Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been no consultation done since 2019 review of the adult day program in Yellowknife which included a survey of home care clients and their families in Yellowknife and that the end results showed that there was no need for an adult day program. In 2019, there were preliminary discussions with NGOs about the potential to take on running an adult day program, but there was no interest and there was no feedback provided as to the funding amount. The department has completed the new long-term care standards that includes where available and how adult day activities may be provided within long-term care facilities. They may be provided to long-term care residents in community dwellings, adults who may have positions or cognitive impairments and living with chronic illness. Within the staffing model for long-term care, there are activity aides or recreational therapy positions, but this is geared towards providing supports to the residents that live in long-term care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I -- I think the Minister perhaps anticipated my second question here, but. And I would just point out, you know, that home care clients may be a different audience or different group than specifically people supporting seniors with dementia and Alzheimer's.
But can the Minister explain what is done to consider the feasibility of opening up day programming beyond the live-in long-term care residents at our long-term care facilities and whether other, like drop-in clients could be included in some of that programming. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the department reached out to home care families, those families are a variety of issues that, you know, they're from families that are providing care to young children to members with -- like, with dementia. And I encourage if there were no -- if they're living with people with dementia and supporting family members that home care is a support. So if they're not accessing that service, I just want to make sure that they know that that's a service that they can be accessing. But currently, the NTHSSA does not have funding for -- for the question providing -- opening up day programming in the long-term residents. So the funding that is in long-term care is for full scale admissions and to being able to provide programming only to those residents that are in there at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if the Minister could commit to come back to me or come back to this House with some information about how much funding the department had been willing to offer in the RFPs that it had previously put out for an adult day program and examine opportunities for that amount of funding to, you know, be added on perhaps to current programming in long-term care facilities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as many know how our budget works, that when the NTHSSA or the health authority gets their money dedicated to providing services, whatever that amount was in 2019 or prior to that may -- you know, will be -- has been reallocated to other areas that are supporting long term and community care programming. So if the department has to go back and look at committing to reviewing options, these options would be necessary -- like, if there's options, they're going to need funding, and what we can -- what we are looking at is piloting in the new year programming that could be worked alongside in our long-term care once we've had admissions here for those home care clients and looking at how that would be funded. So that's something that is in the works, in the planning, but it would need to have funds for that approved to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from the Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. These questions are to the Minister of health. Can the Minister say what specific measures the Department of Health and Social Services is taking to address the issue of elder abuse, particularly in relation to financial exploitation and neglect with our small communities? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, elder abuse is a whole-of-government approach. The Department of Health and Social Services runs a territorial-wide annual elder abuse awareness campaign in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The department also maintains web pages and prints resources with information about elder abuse and available services. Most recently, the 2024 Seniors Information Handbook incorporated a more robust safety and security section covering consumer protection, emergency food and shelter, preventing and reporting crime, which includes frauds, scams, and cybercrime, legal programs and services. The handbook also includes contact information for a wide range of government, not for profit Indigenous governments and organizations and community level programs and services. The department is in the process of drafting material to inform the development of training for service providers to recognize and respond to elder abuse. The department also provides funding to support the NWT Senior's Society for a variety of initiatives including workshops related to empowering seniors, community members to identify and address elder abuse. Older adults experiencing elder abuse may also access other services such as community counselling support, referrals through various help lines, emergency shelters, justice-related services such as community-based victim services and court orders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Can the Minister explain how the department is working with local organizations like the Dene Nation and other organizations for the prevention of abuse and family violence to ensure that elders receive the necessary support such as assistance with daily tasks and companionship. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department commits to looking into the Member -- with the Dene Nation, whatever services that they're providing, we can get back to the Member on if there has been conversations back and forth with the Dene Nation. But the senior handbook does provide a lot of resources to ensure that elders receive necessary supports. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from the Deh Cho.
