Richard Edjericon

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, in the health and social services quality improvement for planning for child and family service people that are 67 of its 70 actions items are either completed or on track. This is significant progress, but can the Minister tell me how many children are in care today compared to 2018 when the plan was started? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last year the honourable colleagues on the Standing Committee on Social Development released Lifting NWT Children, Youth and Families: An AllTerritory Approach to Keeping Families Together wherein in the committee makes 19 recommendations. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to ask the Minister of health the following question:

The committee's first recommendation calls for a wholeofgovernment approach to child and family services. What concrete steps, for example policies and instruments, legislation, intergovernmental MOUs, has the Minister taken to this approach? Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today as the MLA for Tu NedheWiilideh in the Northwest Territories to address a matter of utmost importance that affects the most vulnerable members of our society our children.

Recent revelation from the Auditor General of Canada reports into child and family services in Nunavut have revealed serious and damning faults in their system. This report calls for an immediate wholeofgovernment approach to address the challenge of protecting children in the government care. While the focus of this report is on Nunavut, it would be remiss of us not to examine our own...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, the proposed amendment to the Child and Family Services Act has been moved down the road to the 20th Assembly. Can the Minister advise why her department didn't prioritize this work in the life of this government when there are so many children that are in desperate need of care? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. And mahsi, Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide this House today with an accurate update on number of children in the temporary, permanent, and foster care system in the NWT. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Charlene Liske. She's from Dettah, and she's also from and she also is the Dechinta Centre for Research Learning's director of traditional knowledge.

Also Kelsey Wrightson, a Yellowknife a Yellowknife Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning executive director.

Also I just wanted to acknowledge that Charlene also received the award this morning for Education Hall of Fame community outreach. And I just want to say welcome and mahsi and congratulations.

Another one, Mr. Speaker, is that I had to oh sorry. Thank you. Sorry, Mr...

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm surprised that, you know, it's 1969, it's only, like, 40 some odd or 45 years ago that nobody in the GNWT system, or in this House, has ever raised this issue. It's an issue that's outstanding that needs to be addressed. And it just boggles my mind that, you know, here I am talking about it today and it never showed up on your radars as the Premier here in the Northwest Territories. But regardless, you know, the transfer happened on April 1st, 1969, to the territorial government, and I'm also probably one of the students that were strapped, along with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's been a lot of work done to date in regards to dealing with Aboriginal people in Canada, and we have the Royal Commission Report, we have the Truth and Reconciliation Report. There's a lot of recommendations that were brought forward and recommendations that talks about reconciliation and public apology. And right now my questions are to the Honourable Premier and as follow up to the unresolved matter of the federal Indian Day Schools that I raised in March of 2023 here in the House.

Mr. Speaker, will the Premier acknowledge that abuse continued to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to let you know that I'll be tabling my Member's statement and questions tomorrow as written statements - written questions so I could get my questions answered because I didn't get a full answer here today. But, again, I just want to add one question to the Premier that I'd like to have that commitment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, I look forward to sitting down and having a good discussion on this because, you know, you already know that the Prime Minister of Canada already apologized, and we also had the Pope also apologize, for what happened at the Indian Day School here in Canada. And so we need to talk about that and we need to look at a process, but at the same time if we could have that discussion and agree on doing a public apology. You know, this is a good time to do it because we have Aboriginal Day coming up on June 21st. We have all the assemblies happening already throughout the...