Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table 12 follow-up letters to the following oral questions: Oral Question 24-18(2): Health Care System Improvements; Oral Question 25-18(2): Seniors' Housing Shortages; Oral Question 30-18(2): Sahtu Regional Health Centre; Oral Question 34-18(2): Resources for “Aging in Place” Programs; Oral Question 51-18(2): Care Aids at Stanton Territorial Hospital; Oral Question 60-18(2): Health Care System Challenges in Nahendeh; Oral Question 61-18(2): Alcohol Addiction and Mental Health Treatment Options; Oral Question 66-18(2): Family Violence Shelters Funding; Oral...

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services funds for the O and M component of the facilities, the Housing Corp. has indicated that they want to work with the shelters, so they're looking for the shelters combined to set some priorities. I'm not sure we would be in a position where we can fund the development of the construction of a complete facility, but we want to be partners on this and it may mean helping identify appropriate locations. I don't know, but first thing we need to do is have the different shelters help identify the priorities. Hay River is participating in that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is correct, there is no current formula for the funding in the different shelters and all the different shelters; the shelters are funded to different degrees. Currently, we provide about $2.85 million for the shelters across the Northwest Territories. I did have an opportunity to meet with representatives from a number of the shelters in March where we discussed a number of the concerns. One of the things they raised was the fact that there are these additional demands on them, as the Member talked about, and they've submitted a proposal to me...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time we haven't considered creating a seniors' advocate in the Government of the Northwest Territories. We are interested in working very closely with the different seniors' organizations to ensure that residents, seniors, have a streamlined process through using some of the existing mechanisms. We work with the different groups to develop things like the seniors' handbook which clearly outline many of the programs that are available to seniors across the Northwest Territories. As I've indicated, we will continue to work closely with those seniors'...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize a couple of residents from the Great Slave riding. They've already been recognized but I'm going to recognize them again: Mr. Stephen Jackson who is the CEO at Avens, Merlyn Williams who is the president of the Yellowknife Seniors' Society, and Ms. Yvonne Quick. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the dollars available for the O and M component are going to continue. Hopefully, the organization will be able to find or renovate their building. As I've indicated, the Housing Corp is working with them and has asked them to help set some priorities for the utilization of the money. If it comes to a point where the facility isn't appropriate, we may have to look at other GNWT facilities that we might be able to sell to them for a reasonable price. I'm not 100 per cent sure what's available in Hay River that might fit that need. But we're certainly looking to have those types of...

When I had my meeting with representatives from a number of the shelters in March the Minister responsible for Housing was also there. They have since had a subsequent meeting with the Minister of Housing who has identified the pot of the money available to help do some renovations and upgrades to the shelters across the Northwest Territories. The Minister at the time did ask them, these shelters themselves, to help set some priorities for how to spend these dollars to do maintenance and upgrades to those facilities. It's my understanding, and you may want to check with the Minister, that the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the last Assembly, the Government of the Northwest Territories came forward with the Our Elders: Our Communities Framework which was building upon a significant amount of work done within the government but also building upon what I would consider to be a seniors' charter, which were those four pillars that the Member has identified, and those pillars, the work that was done, came to form Our Elders: Our Communities which has seven priorities that include healthy and active aging, home and community care services, integrated and coordinated services...

As a standard practice, the information pertaining to an individual concerned in a complaint is only shared as needed to help resolve that complaint, and at this time, there is no central collection or reporting of information on these individual cases. I can say that the CEOs from the authorities meet on a regular basis, where they can discuss common or reoccurring issues or themes, so that they can work with the department to resolve the bigger picture issues. I can say that, as we move forward to a single authority, we will be better positioned to have some tracking mechanisms to track...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Assembly has made it a priority to focus on culturally appropriate delivery methods for mental health and addictions services within our communities. To accomplish this we need to improve the services and supports that we provide to our residents. We know that the current system needs improvement, and we must rethink the way mental health and addictions services are delivered. This is why we have updated the Mental Health Act, and we are conducting an external review of mental health and addictions programs as the first steps towards developing a Mental Health and...