Alfred Moses

We do know there are programs out there and we do know that it is a priority for the government and within the Department of ECE. My question specifically was what programs are in place for communities that don’t have those programs and communities that need those facilities. What are the action steps that the Department of ECE is going to take within the next two years to make sure that those infrastructures are put in place so that people in our communities and children can succeed? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Going on to my colleagues’ comments, it’s not very often that we do get a lot of youth of this magnitude in the House, into the gallery. I’d like to recognize all the students from Ulukhaktok. Welcome to Yellowknife. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly.

I, too, want to thank Patrick Joss. He’s a very committed volunteer and community leader in his community, not only Ulukhaktok but throughout the Beaufort-Delta region. He has helped out in a lot of things. Welcome to all the students.

No further questions. I just think it would be in the best interest of both departments to work together on how we can serve, especially with a lot of the discussions earlier today on mental health and addictions, how we incarcerate a lot of people into the systems. That when we do build facilities, we offer buildings that offer services that would cut down our costs that can go into other areas. Just a general comment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just one last further question here. The Department of Health and Social Services, there are programs out there with other departments that make it so people have to go through the process, go through the counseling to get assistance; specifically, Housing, ECE and some Justice for rehabilitation. However, some of those people that are going through it don’t necessarily take it serious or are making the backlog for the people that really do need it. Is the Minister of Health and Social Services willing to come up with a plan to offset those issues so that the people in...

I’m glad to hear that the department is taking a proactive approach in education for prevention and awareness. However, right now, as I mentioned earlier in my two questions, we do have a waiting list, especially in Inuvik. The waiting list for anyone to get counselling is about three months and it is something that needs to be done now to address those issues. We will be coming to a new fiscal year in 2012-13. I was wondering if there was anything on the horizon in the fiscal operations O and M budget within the Department of Health and Social Services to offset those issues of our workers...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question today is dealing with my Member’s statement that I gave yesterday in dealing with mental health and addictions. We have had a lot of discussion here today on infrastructure and some new capital projects that are coming to the Northwest Territories. Alongside with that, unfortunately, we do get a lot of health and social issues that do come with these big capital projects.

My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services and deals with mental health programs and infrastructure. What is the plan to fix the lack of services that we have in some of...

My next question is: Come April 1st, the end of the fiscal year, any tenants across the Northwest Territories who have not taken that initiative to get on a payment plan, what is the course of action that the Housing Corporation is going to take for those who have not honoured this agreement that the Minister has put forth? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my question is dealing with the moratorium that the Minister of Housing released earlier this week. It is a good program and I think it’s a great opportunity to educate the people in the communities on how to get back and educated into the housing programs, as well as getting them back on track with a payment plan. In the four months that we have from now until the end of the fiscal year, I wanted to ask the Minister of Housing what is the plan to work with these people in the communities to get back on a payment plan. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I had one quick question. When it comes to building capital projects such as infrastructure like the jails that we’re going to house people in, do you ever do any consulting with other departments, such as the Department of Health, to work on treatment centres, as well, or transition phase components to that building, rather than work on putting two infrastructures in a community? It would be better money and cost effective to have the same water and sewage system put into one building where on one side would be a transition back into society or partly working with a...

That’s all great for the communities that do have vacancies, but like I said, for communities that don’t have vacancies and they are already fully staffed, they are getting overload from some of the communities, especially Inuvik. They get referrals into the region and they’re getting overworked. Long days and, as a result, like I said, we are getting people that are on the backlog for three months to receive the services.

What’s the plan for the communities that do have full staff but are overworked? That needs to be addressed because we’re neglecting the people that are needing those services...