Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we will commit to getting a reconciliation of the numbers for the Member to explain where we are, but ultimately in this section we have increased by $120,000, which is the only significant change to this budget line from previous years; but we will look at the response to oral questions and reconcile the numbers. I apologize for any confusion.

Thank you. Yes, absolutely, Mr. Chair. I will get the committee that information. The reason I am not saying hard and fast is I remember us having a discussion around this in the past, and I am pretty sure that we dealt with it so that foster support wouldn't be counted against rent, but I honestly can't remember what the resolution on that was. So I will get the committee and the Member that information. I am pretty sure we dealt with it, but let me get it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My deputy just pointed out that I completely answered a completely different question, so this time I'll try to answer the question that the Member asked. When this service agreement ends we're certainly open to exploring what is best for the people of the Northwest Territories including, as I said to the MLA from Hay River, other airlines, other opportunities to help control costs and provide the best services to the clients possible. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I will certainly be sending a letter to the Members once the last date of the last consultation is booked and confirmed. The consultations, we are expecting, will be completed by the 14th of March. We expect that we will be able to have some sort of analysis of what we heard and some direction on where we need to go early in the next fiscal year. I can also get the deputy to go into some specific detail on steps and actions being taken moving forward. If we can go to the deputy, that would be great.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, there is a wide range of different marketing campaigns and other initiatives that we are using those additional dollars for. I will go to the deputy for the list and the detail. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think it is important that we don't talk about individual or specific cases, so I appreciate the Member is going to come, and we can try to work on the resolution for his constituent.

Having said that, there is still an approval process and there are reasons that an individual or family may not be approved. At the end of the day, we have to focus on the best interests of the kids. So, although we have an expedited approval process, it doesn't mean everybody is approved every time. We still have to focus on the best interests, safety, health, well-being, of the child...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It doesn't include GNWT staff in that number. GNWT staff are covered by the Department of Health and Social Services as opposed to the Department of Health. They are covered by Human Resources instead of Health and Social Services. There are some revenues that come in that are not here as well, but total costs are a bit higher. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, if you turn to page 168, you will see the Rockhill apartments, which is the money I believe the Member is referring to. It is back in the budget. Just as a note, the lease does expire in 2018, and we are currently working with the YMCA to do a bit of an assessment of the space: is it still the right space? Does it still meet the needs? Will it continue to meet the needs?

Ultimately, though, just to be clear, we are committed to supporting the programs and services being delivered by Rockhill. We do have the option for a 10year lease extension. We just want to...

I am assuming the Member is referring to the child and youth mental wellness action plan. At this point, there are no actions identified. We are still in the development phase. As I indicated, all these action plans are working on some guiding principles that inter-tie with each other. Once again, it focuses on prevention, recovery-oriented systems, personal experiences, and outcomes, as well as a whole-of-government approach. To date, the department has completed a significant amount of research and literature reviews into best practices for addressing child and youth mental health challenges...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I hear the Member. These dollars here, this seniors fund is funding to support elder applicants in their activities towards promoting the independence and well-being of seniors and elders in the NWT. The NWT Seniors' Society, who is the recipient of these funds, are a territorial organization.