To the motion. Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have no doubt that the Members on the other side are... They are well intentioned; they want to do what is right for the children and increase support to the children and their nutrition programs. Perhaps it would have been better if we worded this not as a committee but nutritious food project, because this is something that all the Members have been asking for and this is what the intent of this money is, and the Department of Health and Social Services is working in partnership with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to see this project through.
Details have not been worked out because this is a new program and you don’t want to work out all of the details before the money is approved. But I can tell you that’s how we foresee this working is the Department of Health and Social Services and ECE working with NGOs like the NWT Food First Foundation. I think it’s a group that lots of people are familiar with. They are strong advocates for increasing support to children and their food needs, and other groups involved in school boards to enhance what we already have.
I don’t know if the Members know there are 47 schools across the NWT, 49, and most of them have some kind of breakfast program, even in Yellowknife. I was doing a tour of St. Joes and they were excited about enhancing their kitchen facility, because we have the largest population of aboriginal kids and non-aboriginal kids who are not always getting breakfast in the morning, and they get support from other NGO groups to do that.
So I do believe that this is a program that the Members are looking for. It might have been misnamed, but I would really encourage the Members to not delete it, because we know a motion to delete is final; the money is gone and any other ideas to bring it back works in different channels. I think it would be better if we keep this money in there and Minister Lafferty and myself could work with the committee to finalize the plan. I think we could work to enhance what’s already there.
I could also tell you that the Department of Health and Social Services has Healthy Foods North, for example. There are active groups on the ground who are reviewing traditional food and aboriginal food for their nutritious value. So this will allow us to tie it all together.
I want to say one more thing. I think, when we are talking about healthy food for children, we need to look beyond milk. I know milk is important, but milk is not necessarily something that everybody is used to drinking or something they have grown up with and there are some people who are allergic to milk. I’ve never grown up with milk. Milk is not something I grab for first thing. I’ve had information from community people that said they would rather see that we focus our energy on programs that enhance nutrition for children on a wider basis than just milk, because we know there are other foods like fish that could be a source of calcium. We also know that children need food that enhances vitamin D and other necessary nutrients. So I would just close by saying that I would urge Members to not delete this money, but accept our commitment that we will work with you to work out the details. Thank you.
Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that we report progress.
There is a motion on the floor. If there are no other speakers, I will allow the presenter of the motion to wrap it up. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, this has been a very good discussion. I think the situation, you heard the surprise when the Minister mentioned the milk program and so on, or the breakfast program and so on, the things that were not mentioned in the detail we had received to date. The sticking point for the committee is obviously the steering committee. We do not need government by committee, and I am hoping that that will be nixed somehow, an NWT-wide Nutritious Foods Steering Committee. We envision people flying around and wasting dollars, which should be put directly into the sorts of programs that have been mentioned: Food First and breakfast programs in schools.
I also want to mention that this is certainly a new program, as the Minister of Health and Social Services… In fact, the idea was about a week old when we first saw it, which reflects the sort of thinking, the depth of thinking that’s gone into this. It’s on the fly, anything other than getting in line more directly and non-bureaucratically with what the committee had in mind seems to be something this government is willing to take here.
The Minister of Health and Social Services again mentioned milk allergies. Oh my gosh, how many times do we have to address that? We’ve never denied that that is an issue and there are other milk substitutes out there that will deal with that. An important aspect that is missed in the programs I have been hearing about is the early childhood side of the equation. That was always a very important part. In fact, initially we had conceived of this as dealing with the first six years of life, very much a preschool thing, at least in emphasis.
So, Mr. Chair, I am quite willing to have this motion die here or not be passed, but I would ask committee for their support in withholding final approval of this department’s budget until such time as the Minister provides much more detail on how these dollars will be spent and convinces us that it’s not going to disappear in bureaucracy, it will actually get translated into nutritious food delivered to children. That’s all I have. Thank you.
The motion is on the floor. We’ll deal with the motion.
---Defeated
At this time I would like to acknowledge the clock and I will rise and report progress.
Can I have the report of Committee of the Whole, please, Mr. Krutko?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 62-16(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2010-2011, and would like to report progress, with three motions being adopted. I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Do we have a seconder? The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
---Carried
Orders of the day for Thursday, February 11, 2010, 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Opening Address
Petitions
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
Motion 11-16(4), Development of an Anti-Poverty Strategy
Motion 12-16(4), Setting of Sitting Hours by Speaker
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010
Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act
Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Summary Conviction Procedures Act
Tabled Document 62-16(4), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2010-2011
Minister’s Statement 47-16(4), Transfer of the Public Housing Rental Subsidy
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Madam Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Thursday, February 11th, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 6:05 p.m.
