Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Member for bringing this to our attention today and also for providing me with his research. I think it’s a really good idea. I think we should do the research and I commit to having the department do research and analysis into the different types of cards that are out there like BC, and I think BC is certainly an interesting model where they’ve combined driver’s licence and health care cards. There might be cost-saving opportunities there for us. So I commit today to having the department do that review and we’ll be able to provide that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 29, Human Tissue Donation Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.

I think these questions are timely given that we don’t have a renewal again until 2016. So that gives a bit of time to do the analysis that the Member has asked for, including models like BC which may be reasonable. I will certainly work with the Minister of Transportation to see if there are any opportunities for us to expand and have a joint card. I won’t take it back. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. With respect to recommendation number 12, I’d be happy to discuss with the Standing Committee on Social Programs the appropriate format and time in providing updates on a regular basis. I will say that it may not always be appropriate to forward some of these internal work plans, depending on the level of detail about staff and clients. Some of the work plans may include client-specific information, so it may not be appropriate to provide those as we may need releases and other pieces of information. But I’m happy to have further discussion with the Standing Committee...

Thank you, Madam Chair. This recommendation will be addressed in the amendments to the act. Drafting is underway and is expected to take about 12 months, with introduction of the amending bill in the spring of 2015. As outlined in the legislative proposal, the amendment will include enhancing services offered to youth, including youth protection orders, housing supports under support service agreements and defining youth under the act. It will also include extending support services to youth who are in permanent care until they reach the age of 23 and requiring the development of a written...

Mr. Speaker, I was making reference to an extended care unit that currently exists within Stanton and that will have to be located outside of the building, but it does provide services to people living with disabilities who require extended levels of care.

As far as the funding model around the Stanton renovations, we’re looking at a P3 model and a request for qualifications has gone out to that effect.

If the Member is talking about a completely separate building designed for particular individuals to provide either short-term or long-term rehabilitation, that is a different building and we...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The department is considering adopting a series of tools called structured decision-making. These are standardized forms which child protection workers can complete in order to assess both the immediate safety risk and longer-term risk and future harm.

Several Canadian jurisdictions recently adopted these tools, and the director of territorial services is in touch with his counterparts to receive guidance on lessons learned in other jurisdictions. One of the first lessons that was learned is that it will take several years to adapt the tools to our particular...

Mr. Speaker, within the action plan, a number of the activities actually require departments to work together: Health and Social Services; Education, Culture and Employment; but not just the government departments but organizations that are providing services to residents, like the NWT Council for Persons with Disabilities and organizations like the Yellowknife Association for Community Living. Within the action plan, it identifies clearly who’s working on what initiatives, and I’d be happy to provide Members an update of where we are on that action plan today, a status report. Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Madam Chair. We do want to move to a more sort of coordinated caseload count, but it’s difficult to arrive at a caseload standard when each case is unique and may require a different amount of time, different expertise and varying resources. There are also regional differences, such as distance between communities, that must be factored into resource decisions.

I’ve already indicated we will be working with the Child Welfare League of Canada to ensure that we are applying best practices in determining caseloads, but moving to one single integrated system, obviously moving to one...

Mr. Speaker, across this country, communities are responsible for the provision of ambulance service as well as mobility services. This is something that is consistent in Canada, it’s something that has been consistent in the Northwest Territories. All of the communities in the Northwest Territories that want to provide those services step up and meet those needs of the residents of the communities. It isn’t being downloaded because it isn’t in the mandate of the Department of Health and Social Services. As I’ve indicated, I’ve had conversations with MACA. There is money being flowed to...