Glen Abernethy

Like I said, I will work with the department to get briefed up on this particular situation, and I’ll work with committee as we move forward, if we choose to move forward.

Thank you. This government, this department will live up to the commitments made by the current Ministers and the previous Ministers. Thank you.

Thank you. I’ve already said I’ll get that information for the Member and I will. I will provide it to the Member and committee in due course. Thank you.

I’ll certainly get myself briefed. I’ll work with the department, I’ll share the information with committee, and we will work as a consensus government to decide how to move forward on this issue.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll certainly have some discussions with the department to find out where we are with this, and I’ll work with committee as we move forward, if we move forward.

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that dealing with mental health and addictions in the Northwest Territories is a priority of this government as well as Members. There are many ways to provide services. It may be a treatment centre; it may be on-the-land programming. This is a discussion that we need to continue to have with committee and I’m willing to continue to have with committee. We do have a Shared Path Towards Wellness, the 2012-2015 report on mental health and addictions. This is an action plan and we all need to work together. I hear the Member’s point, but I’m not sure the...

In the reworking of this act, we will absolutely look at legislation from other jurisdictions. I will not commit to something that I have not read, but if there is something identified in other jurisdictions that consultants show will work in the Northwest Territories, we’re certainly willing to look at it. At the same time, the government has already done a significant amount of work on this over the years. There’s been report after report after report on mental health and addictions and other issues. We’ve got the information and it’s time to actually start doing something.

As I’ve indicated...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for his question and I also thank the Member for encouraging residents of the Northwest Territories to get involved and bring their thoughts and concerns about the Mental Health Act to the department. This is a significant act. It’s a very old act, as the Member has identified, and it’s going to take a bit of time to work through the whole process and make the changes necessary. But without input from committee and without input from residents of the Northwest Territories, it is impossible. So we need the time, Mr. Speaker.

I will commit today to have...

Mr. Speaker, I’m pretty sure that’s what I just said as well. As far as a timeline, I’m not going to stand here on my first day and give you a timeline. I’m going to work with the Members. We are going to work on a timeline. We are going to come forward with action in the life of this Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I listened intently yesterday during the mental health and addictions theme day and I heard the Member talking. I also heard all of the Members talking. What I will commit to right now is that I will sit down with committee. We will talk about these issues. The reviews and the research have been done; it’s time for action. I agree, and I will work with committee to move forward on this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.