Thank you, Mr. Chair. As far as time frames are concerned, a number of the items that the deputy described are actually well in progress. Some of them have actually been concluded and others are going to take a bit more time. I will get the department to put together some estimates on timelines for the ones that are outstanding but also articulate which ones have already been done and which ones are currently in progress. I will get that to the Members as soon as I can.

The Stanton diabetes education program had a territorial focus and it was delivered in Stanton. The program did some visiting...

There is an increase. The department has budgeted $250,000. The city has contributed $50,000, so there is only $250,000 shown in the budget and I believe it’s in a different section than the one we’re currently in. I believe it’s in community health programs. So it’s in two parts, in the Anti-Poverty Fund and also in mental health and addictions. It’s $250,000 coming from us. The price tag is a little bit higher. For this fiscal year, we were able to get some one-time funding from some of the other departments in the GNWT, Justice and ECE. We’ll be seeking additional supports from other...

The Member and I want the same thing, which is a comprehensive Mental Health Act that meets the needs of the residents of the Northwest Territories, and we’re committed to doing that. The department is working on it every day.

A significant amount of information came out during our public consultation process. We had a lot of feedback. It was wonderful to get as much feedback as we did. The department is going through that data. It’s analysing that data and writing the act as we speak. The act is currently being written as we speak, but it will take a bit of time and there’s a good chance that...

I’ll just re-state again we are using CanTalk, which is technology. But I agree with what the Member is saying completely and Education, Culture and Employment is working with a number of the Aboriginal governments to create actual apps for things that can be used on iPhones and iPads around languages and to help people do exactly what the Member is talking about.

We’re currently working with a number of the different Aboriginal organizations and language groups in the Northwest Territories to help provide translation around medical terminology. When that’s done it would be a great opportunity...

Thank you. As we move forward to an integrated health and social services system here in the Northwest Territories to improve services for the residents of the Northwest Territories, we will be developing a new funding model that will fund the one authority, and once we have done that and we are able to work as a system we’ll start to see where some of the cost drivers and demands are, which will help us articulate where we need to spend money in a way that it doesn’t currently tell us because there are, in fact, eight significantly different authorities and decisions are being made in ways...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There is no real lead to early childhood development. We have an effective working relationship between Health and Social Services and the department. We’re working closely together and our staff are meeting regularly on the implementation of the individual items. Some of the items are education-specific; some of the items are health-specific, but many of the items are collaborative. We’re doing our best to break down the barriers, destroy the silos in this particular area. I wouldn’t say that there is a lead department. I’d say there’s an effective and collaborative...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The mayor of Yellowknife actually got in touch with the Cabinet. He actually had a meeting with the Minister of Housing and the Minister of Justice, and I also had a private meeting with the mayor, as well, to discuss this important initiative that the city is pursuing. We are supportive. We are looking for ways to be their partners and they are looking for ways for us to be their partners. It’s early days. The discussions are early on, but we will continue to engage with the mayor and explore opportunities to be meaningful partners.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have travelled to a lot of communities throughout the Northwest Territories, and where there are issues around homelessness, I know the Housing Corp is very active in those communities as far ensuring people get housing. But also we’ve got government services officers who are aware of the different programs and services who could direct people. We also have, in many of the communities, community counsellors and social workers who can, when they recognize people that are in crisis, refer them to services that might be appropriate. There are people in the communities...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Seniors are an incredibly important part of our population. The aging population is a growing population here in the Northwest Territories, and we want to make sure that we’re there for them as much as possible and we’re providing supports for them as much as possible. We have our framework, which is Our Elders, Our Communities, which focuses on a number of pillars. We’re working on separate action items and action plans on a number of pillars, including an action plan around a facilities review identifying how we’re going to move forward with facilities here in the...

Mr. Chair, with respect to the rollout of child and family services, we are spending a significant amount of money on child and family services today. The changes that are being proposed are going to increase efficiencies and provide better services. It doesn’t necessarily mean we need more money. It just means we really need to do better with the money we have, and many of these changes are going to give us the ability to do those things.

I do acknowledge that there is a fundamental change in how we provide child and family services being undertaken right now. It has a three to five-year...