Glen Abernethy

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.

Mr. Speaker, just a note, just so we are clear, the bill was discussed in Committee of the Whole clause by clause and did receive unanimous consent in this Assembly from all Members.

As per our normal process, the bill did go to committee, who had an opportunity to do a thorough review of the bill. We did get a letter from committee expressing some questions around this particular issue. The issue is the ability of a minor to marry. The legislation requires that, if a minor does desire to get married, they must still obtain a marriage licence. To obtain a marriage licence, they must get...

Mr. Speaker, clinical supervisors are also professional counsellors requiring the same level of knowledge, skills, and abilities typically acquired through a Master's level education, as I've previously indicated, similar to the counsellors. However, they are also typically senior counsellors who, in addition to the counselling education and experience, have often undertaken additional training in management or supervisory areas that allow them to have the knowledge, skills, and ability to provide that supervisory responsibility and/or leadership responsibility. So, yes, they both need to have...

Mr. Speaker, the child and youth counsellor initiative was developed at the table of the Interdevelopmental Child and Youth Mental Wellness Action Planning Working Group, a group put together to help us lead this initiative. The work of this group was guided by the feedback of Northwest Territories youth, who expressed that they wanted access to specialized mental health supports to assist them in the very serious and very complex challenges they are facing. In addition, they spoke clearly and strongly about the challenges of living in small communities and feeling apprehensive about accessing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the federal government implements its plan to legalize cannabis this summer, the Department of Health and Social Services, in partnership with other Government of the Northwest Territories departments and agencies, has already begun public education and awareness efforts.

Mr. Speaker, in late April, we launched our campaign in order to equip residents with the health information they need to make informed decisions about cannabis use. While all Northwest Territories residents will be provided with cannabis-related health information, groups that are especially at risk...

Mr. Speaker, the Continuing Care Action Plan is not just a Department of Health and Social Services action plan. It does recognize that these challenges are across departments, and the Housing Corporation is a solid partner on trying to find solutions for our residents to stay in their communities as long as possible. I hear the Member, and I will certainly continue to have dialogue with the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation about where we can look at incorporating or building new or more independent living units for seniors. Starting in the last government, we made commitments...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I accept fully that helping seniors age in place is the best way to go, and we want to support seniors aging in their homes, in their communities, in their regions as much as possible, but as we have discussed several times in this House, even as we continue to make progress in supporting aging in place, there are times and there are individuals who ultimately need care that is not available in their homes. They will need 24/7-type care that is offered in the level 3 or 4 long-term care facilities that we are constructing here, in the Northwest Territories...

The legislation has only been live and active for one year. Actually, it will be one year on June 1st. It is consistent with the Civil Marriages Act from the federal government, and we want to be prepared, should and if any minors do desire to get married, that there is a process that is fair and open to them, so we are not planning to change the legislation at this point.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the previous act was actually repealed and replaced. During the life of this Assembly, we did have an opportunity to bring that bill before committee and also before this House, where it received unanimous support from all Members in the passage of that bill.

The bill actually brings us in line with the federal Civil Marriages Act. It removed the ability for minors and people younger to get married. With minors, there is the exception where they do get consent from their legal guardians. We did have debate on this bill in the House, and I have reviewed...

I truly appreciate the Member's concerns as well as the concerns of some of the staff out there. The department has taken action to actively recruit for these positions, as I've previously indicated. I anticipate that the positions will be posted in the very near future and am hopeful that we will receive applications from many qualified individuals. Mr. Speaker, while a Master's level education is identified within the job description, as is the case with all GNWT competitions, equivalencies will absolutely be considered. A Master's degree is one way that an individual may develop the...