Glen Abernethy

Just to provide some clarity to the last response, of course, we are working with the shelters, because they usually have a significant impact on supporting families that are dealing with or fleeing violence. They have certainly got a lot of information to help us get good information out there into their hands, but when it comes to some of the individual programs we are running to create that awareness, currently, we are investing $477,000 as a territory for campaigns like What Will It Take and other means to get the information out there. We do work with the shelters closely because they are...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we continue to work on the development of the funding model that we hope will strengthen the ability of existing shelters to deliver services in an equitable manner throughout the Northwest Territories.

The department does remain in close contact with the shelter network about the work being done, and hearing their perspectives on that process and the formula, as well. Department staff did attend meetings with the shelter staff within the last couple of weeks, where we had an opportunity to discuss the formula, as well as the operational standards.

Mr...

I am happy to share that proposal with standing committee. I am not sure we should make that public at this point, because we are still working with the federal government to try and obtain that money, but I am happy to share it with committee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

To date, we have been using money out of our public health budget to help get that information out there. As a note, we have submitted a proposal to the federal government seeking support to help us work with communities to tailor the information to the communities and get it out. We are not sure we are going to get that financial support or not, but we are still committed to doing the work and working with our partners to get the message out there.

We want the same thing. We want to be able to provide services in the community, and we want to do it in a safe building. As I have indicated, the Department of Infrastructure has had engineers go in and do an assessment of that building, and they are confident that the building is structurally sound. We are doing some repairs to it as a result of the foundation work that was done that resulted in us having to leave the building, but we are confident of the work of the engineers with the infrastructure. As soon as we can move back in, we will be moving back in. I will continue having...

I understand that the levelling and other work was already done, so we are just waiting for some of the other things to be done. I will confer with the Department of Infrastructure to find out when they think it will be appropriate for us to move back into that building. As I said when the Member raised this last time, the building is on a 20-year capital plan. There are a number of health projects that are in front of this project. They have to compete with all other projects, but for the time being, as I have said, a structural assessment was completed this month by a structural engineer, at...

The draft operational standards have been developed and are being reviewed to ensure they represent the safest and most sustainable approach to the delivery of family violence shelters. Our goal is to formally adopt those service standards over the coming year, and as I indicated previously, these standards will help us formulate a formula for funding, because it has to be based on something. It should be based on the standards that we work together with our shelters to develop. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

At this time, the formula that we are talking about is funding the shelters to actually provide safe housing for families fleeing violence.

With respect to the other work, campaigns that we are doing to break the stigma, to help get people educated, to create more awareness, to create more discussion, those are being done with other groups, such as the Status of Women and other groups across the Northwest Territories and, at this point, does not anticipate providing advertising or communication dollars to the shelters. With the shelters, we are focusing on housing.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a constituent of the Great Slave riding, Mr. James Wong. Welcome.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Section 28 of the Financial Administration Act, I wish to table the following document entitled "2018-19 Health and Social Services Authority Budgets;" and, pursuant to Section 32(2) of the Financial Administration Act, I wish to table the following document entitled "Annual Report 2016-2017: Tlicho Community Services Agency." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.