Alfred Moses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Along the same lines as my colleague for Hay River North here, I would like to make comments on the budget address today.

For the public that really doesn’t want to know how we got here today and the message that was delivered, at the beginning of the Assembly, we created priorities. We’ve had a lot of dialogue since the Assembly started. Specifically with this 2013-14 fiscal budget, it started back in September and looking at how we can look at our priorities, and making healthy, educated people away from poverty, increasing our economic development strategies; those...

It was really good news to hear that we did get the $1.15 million and the commitment, as well, into mental health and addictions, and it says that the money is going to be supported in the initiatives with the shared plan towards wellness. Was this $1.15 million allocated to this action plan in the initial budget before the budget dialogue process happened? Was that $1.15 million allocated in the initial budget?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are also for the Minister of Health and Social Services. In the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan: A Shared Path Towards Wellness, it states that the Department of Health and Social Services spends $9 million each year to support mental health and addictions, yet there are 11 service gaps that are presented.

I’d like to quote the Minister of Health and Social Services during the TLC, where he states, “When I speak to community health providers, there is a need for alcohol counselling, there is a need for treatment to be close to the people where...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome the following constituents to the Legislative Assembly and the House: Lisa and Jozef Carnogurski, welcome. I’d also like to recognize Topsy Cockney and Caroline Blake. Welcome. I did some good work with them over the last little while. I’d also like to make a special recognition of the NWT Tourism crew that did a great job with Spectacular NWT and the NWT Gala for NWT Days.

Mr. Brian Desjardins, Mr. Ron Ostrom, Ms. Jenni Bruce, and I’d also make one special recognition to Ms. Jackie Frederick, who has been working with communities such as Hay River...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the challenges that we face. We do have an action plan here, and the action plan says we need action. How is he going to address this shortfall in funding so that we don’t continue to take care and treatment, rather that we can start making preventative measures sooner than later?

There are so many different areas from the budget address and what we’ve discussed in the past here, but the Minister did mention Yellowknife and Inuvik. With all the services that Yellowknife does have, even though it is a growing problem here in Yellowknife – and I appreciate that – I’d like to make a recommendation that we have one detox or two detox beds in the north and two in the south where we also have a lot of issues and concerns but don’t have the resources. Will the Minister commit to putting those detox beds, one or two detox beds in the north and one or two detox beds in the south...

I appreciate that, Mr. Speaker. I didn’t have the eyes in the back of my head so I didn’t recognize the mayor of Tuk and president of the NWT Association of Communities, Mr. Mervin Gruben. He’s been a very strong advocate for some of our big infrastructure projects that we are looking at going forward with this fiscal year.

In terms of this program, do all communities in the Northwest Territories have access to this program and how often does this coalition go out to the communities that really need the support? I’ve been working with a family most recently who had to leave their community and head out of territory for a lot of work, and I’d like to ask the Minister if this coalition goes into the communities to do some outreach work or do foster parents have to go to the coalition to seek that help.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, and they are in regard to foster parenting and foster families.

We have a lot of compassionate families out there who are willing to take kids in and give them a good upbringing, a good lifestyle. Sometimes in these cases, some of the youth and children that are taken in to foster may have some type of behavioural challenge or attitude challenge that does really affect the home and the support in the home, and the home structure and the family structure.

I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I begin, I would like to welcome all Members, Cabinet, staff and yourself back to what is going to be a very exciting six weeks of session here in our Fourth Session.

Last week I had a great opportunity to attend the very successful NWT Days in Ottawa. While we had many great ambassadors and excellent staff throughout the event, there is one particular group I would like to recognize, and that’s the youth ambassadors.

The Youth Ambassadors Program has been going on for a few years now and has been very successful. I have had the opportunity to see this program...