Julie Green

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, approximately six months ago Yellowknife MLAs met with the Minister of Health and Social Services to ask him about how he was going to establish a new adult day program for seniors in Yellowknife. He outlined a range of options, and we haven't heard from him since. Could he please provide the House with an update? Mahsi.

Again, I appreciate the Minister's response. I understand that this is a very sensitive topic for all of us. One of the things that the federal government has done is tied funding to sports to policies and prevention around sexual abuse of amateur athletes. Is there any equivalent in place for territorial funding of sports organizations?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs responsible for amateur sport. CBC's revelations this week about sexual abuse in amateur sport is a call to prevention. One clear and obvious precaution is a requirement for criminal record name checks for persons with access to amateur sports players. Can the Minister tell us whether there is a requirement for criminal records name checks, not just for coaches, but for all persons with care and oversight responsibility for young athletes? Mahsi.

I appreciate the detail that the Minister provided in his answer. I want to go into the specifics a little bit. Food security was a high-profile issue at the most recent anti-poverty roundtable. In addition to funding food banks and soup kitchens, does the Minister have a plan to develop a long-term systemic solution to help the one in three children who experience hunger in the NWT?

Mr. Speaker, today, I am reflecting on the fifth annual Anti-Poverty Roundtable, held in Hay River in November. I appreciate the Minster's invitation to attend and being able to hear from colleagues taking action on poverty throughout the territory as well as the opportunity to see what local organizations are doing and to meet their dedicated staff.

There is no question that anti-poverty efforts have come a long way since the GNWT Anti-Poverty Action Plan was introduced. The anti-poverty fund for grass-roots projects is now $1 million. There is more support for homelessness and communities...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to go at that question in a different way. Food security is just the example, but the real point I am trying to get to is funding short-term solutions and funding long-term solutions and whether there is any intention by the government to look at a set of long-term solutions to issues like food security, which would provide solutions that don't have to be constantly updated but would be in place for all residents of the GNWT over the long term.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. As I mentioned in my statement, my hope and expectation is that the next Anti-Poverty Action Plan will include well-defined goals for which there is required funding for implementation, along with robust evaluation. Can the Minister tell me whether this is a realistic expectation? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Finally, my last question is: at the workshop, the Minister talked about securing business and charitable partners to leverage additional funding for anti-poverty initiatives; I am wondering if the Minister can tell us what progress he has made and what the plan is for that?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am proposing this motion because I believe that entering into binding arbitration is preferable to a strike. If both parties agree to arbitration, then the strike action will be cancelled.

Arbitration acknowledges that collective bargaining has failed, and it provides a path forward to resolve this dispute in a way that is fair to both sides. It allows for the government and the union to save face without the parties calling one another "winners" or "losers."

Mr. Speaker, I have the greatest respect for collective bargaining. My father was a proud member of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Not surprisingly, the Minster and I have a difference of opinion here about providing information that undermines the union's position in ways that are completely unnecessary. They have the right to strike. The norm is for unionized people, they don't have to be on the picket line, but they are not usually welcomed back with open arms for crossing the picket line. I stand by my position that I think that this inflames an already very volatile situation. I would like to know what the purpose is of handing out these waiver forms. What is the purpose? Thank you.