Kieron Testart

Mr. Chair, I move that this Assembly recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services incorporate into its Quality Improvement Plan on Child and Family Services a commitment to strengthen working relationships with Indigenous and community governments; and further, that reporting on these measures be incorporated into the department's annual business plans and the annual report of the director of Child and Family Services. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I move that this Assembly recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services publicly identify performance indicators, including client-centered outcomes, that it will use to assess improvements in Child and Family Services over time, and further, that reporting on these measures be incorporated into the department's annual business plan and the annual report of the director of Child and Family Services. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Similar to the last, this is a long-standing issue that has only been partially completed in previous responses to these findings. It is crucial that we have a better understanding of how many cases an individual child protection worker should be undertaking and what capacity looks like in a very high-stress, demanding job and what the supports look like, as well. We can't just get to the resourcing question without identifying a standard for caseload.

This is such a crucial, long-standing issue that the committee has placed a firm date in this recommendation. The...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this Assembly recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services appear before the appropriate standing committee twice yearly to report on its compliance with Child and Family Services Act and its progress on its Quality Improvement Plan. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is kind of a long-standing issue that has been raised by previous reviews of child and family services. The Child Welfare League was asked to do some work on this in the past, after the last Auditor General report. It stubbornly remains a stumbling block to really understanding how to solve some of the deficiencies within the provision of child and family services. The 2019-2020 budget, there is $3.5 million additional. My concern at the time and it continues to be a concern is: we know that money can be used, but we don't know how effective it will be.

I have heard...

Thank you, Mr. Chair, I move that this Assembly recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services act immediately to ensure that all gaps in screenings and reviews identified by the Office of the Auditor General, including screening for guardianship agreements and foster homes, are addressed, and that it advise the committee when this is completed.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Of course, I wouldn't call this so much whistle-blowing as more of a way to support staff who are in very trying circumstances. We have heard the concerns around the burden of reporting, the limited resources, and the limited number of staff to work with. I recognize that there is some new money going into creating some new positions that should help, but for those people who do have issues with either the policy environment or other issues that may arise, they need to have a conduit for that information to flow to the relevant authorities and to ensure that they feel...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am just trying to find my paperwork here. The Standing Committee on Government Operations is pleased to report on its review of Bill 31, Northwest Territories 911 Act.

The committee read their substantive report into the House on February 26, 2019, giving details on our consultation on Bill 31. To commence its review of Bill 31, the Standing Committee on Government Operations sent letters inviting input from an extensive list of stakeholders, including all municipal and Indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories and a number of non-governmental organizations.

The...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We spoke to many municipalities around their concerns with the implementation of 911 and how best the government can support the implementation in a way that everyone can meaningfully participate and have adequate resources. To capture that, the committee has made this recommendation to ensure that municipalities are ready and prepared for the role of 911, that it doesn't impact their existing provision of emergency services, and that everyone moves to a smooth transition after the 911 service goes live.

This motion contemplates it being the responsibility of the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The committee has read its report into the record, so I won't go into the full details, but sufficient to say, a number of concerns raised by the public in our consultations and from Members representing their constituencies were very clear that the bill alone could not address many of the issues that will be required for 911 coverage to be a success in the program.

The committee feels very strongly that this is a life-saving program that is going to make a big difference in the lives of Northerners, but to ensure that, this motion, in particular, addresses the need for...