Glen Abernethy

Is that a new rule?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we are currently working with Avens who, with support from us, some money to help them do the work, is developing a comprehensive business case for the expansion of 48 beds on the Avens site, a net gain of 48 beds on the Avens site. The other 172 beds, we are looking at putting into the old hospital, and we have got direction from FMB to explore that further and see what we can do to utilize that. That will give us the 120 beds that are required in Yellowknife as a result of the comprehensive review that was done, indicating we need 258 beds. I have also had...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No. This is something that has come up for a while, and I know the Member was raising this issue previously. I know that, as a Minister, this was an area that he was also very interested in. I would really, and I think everybody would really, prefer to have our residents home, receiving care as close to home as possible, but, unfortunately, some of these individuals we are talking about are really high-needs and we don't have the resources. We had professional staff in many cases to accommodate them.

It would be great at some point to be able to repatriate some of the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, on my right is Debbie DeLancey, the deputy minister of Health and Social Services. On my left is Jeannie Mathison, who is the director of finance with Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Contracts and transfers to the authorities, so grants, contributions, and transfers. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I do, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2017-2018 Main Estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services. The total proposed budget for the department is $423,457,000. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $9.2 million, which is an increase of 2 per cent over the 2016-2017 Main Estimates.

These estimates continue to support the GNWT's objective of ensuring a strong, sustainable future for the government and its programs by managing expenditures due to limited revenue growth.

Highlights of proposed budget include:

forced growth of $16.17...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first year, we were pretty close to being almost exactly what was allocated, but since then we have been quite a bit lower. I think it is been about $1.8 million on a $500,000 package. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we have not done that work yet, but will be working with them. We are committed to working with them to look at the space to see what kind of life we have left and, if there is any life left, what needs to be done. Whether or not someday we do have to move from that building, we will work with them to find alternative solutions.

Yes. In fact they, already have. In the development of the framework in the summer of 2016, we held a number of different focus groups throughout communities and with youth from across the Northwest Territories. We engaged with FOXY and SMASH as well as MACA youth ambassadors. We have had youth involved.

Moving forward in the development of the action plan itself, we are intending to conduct different validation exercises with youth again to make sure that their voice is heard, that their input is included in the youth mental health action plan.