now, I'll just leave it at that. But what's key to this, ultimately it's second reading, Mr. Speaker, is this gives the chance for this bill to go to committee to have the forthright and honest discussion. We will all have constituents that come to our door and say we think this is a good idea, then we'll walk out the next door and somebody will say no, this is the worst idea. But getting it to committee allows the committee to do the detailed analysis, the time, talk to people, talk to Northerners, talk to the mining industry, the construction industry, talk to all people to find out the impacts on how they feel on this one and what we can do. But most importantly, in that context, is what can we do better for them.

So in that service to the people of the North, I'll be supporting this bill, and I encourage all my colleagues to give it the opportunity for a full and a robust discussion with Northerners by giving it to committee so that we can have that honest consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too wish to lend my voice to say thank you and express my appreciation and sincere admiration to the mover and the seconder on this motion. The fact is we need to show courage on this issue. It is an unsurmountable one in its own way, but we should not be afraid to stare it down and say we're going to tackle it. Mr. Speaker, I hope the Cabinet will do the honourable thing and recognize these rights; and furthermore, I hope the Cabinet realizes that ultimately our Indigenous partners may be certainly the gateway or onramp for opportunity here. Seeing them around the territory that they can access funding that for some reason either we can't, or we make too complicated but yet they can be way more nimble and have the accessibility to types of funding that can help. In my particular riding of downtown Yellowknife, that's Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Speaker, we all know it well, of course -- I'm sure we're happy to travel through it every day, but one of the challenges we see from the community from, you know, the business, from the neighbourhood, and even visitors, they see the challenges of people who are homeless and they're coming here because they don't have housing solutions in their region. And when you talk to some of those folks, I mean they'll identify -- most of them see somewhere outside of Yellowknife is their home, and they wish they could be there given the opportunities, and those are the opportunities they're lacking. So whether we have a housing -- once we recognize this as the journey we're willing to take by right, then we'll start asking ourselves how do we put housing, you know, whether it's in Lutselk'e, whether it's in Deline, it doesn't really matter. We have to start and build momentum and support. And I think the real opportunity to this challenge is get quickly into partnership with our Indigenous governments and use their strength, their ability, their wisdoms, and certainly their skills to get this done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker; I was fine either way. There's another housing motion and I would have picked up on that one but that said, maybe I'll have less to say on the next motion. Mr. Speaker, as unlikely as it is, I'll try.

Mr. Speaker, we all know housing adequacy is a challenge in every single riding. I've been to Wrigley and I see families struggling with their opportunities. I've been to Aklavik, and I've seen people look for places to live. And they have to come to the larger centres struggling asking themselves where are -- you know, where can they live? The dignity of an individual's journey is their own but the fact is as a community, as a territory, it's our responsibility to share and help raise that dignity to ensure that -- to help ensure they're part of a working functional community and territory. It's our responsibility to ensure that we be part of the solution, a fundamental pillar that they have some type of adequate housing. And as challenging as it may be -- and it is challenging. Let us not pretend or glaze over that trying to house some of the folks out there is easy. It is not. And I tip my hat to housing and many of the social organizations that relentlessly day after day after day, Mr. Speaker, work with people trying to get them into safe environments, try to create inclusion with them, and try to make sure that in some way in their own way they can be inclusive members providing some element and form in the fabric of society.

Without housing, Mr. Speaker, without appropriate housing, we all know about the employment's struggle that they suffer with. We've heard from other Members such as mental health illness challenges. We know it doesn't necessarily create disabilities in and itself, but without housing it has the creation and power to have an overwhelming effect on those through stress do get types of disabilities, and those who have physical disabilities, Mr. Speaker, it adds even more weight. The journey is individual as I said, but as the community we must work as an integrated partner in trying to be a solution to these things.

Now, imagine this, Mr. Speaker, if we could all get out of our comfort zone for just a bare moment, could we imagine day to day one of our selves going through this individual's struggle? I bring that challenge to myself daily. Imagine what it's like when someone brings forward a concern to me. What is it like walking in their shoes? What is it like trying to find someone to feed their kids? What is it like -- I try to imagine. And then to be truthful, I struggle to fully imagine the stress that many of these people go through. I can try, but the fact is the burden shouldn't be their own.

The vulnerable people who go through this, Mr. Speaker, I know it's not a daily stress, it's probably an hour-by-hour stress about where am I going to be next? Not feeling welcome, Mr. Speaker; that shouldn't be the policy of the land. That's why this motion is very important by saying let's turn it around and make it the policy of the land to ensure we provide adequate housing.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to stress that the mover, the Member from Deh Cho, and the seconder, the Member from Range Lake, have my support and the community support of Yellowknife Centre because I think this is a journey we often forget that it's easy to say they'll figure it out on their own but maybe they're not as equipped as they are -- as we wish they could be, but that said we are part of the territory and a community, and it's our responsibility to join arm in arm when they need help. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I've kind of given it now, have I not, if you think about it. Mr. Speaker, the Minister says the information -- sorry, the names or the list is being monitored, Mr. Speaker. And we all know that the waiting list could be between four and six years. Ironically, that's how long it takes to become a doctor so maybe some of these people could, you know, serve their needs.

Mr. Speaker, is the Minister willing to find a way to make this list transparent so people know where they're sitting and waiting on this list because it seems like one of those endless, bottomless pits of questions, which is you send -- get on the list and you never hear back. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't expect the waitlist to be like the DMV where you go pull a little tag and you wait until they ring your number or whatever on the overhead board that says now serving A52, you know, Mr. Speaker. But that said, what type of communication is given to people who have, for example, chronic conditions who are sitting there waiting for that important relationship to build in order to buttress their health care journey? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the amazing opportunity to ask another question to the government.

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to return to the waitlist to the Minister of Health and Social Services. And as we all know that through information given that there's about 2,000 people on the waitlist, and I'm trying to figure out how people -- sorry, how the department deals with people knowing whether they're chronic and urgent people who need doctors or not. So in other words, how do they manage the list and try to make sure that people move forward on the list who are of urgent need? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I might not have had a third question but I just want to clarify on the record, in my case I'm not worried about board; I'm worried about boards as a territorial MLA and hence the issue to me is if it's reflective in Yellowknife, it could be reflective in every riding. So will she ensure that all ridings are -- sorry, all education districts receive the same type of question and support? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had heard and spoken to some people on the education industry that report cards could have been delayed, and there was a bit of an off-the-rails process about having the right training and ability to fill out the report cards based on the BC curriculum.

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister look at sending people to the education boards to make sure that we have that knowledge on how to work through them in a cooperative and collaborative way? Thank you.

So exciting. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can't contain my excitement. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, my next set of questions is targeted to the -- I shouldn't say targeted, but being offered ever so kindly to the Minister of education. And so during the campaign, a lot of the teachers complained about the BC curriculum coming in because the lack of foresighted training for -- and prep for them. So in other words, they're being handed these packages of saying hey, now good luck, and they had to implement it. Mr. Speaker, what can the Minister of education do to help support these teachers who still haven't had the full and robust training in the BC curriculum which they have asked for? Thank you.