Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services currently contributes about $2.55 million to family violence shelters across the Northwest Territories. In addition, we make an additional $200,000 available to help individuals who are in communities where there are no shelters with transport or to get themselves to communities where there are shelters.

In light of the Member's question, I have also taken the additional step of directing the Department of Health and Social Services to work closely with the Department of Infrastructure to explore some of the...

I'll have the territorial authority work with our partners to explore all options.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I would like to thank the Member for bringing this particular issue to my attention.

I agree with the Member's statement and his concerns around liability of staff using their own vehicles, and the need for staff to have the resources they need in order to provide the high-quality services that the staff in Tsiigehtchic currently provide.

When we're done here today, Mr. Speaker, I am going to have a conversation with the department and get them to work with the NWT Health and Social Services Authority to review the need for a vehicle in the community of Tsiigehtchic...

Compiling an annual report on the specific achievements in the plan is something that we are currently working on. This includes projects funded through the Anti-Poverty Fund through the annual roundtable. We have reported back to the roundtable every year on which projects are funded.

We have not yet reached the point where every funded project, as I have indicated, produces a report, although I would like to confirm that many, many of them in fact do. Staff continue to work with funded projects on this component, and that is getting an evaluation of the individual projects, recognizing that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Territorial Anti-Poverty Action Plan included a commitment to monitoring and reporting. It recognized that there are many partners involved in the collaborative framework and that each partner would be responsible for monitoring and reporting on their own actions. However, the GNWT did commit to a number of things. One of those was compiling a set of broad social indicators that identify those factors associated with poverty, its causes and effects, and developing a schedule for reporting on them.

Mr. Speaker, during the last Anti-Poverty Roundtable held...

Our home support workers and our CHRs do incredibly important work, and we certainly do not want them to experience any liability issues from using their own vehicles. If they need a vehicle to provide those valuable services that they are providing in the community, we will find a solution. It may not include the rental of a vehicle. That might prove a little bit beyond our capacity, but we will explore all options, Mr. Speaker, and we will find a solution for the community and our valuable staff. Thank you.

I believe there is a policy that dictates when a vehicle might be appropriate, but in light of the current concerns raised by the Member, specifically around liability of them using their own vehicles, this is something we do need to look at. For purchasing vehicles, we do have to go through a capital process, so we would have to build a business case and it would have to compete against all other capital asks.

I am going to take a look at it. I am going to have the department work with the authority to see what if anything could be done to make sure that our staff in Tsiigehtchic can continue...

The Anti-Poverty Fund is just, I think, one opportunity presented to us to help combat poverty in the Northwest Territories. The Housing Corporation is doing a significant amount of work to support safe and affordable housing. Education is doing work to renew the education system in the Northwest Territories to ensure that our children have the best opportunities moving forward. Health and Social Services is working on a continuing-care action plan. Education is working on an income assistance to make improvements there, to help increase affordability and sustainability throughout the...

This is obviously an ongoing discussion. The Anti-Poverty Roundtable is an important opportunity for the GNWT and stakeholders to get together to talk about progress, and it is my understanding that that information is intended to be shared with the individuals at the roundtable. We are also working with our stakeholders. We have a $1-million anti-poverty fund that we provide to different stakeholders. Many of them are providing reports on the work they are doing. We are still working with others to make sure that they are providing some evaluation work on the reports. We are hoping to have...

Mr. Speaker, in 2016 I tabled a document titled "Building a Culturally Respectful Health and Social Services System." This document was a commitment made to ensure that cultural safety is woven into the fabric of the health and social services system and integrated into all aspects of management, operations, and front-line services.

It speaks to the importance of honouring traditional healing practices. It also speaks to working in collaboration with partners to ensure that all aspects of health and social services are culturally safe and respectful for our patients and clients.

In my meetings...