Sandy Lee

That information will be made available to the Members. As we do, in all our dealings with the committee, this is a consensus government, we share information and we make decisions together. The program information the Member is referring to, our data is that we needed for the group to do the work. I think there should not be a misunderstanding about that. It’s about who in the North are eligible for supplementary health benefits, what are their needs, what are the costs, what are the numbers, what are people’s income levels, what are the groups and numbers of people that are in need of...

I believe an issue similar to this was looked at before, and I’d be happy to share with the Member and the committee on that front. Mr. Speaker, I think in making sure that our seniors get the services they need, whether it’s housing, transportation, health and social services, income security, whether it’s the tax provision or income deduction, I think the fastest service is delivered when an issue comes up. It’s dealt with at the department level right away, and it’s something that we do. All the Ministers do that on a daily basis and, obviously, we could continue to work on improving that...

Yes, I would be happy to look into that. We do, as social service Ministers, or social envelope Ministers have met and we do meet, but with the Strategic Initiatives committees under Building Our Future, a lot of our work falls under that, so we’ve been doing that work under that committee. But I will be happy to undertake this task and work with the Member as the chair of the committee to see how we can refine this process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Return to Written Question 7-16(4), I wish to table the following document titled Breakdown of Health Professional Visits to Tsiigehtchic 2008-2009. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Seniors issues and the provision of services in Health and Social Services for seniors is not just a small issue in a small community, but it’s emerging as one of the biggest challenges that our government faces and will continue to face. It is a big area of work and task and challenge that the department is working on. So I think in coming days we will be discussing more on that. So I want to put that out there and specifically to small communities, yes, we continually work with the communities, regional health authorities and every partner to deliver and improve our services to seniors...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for the questions. Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to be the Minister responsible for Seniors and I do deal with issues that deal with seniors that goes across the government. But when it comes to administering programs and delivering services to our people, whether it be in income security or in housing or in health and social services and other areas, each department is responsible for delivering those programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two documents to table. The first one is the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services System Annual Report, 2007-2008. The second one is further to my Return to Written Question 1-16(4), which is a document entitled Physician and Social Worker Visits to Tsiigehtchic, 2008-2009. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document titled A Foundation for Change, Building a Healthy Future for the NWT 2009-2012.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I announced A Foundation for Change, Building a Healthy Future for the NWT for 2009-2012. This document will be tabled later today.

A Foundation for Change is about our future. We need to make changes to our Health and Social Services system now, to ensure our communities and our children continue to have access to affordable, quality health care and social services in the future.

Mr. Speaker, Northerners have access to some of the best health and social services available anywhere. We continue to invest extensively in the health and wellness of our people...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill includes amendments to the Child and Family Services Act that would:

clarify terminology describing plan of care agreements, care plans and case plans;

exclude from the requirement to report information about a child needing protection, such information as is received in the course of a judicial proceeding;

shorten the time after which a child protection worker must apply to the court for a declaration that a child...