Julie Green

I wonder if the Minister can tell us what role his department will have with schools and teachers in cannabis education.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I can appreciate that that's a level of detail that he might not have at his fingertips, but it leads into my next question where I note that the agreement to fund this quit line ends at the end of March. Is this agreement subject to renewal? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mr. Speaker, Northerners have clearly stated that they want government to take an informed and active role on cannabis awareness, particularly for youth. My question is: what efforts is the Minister making to ensure various kinds of cannabis education materials are ready to go when legalization happens? Thank you.

No. Thank you to the Minister for his responses. Nothing further.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi, colleagues. Barring an unforeseen hitch, cannabis will become legal during the next fiscal year. Northerners have clearly said they want a robust public education plan. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services about what that is going to look like. Mahsi.

Thank you to the Minister for that response. At the end of the day, if and when a solution is found, does it require legislative change? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this was an initiative announced in the budget address by the Finance Minister, that a country food strategy would be created. It didn't sound like a public education campaign as much as it was about accessing country foods. It doesn't say in the budget address which department this is attached to, so it's not Health.

Moving on to my next question, I would like to commend the Minister for finding a permanent home for the sobering centre, and I look forward to the day that that opens. I would like to pursue a point I made in my reply to the budget address, and...

I did give the Minister credit for speeding up the assessment process, but we are talking now about another year-long delay before this 150-person caseload is going to be addressed by more staff. That is entirely unacceptable. This office needs to be re-staffed now. I would like to see this staffing adjustment made in a supplementary appropriation during this sitting. Can the Minister make that commitment?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, during the business plan review, we talked quite a bit about the need to have an adult day program in Yellowknife, and I see that there is now a request for proposals out. Can the Minister please tell us what kind of a day program he is asking potential bidders to bid on? That is to say, does it include people with both cognitive disabilities as well as frailty? How many people will be served? How long a contract is this, and so on? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister confirm, then, that this mental health action plan will be ready in time for the business planning cycle that begins in the fall? Thank you.