Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 2-16(6), Report on the Review of the Auditor General’s Report on the NWT Health Programs and Services 2011.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What I was referring to was some of the work we’ve done as an Assembly with regard to water, the Water Strategy, getting our thinking clear, the principles -- the policy was developed in full collaboration and support of the Aboriginal governments -- is going to inform a lot of the work going forward on devolution as it pertains to the water issue because we’ve taken the last four years of time to do that. It’s in forming our transboundary negotiations as well. That’s an example of some of the work that’s being done in anticipation of us in the Northwest Territories...

We’ll commit to get that for committee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The money that is laid out is to do two things: look on the implementation side, which is actual transferring of the infrastructure, the resources, human and otherwise. There’s going to be a significant amount of work in terms of the requirements to meet all policy and legal obligations in our legislation. The broader work, some of which has already started, I would suggest with things like the Water Strategy, in some areas has yet to be completed. The management regime is currently under review by the federal government. They’ve agreed not to have any major changes...

The education component focuses a lot on the personal choices of what’s available, what choices to make if you have a choice between healthy foods, vegetables, versus pop and chips. This is a program that has its flaws. It is a program that is of concern in all northern communities, and I will commit to the Member that they will have an opportunity here probably next week to pass on concerns when I get a chance to have a conversation with the Minister. Minister Aglukkaq knows this very well since she is from Nunavut, that there are challenges to meet with this program.

The good news is, is that while this Legislature may be dissolved in the next few weeks, a lot of the good, all the good programs and all the good work that has been done by government and by this Assembly will continue on until the Assembly is elected, and that Assembly will decide if they are going to continue those initiatives or change them or supplement them.

I agree with the Member. We can always do more. Mr. Bromley has made many, many statements about the need for self-sufficiency. We all agree with that. That’s why we have invested so much money in alternate energy. We are looking at...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of ways that monitoring is done, some not specifically related to the Food Mail Program, as we look at our consumer price index to the food basket issue. We’ve committed, as well, to track the cost of food and the cost of living in the small communities tied into the electrical rate review.

Our role in the Food Mail Program is very modest. We were given about 390-some-thousand dollars through Health Canada to do nutrition education. Those are some of the areas where we’re involved and some of the monitoring that is done. Thank you.

We could track, and we do track, the statistics in jails where the majority of the crimes are alcohol related, and the occupancies of our family violence shelters, of our group homes, of the number of children in care that indicate that most of those issues which have alcohol related somewhere in that process. In terms of those that actually go through the door of a treatment centre or make use of community services, there is some tracking done, but that’s more on an individual basis. Thank you.

There are a number of ways to do that. Some of the most obvious ones, of course, are to see if there are clients and if they return or if they don’t. If they don’t return, is it because they have successfully dealt with their addictions issues?

The fundamental issue goes way back. The Member talked about root causes and it’s something we all struggle with. The first, most fundamental issue is getting individuals born healthy. That’s probably the biggest challenge. As the Member has indicated, in Yellowknife there are concerns. It’s the ultimate, biggest magnet in the community we have. There...

I was under the impression that I committed to two things: to look at the information that the Member provided, as well of equal importance to look at what Northerners have learned and what experiences they have amassed and the things they have been able to do in a very, very effective way here in the North. I think there should be a combination of the two. So, yes, Mr. Speaker.