Julie Green

Mr. Chair, the next business plan cycle is approximately nine months away, so I'm wondering if in the interim there is still this backlog, which the Minister referred to in June of last year as unacceptable in all ways, I'm looking for some assurance that there are the resources in place now to deal with this backlog? We're talking about services to very vulnerable people. That is the basis of a Public Guardian application. It's not for the likes of you and me. So I'd like to think that people are not continuing to wait months and months for service in this area. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. These may also be questions that the Minister needs some additional time with. I'd like to know the number of assessors who are dealing with that backlog of referrals and also the number of staff who are dealing with what I'm going to guess is an increased caseload based on looking at those referrals, so could he please commit to giving us a rundown of how those referrals are being dealt with, by whom, and what the staff capacity is there? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I noticed that the adult support services line which includes the Office of the Public Guardian is losing a small amount of money this year and it seemed like a good time to ask the Minister about the progress of his review of the Public Guardian's office which was due by the end of the calendar year; that was the deadline that he gave us. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for his response. I recognize that there is a process in place to try to get better service from the RCMP if we feel that the service we are getting is not adequate. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, that fewer than 10 per cent of women who have been sexually and physically assaulted report, just exactly because of the onerous nature of trying to follow up the conditions of recognizance that are placed on the accused. I didn't hear from the Minister that he acknowledges that this may be a problem or what he might do to fix it? Masi. Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Minister for that answer. I think that he has had a more positive experience, or his clients have, of this court system than the woman I have been working with. In this instance that I cited in my Member's statement, the victim had to visit the RCMP three successive times to report just one instance of intimidation, each time requesting interviews with more senior RCMP members and then finally getting the support of the Status of Women. Only then did the police take action to enforce the conditions of release. My question for the Minister is: why should it be so hard?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, before we finish discussion on this area, I want to address three areas in which the Regular MLAs would like to see some additional investment, and I'm just going to go over them briefly. There have been detailed questions. First, we're looking for additional money for our Youth Mental Health Strategy to help young people who are facing mental health issues and also perhaps concurrently addictions. We are looking for additional money for the anti-poverty fund which would extend the good work this fund does at the grassroots level to combat poverty in our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to acknowledge the Daughters of the Vote delegates who are in the gallery today, and I'd like to give special thanks to Jane Groenewegen and Sandy Lee for the trailblazers that they were in sitting in this House and serving it with great distinction. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that answer. I think that that is the right direction to go, rather than a punitive direction. However, some of the immediate problems were pretty alarming. In the Sahtu audit, for example, there was a recommendation that children who were apprehended were not receiving a medical examination immediately. So my question is: what is the department doing with those more -- it's not a paper compliance problem, it's a more immediate problem. What do they do with those? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the last sitting I drew the Assembly's attention to the findings of a report by YWCA Yellowknife. It's called "Hush Hush No More: Improving NWT Community Response to Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls." I pointed out a number of the report's troubling findings and its recommendations for improvements. The report documents a continuing culture of secrecy and nondisclosure surrounding violence. It's hushhush when fewer than 10 per cent of victims report what happened to them to the police. Without reporting, victims say they feel powerless and blame...

Thank you. I appreciate the answer from the deputy minister. So what action does the department take to follow up the plans that were submitted to ensure that the actions committed to were in fact taken?