Thank you. Mr. Speaker, given the increased concerns about drug-related exploitation of elders in our communities, can the Minister say what steps the department is taking to collaborate with law enforcement and social services to ensure elders' safety?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to remind all residents NWT family violence supports are available for all residents, and that includes elders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I talked about Jordan's Principle and the troubling developments that, although there are good reasons to look at the eligibility funding, it was so open beforehand that schools really didn't have to worry about this, and now they may have to. So I know that schools are worried about whether they can continue to provide supports to First Nations students. So I'm wondering what is the Minister's plan if that funding is either -- is diminished in whatever capacity. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I share the Member's huge concerns on this. We ourselves put about $165 million from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment straight into education bodies. And over the course of the time that Jordan's Principle has been available, schools have been able to put in their own applications looking for support for other areas and have attracted a further $60 million into our education system, and so we heavily rely on Jordan's Principle within the territory. This week I do have meetings with our education Ministers from our sister territories because these concerns are broadly shared, and we intend to continue to advocate for Jordan's Principle funding for the territories because we know it is just crucially important. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister work with territorial and provincial counterparts to ensure that schools are carved out of any stringent funding applications, because that seems to be the issue. You know, we've heard the stories, including from the family, the initial family that this money was being used for X-boxes and ballet lessons and things like that, so there's a sense to put some guardrails around it but our schools shouldn't have to suffer for that. So can the Minister commit to advocating for our schools when she does reach out to her territorial and provincial counterparts. Thank you.
Yes, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Very concise. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister. If the funding falls through, however, will the Minister bring forward additional funding, at least for this fiscal year to ensure -- to the next fiscal year, whenever the funding falls through, as a bridge so students and First Nations kids don't lose out on opportunities that this money provides for them. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So, Mr. Speaker, right now we're working with education bodies to completely understand, you know, exactly what this entails. So as the Member alluded to in their statement, classroom assistants are a huge component of this but there are other elements that education bodies are having funded through Jordan's Principle, and we don't vet these applications, we don't see them. Applications go from education bodies straight to the federal government.
The other crucial piece around this is the federal government does have guardrails within their policy. Their criteria states that they have to have a professional vet the application of a student, and so the federal government does have guardrails. And I absolutely, as the Member alluded to, will be taking this up with my counterparts because the essence and intent of this legislation is crucially important, not just for the territories but clear across the country. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we say that youth are our future. It also takes a community to raise a child.
Mr. Speaker, my communities are looking to establish a youth advocacy position that is urgently, urgently needed, who can connect youth in my communities to the many diverse opportunities that may interest them for sports, culture, education, and counselling. They may require some work between departments but MACA can provide the best opportunities for laying the groundwork by funding these positions through the hamlet, the First Nation offices.
My question to the Minister of MACA, can the Minister agree to working with my communities to establish funding processes so that these positions can be filled. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Minister of Municipal and community affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm sure the Member's aware the difficult situation Fort Resolution's in with their funding for their community and how their community is being operated by a public administrator. We normally -- communities run their rec coordinators or youth representatives through their O and M, out of their municipal funding, and that's usually decided on by your municipal councils and stuff. But MACA is working with the community to see what options are available with the current funding they have. A lot of this money that is being used right now is part of the debt repayment plan for the hamlet of Fort Resolution. But I know that the community has been reaching out and utilizing some of the pots of funding that is out there, the youth contribution funding and healthy communities funding and stuff. So I think there's somewhere around $65,000 of funding that they've utilized so far from the various pots that the GNWT has. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution have a large arena, recreation facilities, but the First Nation have to maintain them, staff them, and provide programming, and they don't have the resources.