Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Alcoholism is one of the most common addictions in the Northwest Territories. Alcohol can be found from many sources. Where there is a will, there is a way, so the saying goes. The social acceptance of drinking can often lead to denial, and if left untreated, can have severe consequences.

Mr. Speaker, alcohol is one of the leading causes for family breakdowns that hurt not only the adults involved but also the children. Alcoholism has seen many good men make decisions that lead them to destruction and jail and, sadly, even death.

Mr. Speaker, many youth and young men across...

Mahsi to the Minister for providing all the services related to addictions. I look forward to those funding sources. One of the key positions missing in our communities is an alcohol and drug counsellor. Most alcoholics need someone they can confide in, someone they can trust, someone that they know. Can the Minister commit to providing our communities with an alcohol and drug counsellor position run by a non-government organization?

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Following up to my Member's statement regarding the problems of alcoholism in our communities, this is also affecting many of our youth and young men. Can the Minister commit to an alcohol education or alcohol awareness program in our schools, including Aurora campuses? Mahsi.

Thank you for that. I know I keep hearing the NWT Seniors' Society. I believe the government puts money towards their organization. Like I mentioned, I don't know how much involvement they have with many of our seniors in the small communities. We never see representatives in those communities. There are serious problems here. I have been talking to people in my community this past week, and there are people who work on the ground with them. They have serious reservations about what anybody is actually doing to help the seniors because they are facing them almost on a daily basis, and they don...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The issue of what we term as "elder abuse" has been going on for years. It seems that there is no end in sight. That is, if we can actually do something about the situation the elders are facing regarding elder abuse, whether it be financial or caregiving. My question to the Minister responsible is: can she provide the resources required to stop this elder abuse, and I term it as a pandemic? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister's replies that the NWT Seniors' Society is looking to address the situation and that it's not an easy fix. That's why I ask if we can get someone to go out and actually interview the elders with a translator or one of the caregivers because I understand that social services has been approached in my community and they refused to assist in this regard because they are dealing mostly with child and family services, that is, taking children away from families, but they refused to help in any regard. We've got two positions like that in my community...

I thank the Minister for that and the steps that the NWT Seniors' Society is taking, but that society, I rarely hear of them in my community. I was speaking with an elder in my community. They were stating that there was a meeting last fall in Fort Providence, an elder abuse awareness session, but there were no elders in attendance, especially the ones being abused financially and mentally. No one even went out of their way to gather them up or, at the very least, have sessions with them one-on-one at the senior's home or another location. Can the Minister responsible for Seniors provide...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement reflects the abuse suffered by the most vulnerable population of elders in the small communities. Elder abuse is a single action or repeated action or a lack of action that causes harm or distress to an older person. This abuse could be a single incident or several incidents over time. Often, more than one type of abuse is experienced by the victims. This population of elders are older and have serious mobility issues, like being confined to wheelchairs, walkers, or simply cannot walk long distances through stores. They then give out their bank cards...

Mahsi, Madam Chair. I just wanted to support comments made by a couple of the Members regarding NWT friendship centres. I know, in my community, they provide a lot of services to lots of folks who aren't working at this time. There would be sewing centres, awareness of COVID, of different issues, family violence and whatnot. I see a real need for that, because it can create employment in a small community, too, whereas now they don't have a whole lot of funding to be able to do that. Anything that they can get for the friendship centres can really help in that regard. I just wanted to make...

No further comments. Mahsi.