Alfred Moses

Thank you. The YouTube video speaks to the realities that we see here, not only in the Beaufort-Delta region but throughout the Northwest Territories. Today and every day is a day that we should be fighting against homelessness, addictions and mental health issues. With the video also comes an interim report that deals with those topics.

Even though a lot of the stuff I’m saying is negative, this government for the last two years has done a good job with the Anti-Poverty Strategy and the collaborative work where the departments have been working together. The only question is we have to make...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 15, Gunshot and Stab Wound Mandatory Disclosure Act; Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Justices of the Peace Act; Bill 17, An Act to Amend the Protection Against Family Violence Act; Bill 18, Apology Act; and Bill 21, An Act to Amend the Dental Profession Act, and wishes to report to the Assembly that Bills 15, 16, 17, 18 and 21 are ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.

The Standing Committee on Social Programs has reviewed Bill 19, Miscellaneous Statute Law...

I just want to state that I know we come down hard on the Minister all the time, and it’s not only his responsibility. We deal with homelessness, mental health, and you deal with justice, employment, education, homelessness. As a matter of fact, he’s responsible for the facilities here in the NWT.

The Minister also mentioned treatments, in answering a Member on this side. He said that treatment happens fairly quickly.

Can he give me a definite response on what “fairly quickly” means? I’ve been dealing with some of my constituents and I’d say it’s been over a month already, so I’d like to ask the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m just going to follow up from my Member’s statement today regarding homelessness. Of course, homelessness, you can’t really talk about it without including some of the mental health and addictions that are occurring with people who are in homeless situations.

I just wanted to follow up, and I know the Minister is getting a lot of questions today, specifically from members of the Standing Committee on Social Programs. I just wanted to remind him that when we had our retreat, that was our number one concern, our priority, and we want to follow up on that. We’re halfway...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a good day to be back in the Assembly and welcome all my colleagues. Today I will be speaking, as well, on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, specifically focussing here on the Northwest Territories.

Last week, on October 9th, I had the honour to go to a talking circle here in Yellowknife. It was a sharing circle, so there was nobody that was really afraid to speak up. All the communities shared their concerns, what they have seen, and specifically I would like to recognize the members from Inuvik who came down and spoke from their hearts, who...

I think we could solve this issue a little easier going forward here, and it all stems down to the written questions I had raised this summer during our last session, and that’s dealing with the Mental Health Act.

Can the Minister look at trying to speed that review up and looking at the Mental Health Act and how we can get that addressed so we don’t always have to be asking these same questions? Mental health actually takes care of the different legislative property. Can we see that speeded up during this Assembly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I really enjoy dialogue with the Minister on services that we provide here in the Northwest Territories. Any bed in acute care that would be allocated for someone through detox, and if the Minister understands when a person goes through detox, all the implications that happen with that psychosis where they can be deathly.

Is this Minister willing to put someone going through extreme detox in the same bed as a public person who might only be in there for the flu? Can I ask the Minister, is he willing to support a bed in acute care for somebody going through extreme detox? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment identifies income assistance overpayments, it should comply with the Financial Administration Manual requirements for collecting them. It should follow collection procedures by issuing invoices and written notifications per the required schedule, and forward outstanding debts to the Department of Finance for collection when required. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment provide support to income security appellants at least until the hearing, in the case of both new and existing income assistance clients and for ongoing student financial assistance clients. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment set a standard for monthly client service officer caseloads, review staffing levels and rebalance workloads as needed. A backup system should be in place to provide additional experienced staff support where there is a temporary overload. Thank you, Mr. Chair.