Robert Villeneuve

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure whether all the facts in the case of the nine clients in Alberta have all been analyzed and are really known at this point, because we are having a lot of different stories coming out of the APYS version, and the Office of the Public Guardian in regard to their report, which probably gives APYS a pretty good grade in their standards and proper care of these clients. I was just wondering if any weight was given to the Office of the Public Guardian’s report in the Minister’s decision to ask and request the relocation of our NWT clients. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With reference to getting their house in order with the Alberta government, I think APYS is finding it very difficult to get their house in order when they are dealing with a CEO of the Edmonton board of Persons with Developmental Disabilities that couldn’t provide any real substantial reason as to why he was refusing APYS certification to deliver the agency’s programs to the clients and to the staff at yesterday’s meeting. He refused to answer any questions as to why the Edmonton board of Persons with Developmental Disabilities was refusing the agency’s certification...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to ask the Minister again whether the individual interviews take place, or whether it’s in a group interview with the CEO and the representative from the Department of Health and Social Services. I have been assured that these clients will not be moving anywhere, Mr. Speaker, and that they refuse to go to any other institution, especially an institution which they have been removed from because of abuse and mistreatment. How is the Department of Health and Social Services going to ensure that these clients who do not want to move out of this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would just like to recognize two of the Pages in the House today from Deninu K’ue, Elizabeth Giroux and Tyler Yuremchuk who are both Grade 8 students who attend Deninoo School in Fort Resolution. They will be working as Pages for the duration of this Third Session of the 15th Legislative Assembly. Mahsi.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to table a report to the Office of the Public Guardian on Aboriginal Partners and Youth Society. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure what the Minister was referring to, but I don’t think he has really answered my question as to how the Government of the Northwest Territories is planning on abandoning these clients and leaving them at the disposal of the city of Edmonton and the services that they provide. How can the Minister tell these people that the government who supported them for the last 10 years in numerous institutions is now suddenly pulling the rug out from underneath an agency which has provided them with a very improved quality of life resulting in reduced risk behaviours...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As I had stated in my Member's statement today with regard to the six or eight clients that the NWT sends down to an institution called the Aboriginal Partners and Youth Society in Edmonton which currently houses and treats our northern persons with developmental disabilities, I just wanted to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services whether looking at this report which was developed by the Office of the Public Guardian, which is the public guardian for the five disabled persons residing in the group homes and also we have six adult clients who are housed in the same...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning I received a call from one of my constituents who has a son as a client of Health and Social Services who has developmental disabilities and who is located in an aboriginal institution in Edmonton. Mr. Speaker, herself, the staff and the clients when they met with one of the government representatives yesterday were very stressed by the process which has been taken by this government in dealing with the clients who are sent to southern institutions to receive proper care. Mr. Speaker, the institution, clients and the staff were meeting with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to ask the Minister if he would give us clarification on any reviews or any studies that have taken place to address the issue of methodologies in which rehabilitation and repatriation and such or whatever Health and Social Services has to do to deal with persons with developmental disabilities, and if there are any reviews insofar as why they are being sent to Alberta to receive a non-aboriginal rehabilitation program when we are dealing with aboriginal persons? Is there any review on that? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question today is for the Minister of Health and Social Services with regard to some recent meetings we’ve had over the last week concerning persons with developmental disabilities from the NWT who were sent to an Alberta institution to receive care and treatment for their disabilities. I do realize they were being sent to an Alberta institution, but the NWT has to abide by some policies and directives as set out by the Alberta government to legislate these institutions so they are run appropriately in the policy framework. I know that this government does spend well...