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister commit to begin providing funding through his department to these facilities so that the communities can maximize the benefits of the gyms and arenas to keep the youth busy in sport and recreation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, you know, the municipal funding that we distribute throughout all 33 communities are used to operate their municipalities. That was part of the new deal back in the day in order for communities to have a more hands-on grip of operating their communities because they're the ones that know best for their communities. So with that, the communities have the opportunity to operate their facilities and how they allocate those funds within their communities is the best way to do it. Also just keeping in mind there is funds available out there. Like I was saying earlier, there's a bunch of pots out there of money that can be used for youth sports activities or youth recreational activities, and it's up to the community members to reach out to those organizations, try to get a hand on some of those pots. But, again, understanding the complications with some of these communities, you know, for MACA, for an example, with Fort Resolution, there is some conversation in the background of what we can try to do to assist a community like Fort Resolution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Final supplementary. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just find it hard to believe that, you know, we're still trying to deal with the problems in our community with alcohol and drugs, etcetera, and but we still got policies we got to work around. I'm asking the Minister if he could have a heart and take a look at how we could deal with these issues in small communities, especially when we have addiction in our small communities and drugs. So I'm asking here today what can you do to help our small communities? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know as well, as much as the other Members do, that the government isn't going to fix all our problems. It takes a community to raise a community and, you know, some of the opportunities for the residents in those -- in his communities have the opportunity to take residents and -- or the residents have the opportunity to take an initiative to start making healthy choices for the communities. There are funds available, O and M funding for the municipalities, and like I said earlier, you know, MACA is looking at dealing or helping out with Fort Res in regards to potentially assisting on some of those funds for a youth coordinator or a youth worker or whatever it was that the Member was speaking of there. But that being said, it's not just about the government having funds for the communities. It's about -- like, he's pointing at me -- having a heart. I got a heart, Mr. Speaker. I think the opportunity is for the communities to work together and, like I said, the department is also working with his community. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on a couple questions my good colleague, the Member for the Sahtu, had mentioned earlier and brought up with the Premier regarding the transparency process of the -- his excellency, our envoy to Ottawa, Mr. Speaker. And for the record, his pay scale's not even on the public registry of the GNWT's -- but all in, his costs are -- the GNWT is paying $400,000 roughly in round numbers and so, Mr. Speaker, I'm trying to figure out a little more than -- MLAs have never received a letter explaining exactly what this position is doing so we don't even know how to measure success. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Premier enlighten the House. Specifically, what is the mandate, and how do we measure the success with this envoy, his excellency being appointed to Ottawa? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Mr. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll have to take that on notice.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm a big supporter of the community safety officer program that's currently being piloted in Fort Liard. Unfortunately, I've learned recently, and I think maybe the public has as well, that the feds are going to be clawing back that funding after this if -- for the provinces and territories that don't have community safety officer legislation. Can the Minister -- or sorry, the Premier as Minister of Justice, can he let us know what that would entail, community safety officer legislation looks like. Because if it is something that's important to our communities, this is a program that lots of people have been talking about over the years, let's get it done. So how complicated is it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Justice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's very complicated. So the legislation that would be required is a Police Act which is the type of legislation that would allow municipalities to set up their own police forces and things like that. So it's not a simple community safety officer piece of legislation; it's much broader.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have a sheriff -- no, we don't have a Sheriffs Act. That's another issue, a Sheriffs Act. I mean, we do have peace officers that are employees of the territorial government that have peace officer status under the Criminal Code. Is it time to look at this? We do have a crime problem. The Premier's well aware of it. The Premier has campaigned on it outside and inside the House. So maybe it's time to allocate additional resources. I don't want to lose this program; I want to keep our streets safe. Will the Premier bring forward legislation to bring sheriffs, community safety officers, and any other police force the territorial government, or our own communities want to create? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, there's a lot of legislation I would love to bring forward during the life of this Assembly. The Police Act, you know, that would be one of them; you know, Sheriffs Act, I could probably go on and on and on. But we have limited resources, and we have to provide the legislation for the entire territory. The same way Ontario, Alberta, all these other jurisdictions have to provide legislation, we have to do that as well but we're a much smaller jurisdiction, so it's more difficult to deliver that amount of legislation. So for this Assembly, we have a full agenda, but future assemblies may wish to look at that. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Justice. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
