Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The abuse seniors go through is lost on the public, as most people don't see or hear of it. It is not just the physical abuse that should be concerning, but the mental abuse, as well. Most seniors put their trust in immediate family, whether they be a son, daughter, brothers, or sisters, and even the caregivers who are trusted to provide services for them. Many seniors will lose faith in their loved ones at some point, should that trust be broken. They may lose faith, but still have the love they so dearly want in return.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Yellowknife Centre...

Mahsi for that. They also state that they have a variety of supports and tools, and a successful aftercare program is required. Will the Minister commit to providing funding and resources to First Nations to provide alcohol and drug counsellors for the ongoing aftercare program required for a successful addictions treatment program?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to highlight the excessive use of alcohol and drugs since the onset of the coronavirus outbreak. This period of time, and the government's need to assist residents to prepare for self-isolation measures, brought huge sums of money into the hands of many residents. This period of time also brought a lot of idle time as many working class residents were off work and at home, bringing the whole of the Northwest Territories to a standstill.

Mr. Speaker, I nor anyone else can dictate what residents should or should not do with their time and money...

Masi for that. On my first one, she states that they have community counselling programs, but she didn't answer the part whether they would be available to First Nations as part of their on-the-land initiatives. That's going out on the land, whether it's down the river or in the winter programs. I didn't get an answer on that one, if maybe the Minister can clarify on that one.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I understand there are addictions treatment options in the South for residents of the Northwest Territories to attend. What these facilities have is qualified counselling services. The health Minister has stated several times that the on-the-land program offered by the health department can be accessed by First Nations. The program description states, "This will support community-based and operated on-the-land programs that have clear stated goals and outcome to treat addictions." Will the Minister commit to having the department assist with identifying qualified...

I have no more questions.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Committee recognizes the swift action of the NWT Business Development Investment Corporation (BDIC) to implement two new support programs in response to COVID-19.

Committee had concerns that the loan programs available to businesses are not sufficient without being guaranteed or forgiven by the government. Businesses in the NWT incur high operating costs and in many cases have already have taken on loans or debts and cannot further extend themselves to take on additional loans through COVID-19 without any certainty for when their businesses might recover. Many businesses do...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Committee appreciates the concerted efforts made by the GNWT to prevent the spread of COVID in the NWT. While the GNWT has done a remarkable job in preventing the spread of COVID, committee is concerned about the supply of standard and rapid testing kits available to the NWT residents, both currently and for future waves of the COVID. Testing units assist in diagnosing at a more rapid rate for situations where contact tracing is critical and actions to contain transmission can be put in place faster. With global shortages in the supply chain, the DHSS reports that the number...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Each year, we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating students with best wishes for the future in their chosen field of study. This is no small feat, but a monumental task for the graduating students, as they endured many years of homework and studying to prepare them for the next steps in their journey, postsecondary education.

Today, on behalf of the community of Fort Providence, we congratulate and recognize the graduating class of 2020 from Deh Gah School: Rainla Bonnetrouge, Nyssa McKenzie, Anthony Betsaka, Kelly Leischman, Julia Gargan, Jacob Gargin, Shannan...

Mahsi for that answer. I think we had this discussion already, that there is a total disconnect by the department and the registered nurses' group, but the GNWT does the hiring of all nurses and doctors, and whatnot, and they are passed over to RNANT/NU, their governing body. Once we've done that, there is a line severed right there. They've got no control over any aspect of how they operate, those nurse practitioners and whatnot, and that's a big concern in our small communities. I don't know why the department does not have a mechanism in place to help the residents address these issues. My...