Tom Beaulieu

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. If there exist restrictions for one, there should be restrictions for the other. I believe that alcohol should not be sold without limits. There should be limits to prevent bootleggers from buying unlimited amounts of alcohol for illegal resale. According to many in my riding, bootlegging is a booming business. It is more difficult to charge bootleggers because there are no limits on the amount of alcohol that one can possess. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I do acknowledge and recognize the good work done by this department, our Department of Health and Social Services, on the cultural competency. I would like to ask the Minister about the federal task force and just a question asking the Minister if there is a current status since the task force was formed or, if not, then would the Minister provide a current status to the House once that status is available?

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement, I spoke of a former Member of the House talking about coerced sterilization in the NWT. Following that statement, there was an article written in Windspeaker publication which described a GNWT program where coerced sterilization victims could come forward to begin an inquiry if they believed they were wrongfully sterilized. My question for the Minister is twofold: how long did the program run in that time; and, in that time, how many women came forward? Thank you.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about an issue that has garnered increased national attention over the past few years, that being sterilization without proper prior consent. Unfortunately, the concept of either forced or coerced sterilization of women is not a new phenomenon for Canada, nor is it solely a part of our history. In fact, there is mounting evidence across our country that proves just how far this practice has reached and, in some cases, continues to reach.

Mr. Speaker, let's consider the history of coerced sterilization in Canada. In two provinces, this practice...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for that response. Can the Minister advise us if it's very clear to the practitioners that forced sterilization is not something that can and should be done in the NWT? Thank you.

I would like to thank the Minister for that response. Mr. Speaker, in December 2018, the federal Health Minister responded to an issue of coerced sterilization by inviting all provincial and territorial Health Ministers to participate in a taskforce on cultural competency in healthcare. My question is: what was the department's response, our department's response, to the call, and are we participating?

Mr. Speaker, I have some anecdotal evidence to share on this matter. Last month I spoke to a woman who discovered that her daughter, a young, university-educated Indigenous woman, was asked by her doctor if she was interested in sterilization. For her situation, such an inquiry was unprompted and highly unnecessary. I urge all citizens to be vigilant. If you suspect that you or someone you know has been pressured for sterilization, make it be known. No person should have the procedure performed on them without free, prior, informed consent. Anything else would be a violation of the victim's...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move that the chair rise and report progress. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee wishes to consider Minister's Statement 131-18(3): Sessional Statement.

I first spoke of community housing development plans -- I add one word in there that is slightly different from what the government is doing, "development" -- in this House about 10 years ago. Can the Minister advise how many of these plans, whether they are called community housing plans or community development housing plans, exist today across the territory?