Alfred Moses

Thank you, Madam Chair. The department started developing the Child and Family Services Standards and Procedures Manual in 1998, and despite trying to complete this work, it has never ever been completed and has never kept pace with changes to the act or the best practices in child welfare. Just to note the absence of standardized procedures for all key responsibilities is a significant deficiency. It represents a great failure to support child protection workers and this likely affects morale, staff turnover and, ultimately, the well-being of children when our workers are not supported nor...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to, first of all, acknowledge and thank Ms. Bisaro for bringing this bill into the House so we can have a good debate on it today. I would also like to make a special recognition and acknowledgement of Mr. Ryan Leef who brought this private member’s bill forward that is now being debated before the House of Commons. I think what gives strength and credit and the need for this bill is the previous career that Mr. Leef had, and that was in law enforcement, and all the work he did in dealing with such individuals and seeing the need to have some type of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess the last question, we’ve got a lot of these youth that have the summers off and they might be looking for summer jobs.

Would the Minister possibly work with our Minister of Human Resources to look at developing some type of summer employment program, especially for the gold medal winners, so we can promote them, get them right into the working system and possibly create some type of program? Is he willing to work with the Minister of Human Resources to develop some type of program where our Team NWT national winners would be able to possibly be a priority to get...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I always welcome good debate in the House, depending on whatever concern or issue is brought forth. But when you look at the description here, it is to provide funding for electronic tablets to new parents. We’ve had many discussions in this House on many issues and even in committee, and a lot of times what it boils down to, we always talk about the underlying issues of why we’re funding or why program services for certain things, and a lot of times it comes down to parenting skills. How do we get our parents better skilled in terms of providing the right type of...

Thank you. I think this is an opportunity right now for government to maybe step up and take it to the next level in terms of looking at how we can think outside the box and look at all our successful candidates that have won gold medals at the territorial level and who are currently going to be representing Team NWT at the national competition here.

Would the Minister implement some type of mentorship supporting program for all of our gold medal winners or all our participants who are currently at the national level, whether they’re in Grade 9 or Grade 12, and start supporting them through the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the Department of Health and Social Services establish territory-wide caseload standards for child protection workers; and further, that the department ensure that the caseloads are fairly balanced across the regional authorities; and furthermore, that the due consideration be given to regional variation of duties, demands and available resources. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know how long it takes to get policies changed in this government or even other governments. Maybe the best answer is to go to the clients themselves and develop some type of survey or follow-up questionnaire for anyone that goes on any type of medical appointment travel where they have to stay in a boarding home. Then we can get clear, concise information from the client that can tell us how their stay was and their visit was.

Would the Minister be willing and commit to developing some type of follow-up questionnaire for clients who go to these boarding homes outside...

On that note, we also have some northern residents who live in Edmonton who provide help and assistance for northern people who go down there. I just want to thank them and take a moment for that.

Should a client, specifically seniors who might be frail, who might need assistance and in some cases don’t have a medical escort, goes down to these boarding homes and should they have a slip or fall in the bathroom, does the Minister’s office get updated on any kind of serious issues or incidents that happen to clients in these boarding homes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a government, sometimes we do face challenges with a lack of resources to provide certain programs and services in the Northwest Territories. As a result, we often have to partner up with organizations from the South, and a particular organization is the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

Although it’s June, I’d like to take time to reflect that the month of May was, and is, Vision Health Month, and actually the Senate of Canada officially declared May as Vision Health Month.

As the primary provider of vision rehabilitation programs and services to Northwest...