Michael Nadli

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the Department of Health and Social Services investigate the feasibility of territory-wide expansion of family preservation workers to provide in-home, individualized intervention services in order to promote the well-being of children and families. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the Department of Health and Social Services focus on prevention, early intervention and family preservation strategies with the goal of reducing the need for child apprehensions; and further, that measurable targets be specified for the upcoming five- and 10-year periods. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.

I move that the Department of Health and Social Services produce a comprehensive action plan by June 30, 2014, and table it in the Legislative Assembly at the earliest opportunity.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations has presented its report on the review of the 2014 Report or the Auditor General of Canada to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly. The committee’s report, which was read into the record, includes 30 recommendations. For the benefit of the public, members would like to explain how and why the committee conducted the review as well as what’s in the report.

The Auditor General of Canada is an important source of independent, professional advice for this Legislative Assembly. The Auditor General usually conducts one...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is in terms of fuel and its pricing in terms of the oil and gas industry. Surely the Minister of Public Works and Services, in terms of the department monitoring the fuel prices and its fluctuations, what future trends can northern consumers expect in terms of fuel pricing as we go into the summer, the fall and the winter?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Reporting is a key function of any organization, so having peer audits and, in this case, quarterly updates to the Standing Committee on Social Programs is essential in terms of monitoring the progress of how it is that the department will address a lot of the concerns that the Auditor General has articulated, including the recommendations from the Standing Committee on Government Operations. So it’s essential that we all understand that from here on we need to at least communicate and the system reporting has to work very effectively to ensure that at all levels of the...

I’d like to thank the Minister for highlighting at least one measure that the government is undertaking. It’s stabilizing the fuel prices.

What kinds of current measures are in place to help consumers meet the high price of fuel, and also, in the future, what measures would the government contemplate if indeed we have a higher than average cold winter up here and it, of course, affects the consumers and maintaining their fuel costs to heat their homes?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It’s very clear in the Auditor General’s report, about 90 percent of the children that are involved with child and family services are First Nations children, so it is imperative on this government to at least build a working relationship with the First Nations governments. Whether it be at the local or else the tribal level or else at the territorial level, that’s something that needs to be done. This relationship is going to be critical in terms of the success of how the government responds to the Auditor General’s report, so it’s essential that the working relationship...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The cost of fuel is hurting homeowners in small communities across the NWT. Seniors and those on a fixed income are especially vulnerable to increased fuel prices.

Since 1999, heating oil and propane prices have increased over 200 percent in many places. Last week Petro Canada rack rates in Hay River price diesel and furnace fuel oil at $1.01 per litre. Global demand and prices for fossil fuels continue to rise.

Government needs to look at ways to standardize fuel prices like other provinces have done. We could establish rates for private, commercial and industry customers...

Again, it’s really asking the department to address the very fundamental concerns raised by the Auditor General. Perhaps there are strengths that the department has, and I think it needs to build on its strengths. There are some programs and initiatives that work well and we need to build upon the positives, and perhaps this motion is in that spirit. Mahsi.