Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize a resident of the Great Slave riding in the Gallery today. Brenda Johnson was inducted into the 2019 Education Hall of Fame earlier today. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate her, thank her for all she's done for the youth and the residents of the Northwest Territories, and welcome her to the gallery. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled "What We Heard Report: Potential Mandatory Entry Level Training for Class 1 & Class 2 Drivers." I also wish to table the following document entitled "Northern Housing Summit, Northern Solutions for Northern Housing: Summary Report, Inuvik, NWT April 23-24, 2019." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, one of this government's top priorities is the safety and well-being of children and youth receiving Child and Family Services. This includes making sure that we maintain a child's connectedness to family, community, and culture.
We have learned from our experiences, through internal and external audits, through engagement with Indigenous governments, and through feedback from stakeholders, that we need to better manage, resource, structure, and sustain changes implemented under Building Stronger Families.
We know that the improvements we were making under Building Stronger...
Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize Fernanda Martins, the health policy analyst from the Canadian Cancer Society, in the gallery today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the World Health Organization's World No Tobacco Day, which is tomorrow, on May 31, 2019. This day provides us with an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts that the Government of the Northwest Territories is taking to promote the prevention of tobacco use and its cessation.
This year's theme is Tobacco and Lung Health. Having a healthy set of lungs is vital for living a healthy and active lifestyle. Our lungs play a major role in our body's overall health. Exposure to tobacco, both in its primary and second-hand form, can result...
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Health and Social Services Northwest Territories Help Directory 2019."
The Member might want to go back and review Hansard for the last two and a half years. She has certainly brought this up a number of times, and it is a priority. The Member should not be blind to the fact that, based on her recommendations, her encouragement in this House, we did go for an RFP; we had no applicants. We went out for another RFP; we had no applicants. We reached out to some stakeholders; there was some indication of a desire to work together. We were going through that process when, in October or January, February of this year, the Member said we really need to make progress. I...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Member's continued commitment and dedication to this particular program and the important work that it has done in the past and the important work that we need to continue to do. I did have an opportunity to meet with the Member earlier in May, where we had an opportunity to discuss the current status. Last session, I indicated that I would direct the department to move quickly to put in a day program. They did proceed with that work, but then they came back to me after they had an opportunity to talk to the other stakeholders, and the stakeholders...
There is not a budget line referred to as "foster family appreciation" or "foster family gratitude," but there is specific budget within each of the regional offices of the territorial authority specific for supporting foster families, Foster Family Coalition. Within those budgets, the three authorities and the regional operations are able to support foster care appreciation activities and initiatives. So, although there is not a specific line, the dollars that they have available can be and are used to provide appreciation and gratitude to those who are doing this incredibly important work...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Foster parents make a significant difference in the lives of children and youth, and their efforts and commitment really needs to be recognized and supported and celebrated. Mr. Speaker, we do do that as a government, and we do support the Foster Family Coalition, who takes significant efforts to do this, as well.
Mr. Speaker, each year we take time to celebrate the important contributions that foster families make in the lives of children and youth within the Northwest Territories. For example, over the years, there have been a variety of events to help honour and...