Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I see here that the NWT Council of Leaders has a working group, and we're working on legislation to implement UNDRIP. I guess the big question there is do we expect does the Premier expect to introduce UNDRIP implementation legislation in the life of this Assembly? Thank you.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate that. My concern is that with the service agreements they are relying on, you know, additional other GNWT resources to be provided, and we all know that there is a strain on those resources. And so what I think needs to happen here is either the child and family services workers have their own resources or there's some sort of prioritizing. We all in this House want to have integrated service delivery. But the reality is, is that there's just not enough houses for them to house all the homeless people presently. And I think we need to prioritize...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe we need to enshrine in the Child and Family Services Act that no child shall be apprehended on the basis of socioeconomic conditions.

Now Mr. Speaker, I am well aware that many cases by the time child and family services have intervened are due to severe neglect or abuse and likely the time of intervention was long before child and family services got involved. To solve those issues is something all of us in the House strive to do but it is one that will take healing of a whole territory. However, Mr. Speaker, it is clear that there are still children being...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I'm very happy to hear that. And, you know what, even at the scale that Aurora College is operating now, I've heard that concern. That people struggle to find housing whether they're at the Inuvik, Yellowknife, or Fort Smith campus.

I guess my last question is, you know, we're doing this facilities plan, which essentially is a capital plan. We will hopefully get some big dollars out of the federal government to build buildings, but, you know, I would welcome the Minister's thoughts on how we are going to find the programming money, because clearly to take the...

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm glad to hear that, and I think, you know, perhaps sometimes, you know, some of these southern universities they come up and they do a bunch of work on the tundra or the ice caps, and we never see them. So I think that both through the university and perhaps the oversimplifying of putting them together, we can capture some of the economic benefits.

My other question, though, I wanted to ask about is programming. I know that the department has released essentially these the higher level areas of which the polytechnic will focus on. But I'm wondering when we...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is another one where I'm looking at modernizing the Education Act and review the education funding framework, and then I see it's in progress. And will we continue beyond the 19th Legislative Assembly is what it says.

Can I just get a you know, I read that and I'm just a little confused as to whether we're going to accomplish this in this Assembly or when we think we'll get the Education Act. Can I get an update of when we expect a new Education Act and a new education funding framework. It seems that it'll clearly be work beyond this life of this Assembly, but do we...

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. And I think the other big fight with this one is that it there's they're reducing the gap by $5 million was initially interpreted to be reducing $5 million considering the way the formula works in total, so adjusting for inflation or, you know, the increased costs as the formula takes. It seems now Cabinet has switched to not be that target.

My question is, can we get an update on what the actual amount the funding gap will be reduced by. You know, adding $5 million to it if it if inflation went up by $5 million will actually be zero dollars. So we don't seem to...

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. Also I see here that, you know, some of the work is to identify changes for GNWT policies, and then there's a how we'll demonstrate progress as reporting on program changes provided.

I have yet to see any of that work, or I've yet to see, you know, us change a policy or, you know, change some sort of internal operations of the GNWT and say this is due to UNDRIP. Can I just get the Premier to speak to whether, you know, the federal and BC legislation kind of mandate a work plan that demands departments and agencies to review all internal policies and then make changes...

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that and, you know, I have had constituents and I know people who've they worked with integrated case management and they are moving towards an integrated service delivery model. I guess my question, though, is, you know, in times of emergency, I believe those CFS workers need their own resources. They need to their access to their own funding that is separate outside of waiting for, you know, our a shared vision of GNWT having all of its services delivered.

I'm wondering if the Minister could speak to whether there is potential to provide specific...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding child and family services.

I heard the Minister say there that they are planning to update our legislation to bring it in line with the federal legislation. And Mr. Speaker, one of the key principles in that federal legislation is section 15 that says no child should be apprehended solely on the basis of his or her socioeconomic status including poverty, lack of adequate housing, or infrastructure, or the state of health in his or her parent or care provider. And Mr. Speaker, I I am concerned that...