Alfred Moses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 100(4) to have Committee Report 25-17(5), Standing Committee on Social Programs Report on the Review of Bill 55: Mental Health Act, moved into Committee of the Whole for consideration later today.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A large number of operational requirements will be laid out in regulations. For this reason, the department is being strongly urged to draft regulations in consultation with the Standing Committee on Social Programs, key stakeholders and members of the public. An area that will require careful scrutiny is the designation of authorized persons for apprehending, conveying or detaining individuals. Regulations should clearly establish who, and under what circumstances, these persons will be employed.

The committee was encouraged to learn that the Department of Health and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to return to item 12 on the Order Paper.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 55, Mental Health Act, and wishes to report that Bill 55 as amended and reprinted is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, the feasibility study was made in 2015 and it addressed the child care benefit. So, even though the improvements were made, it’s still an issue and needs to be dealt with. In a CBC report that was talked about, the study itself had mentioned that about 250 workers need to be trained and hired to address some of the offsets for this study.

I’d like to ask the Minister what steps is he taking to create an early childhood education certificate program and whether or not that certificate program can be put in one of our three Aurora College campuses. Thank you.

Thank you. I did have a series of questions here, but in response to the Minister’s statement, he mentioned that the issue was raised in the tabled document. However, I know Members on this side of the House, prior to us putting the motion forward, have raised concerns and issues on the amounts for this contribution grant to the regional centres on more than one occasion.

Why is he saying now that we can’t do it before this government is done when even before today it’s been raised by Members almost every year? Can the Minister, as he’s still in his role as Minister of Education, Culture and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to acknowledge Mr. Gerald W. Kisoun, known to most as Gerry, on being recognized as a recipient of the 2015 Governor General’s Polar Medal Award. Mr. Kisoun was recognized for his outstanding contribution to promoting Canada’s North and its people.

His mother, Bertha Allen, received the Governor General’s Northern Medal in 2008 for her support of equality for Aboriginal and northern women, particularly their inclusion as government decision-makers.

Mr. Kisoun is a true role model for his family, his friends, the community of Inuvik and all Northerners.

I...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to thank my colleagues and members of the Standing Committee on Social Programs for their insight and their comments this evening. I think they’ve hit it right on the head about the issues that were of concern to committee as we moved through the process with Bill 55.

I just want to say, when I started with the 17th Legislative Assembly and we went through all the department discussions and briefings as new Members, even before we went into the TLC, one of the biggest things that I remember and I recall, and I bring it up on many occasions, is that mental...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. October 4th to 10th is Mental Illness Awareness Week, and the theme for this year is I am Stigma Free. It’s an opportunity to learn about and educate others on mental illness, but more importantly, it’s an opportunity to take action on mental health issues.

Taking action is exactly what this government has done. The Standing Committee on Social Programs, in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Services, over the course of the summer and this fall did a very strong review and consultations with people of the Northwest Territories. We travelled to nine...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Members for bringing this motion forward. Medical travel is a big issue throughout the Northwest Territories, and as my colleague mentioned, standing committee did get a briefing last month as well as on Monday, October 5. The Minister did table a document, NWT Medical Travel Program, Patient Escort Supports Report on What We’ve Heard and it is mentioned that they are working on their recommendations that were developed out of that report.

We all know that medical travel, as we go through our business plans, averages out to over $30 million a year...