Julie Green

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, according to the last annual report from child and family services, 93 percent of children were living in their own home or in their own community. And of all the children in care, about half of them are supported with voluntary support agreement. Thank you.

The program isn't offered in correctional centres but the correctional the health staff in the correctional centres work for the health authority. So they could make a referral to the FASD clinic.

Yes, thank you. Since 2004, we've had a fund called the territorial health initiative fund, and we've used it for special projects like creating NTHSSA and starting the primary care health reform. But we've also allocated $5 million in the current agreement each year towards the cost of medical travel. So this agreement expires on March the 31st this year, and so we did not include that amount of money in the budget because we do not yet have an assurance that we're going to have an extension to the territorial health initiative fund or for how much money.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I don't think the department has contemplated that. I haven't ever heard a request for that before now. People do realize that the system is running a deficit, but I don't think they relate that to the services that are delivered. And so it seems to be not as interesting to the public as it is to us sitting in the House.

Yes, thank you. We don't have that information in this budget. It's a budget for the department, not a budget for the authority.

No, thank you for that. This is a big priority. For me, I toured the Member's riding in the summer of 2022 and met elders in Sachs Harbour in particular who were trying to hang on in their own homes with the support of family. A very difficult situation for the family but also for the elder whose first language was not English, who had lived on country food most of their lives, and wanted to die where they had lived all their lives. So it's really a heartbreaking situation. I realize Inuvik is part of generally part of the same culturally group but it truly is a million miles away in terms of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have the level of detail that the Member is asking for, but I certainly can obtain that and get back to her. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll ask the deputy minister to explain. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to ask the deputy minister to respond.

Yes, I anticipate this conversation will take place between Indigenous Services Canada and the Indigenous governments directly, and we may or may not have a seat at the table.