Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I today, too, want to comment on the government’s response to the Child and Family Services Act review report. On first reading of those responses, I was disappointed. Although the majority of recommendations are accepted, they are not accepted unconditionally. To paraphrase Mr. Bromley, those responses indicate, yup, we agree, but can’t do anything because there is no money; and yup, we agree, but there is no change required.

The government’s response was determined by examining each recommendation in light of two criteria. One, will it improve service delivery and make...

Thanks to the Minister and thanks for the clarification on the staffing. I knew that and kind of didn’t state it that way, but I am glad to hear there will be three home support workers in the community of Aklavik. I think that’s a good thing.

I wanted to ask a question about the amount of funding in this budget for homelessness. Could the Minister initially tell me what programs that we run for homelessness? I believe there is a couple but if she could name them for me. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I too was going to ask about multiyear funding agreements for NGOs. I just have a quick follow-up question to Mr. Abernethy’s. The government has recently put out a program manager’s guide to NGOs. The Minister mentions they are reviewing agreements that the department has with NGOs. Are they using that program manager’s guide to assist them in their reviews? Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister for that commitment. I guess I would refer the Minister to a letter from the Executive Council that responded to a letter from Food First Foundation. You might ask the Minister of ECE for a copy because I think he signed it.

I wanted to also ask in terms of mental health and addictions. The information that we were given, again in the business plan in September, is that the department was doing a review of mental health and addictions programs. That review was going to be completed, I think, in November 2010. I’d like to ask first if that review is indeed completed, and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d like to start by following up on the issue of child and family services committees further to Mr. Abernethy’s comments. In looking at the business plan that we reviewed in September, there’s a specific reference in the business plan to establishing child and family service committees in at least five more communities in this business year, and that was targeted for year ‘11-12. I’d like to know from the Minister what changed between September and the finalization of the department’s budget that she now says they will try to get five communities with child and family...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Thursday, February 10, 2011, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that the Speaker be authorized to set such sitting days and hours as the Speaker, after consultation, deems fit to assist with the business before the House.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier again. I didn’t, unfortunately, hear an answer to my question. I do hope that the Premier will reconsider this proposed round of consultation and change it to be more meaningful.

I’d like to know from the Premier if this working group and advisory group and whoever else may be involved will be able to give us a definition of poverty prior to September 2011.

Thanks to the Premier. I have to disagree. I think the original Anti-Poverty Alliance is a large group, but it’s not all of the members of the Anti-Poverty Alliance who needed to be on the government’s working group. They certainly would have been happy with a couple of representatives who were not government members.

I think the Premier also suggested that all of the recommendations from the anti-poverty report, the No Place for Poverty report, needed to be accepted by the government and that’s not true. I think if the report is read carefully, there are a couple of priorities that the report...

I’ll have to go and check Hansard tomorrow, but I don’t believe in either of my questions I mentioned the words “working poor.” I’ll leave it at that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome and recognize Mr. Dave Reid, the president of the NWT Teachers’ Association.