Yellowknife has the best selection of services of any community in the Northwest Territories; things like the SideDoor. We have all the Health staff, Social Services staff that are here, the counselling agencies that are here, the health services at Stanton that are here. They have all the other network opportunities that are here. You have all the other access as well of some of the opportunities that I indicated earlier through other non-profit NGOs, as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. This issue was clearly identified during the review of the Child and Family Services Act that was conducted by the Social Programs committee just recently. I’d like to know whether or not the government is going to take any action to address the gap in services and the help available to families that are going through these difficult times, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
The response to the committee’s report was in this House during the last session. There were agreements reached in terms of some additional funding to look at trying to get some of the community and family services committees set up, as well as a review and internal work that we’re going to cover from within in terms of policy review and those types of things. Those commitments will be honoured. The other recommendations will be brought forward through the business planning process and will be there on the table for the incoming Assembly of the 17th Assembly in October or November when they have to grapple with the budget for that coming next fiscal year. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of ITI. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister of ITI how many parks are there in the Sahtu region.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that we’re trying to establish the Canol Park and the federal government is having a major park expansion in the Sahtu. Thank you.
The Minister and I are well aware that the challenges that we have established in the Canol Park, the territorial park, and once established, that park will be the largest park in the Northwest Territories. I wanted to ask the Minister about the parks, because in his ministerial statement certainly the Sahtu region was dearly missed in his statement, and I want to ask him if he would direct his bureaucrats to keep their eyes and ears open, and maybe they should read my Member’s statement to note some of the good things that would attract visitors to the Sahtu. Would the Minister give a commitment to the people in the Sahtu that future Minister’s statements will include the Sahtu? Thank you.
Thank you. By all means. We try to be inclusive of all regions in the Northwest Territories and we’ll pay special attention to the Sahtu. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Minister. I appreciate your commitment to the people in the Sahtu. I want to ask the Minister, in his Minister’s statement he talked about the investment being spent in the other regions and I want to know about his investment to the Sahtu in terms of training and improvement to our facilities or renovations or any type of shelters. I know there is a McKinnon Park in Norman Wells that is looked after. Is that included in his budget?
Thank you. I’d have to check to see if McKinnon Park is a community park or whether it’s a territorial park under our auspices, and I’ll provide that information to the Member. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to the Minister’s reply to that question.
I want to ask the Minister what steps is his department taking to increase the parks in the Sahtu, in Good Hope, Colville, Deline or Tulita. What things can his department do to establish some sort of community or territorial park?
Thank you. We have a number of initiatives. We do have the Protected Areas Strategy, and that is grassroots developed and promoted from the bottom up. So we’d need the community to bring forward some initiatives to develop community parks. We do, as part of our planning strategy, do some assessments to determine the demand for these parks, and through those various programs we can look at the Sahtu to see what the needs are there for parks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are in follow-up to my Member’s statement. They’re directed to Minister Miltenberger I guess as the Deputy Premier and Government House Leader and overseer of many things these days. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement I talked about the request that we’ve been receiving as MLAs from certain departments when we are seeking assistance or advocating on behalf of our constituents, consent forms that need to be, well, they come as an attachment to the request for us to get them from our constituents. So there is a form out there called a consent form.
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to know if this is now a policy of this government, and if so, when did this become policy. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Deputy Premier, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue about confidentiality and the need to protect confidentiality when dealing with constituents and clients has been there. As we do business, it’s become more formal as the legislation across the land has been tested about breaches, about information getting out without people’s knowledge. It has become a greater issue and it’s a way to try to standardize the approach so it’s consistent across government. The consent form has been developed in an attempt to try to have that balance not to impede the work of MLAs so much as to make sure that people and territorial residents know that their information in government is protected, and that we will only share it if they know it and we have their consent to do that. Thank you.
Thank you. I repeat my question: is this a policy of government now, or are we just making this up as we go along here? Is a consent form a required policy of this government, and does it apply government-wide to all departments or just to specific ones? Thank you.
Thank you. There are different types of information that, yes, it is a practice across the government where the information, such as health information, or housing information, or education, or justice information of a very particular personal nature is stored and kept so that it’s managed in the appropriate way that we can have the safeguards. Other information is not quite as sensitive; it doesn’t have the same kind of requirements. Thank you.
I’m still not hearing that this is a formal policy of this government. When did this consent form policy materialize? When did it surface? When did it become an issue? How were Members and people in the North made aware that such a policy existed, because it does not seem to be consistent. Also, it does not seem to be in keeping with the actual Protection of Privacy and Access to Information Act itself, which clearly states that MLAs are excluded from some of the stringent rules regarding the protection of information.
I think everybody needs to handle information with respect and with great care. However, I need to understand what this government’s policy is on this. When did it come into effect? How were we notified? Thank you.
Thank you. That’s a detailed, technical question and I will take it as notice.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are in follow-up to my Member’s statement earlier and directed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I stated in my Member’s statement I have questions regarding the Minister’s vision for promoting Aboriginal student achievement through a seamless transition from early childhood development programs. I’m particularly distressed in question period to hear him state to my colleague Mr. Jacobson that the department is finalizing the package on Aboriginal student achievement. This is well before we had the insights of early childhood development, which is probably the biggest pillar in our opportunities to address Aboriginal student achievement. So, given the current disconnect in schedules and noting that the Aboriginal student achievement focuses on schooling aspects of early childhood, how does the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative interconnect with the review of the Early Childhood Development Framework? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Clearly, one of the four key initiatives that we’ve been delivering through the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative is early childhood and child care. So those are the areas that we’ve been tackling at the community level. It does consist of a variety of parties, such as the IRC, Dene Nation, the NWT Metis Nation, Native Women’s Association, NWTTA, Literacy Council, Aurora College, superintendents, DEC, DEAs, our department, early childhood and school services, and the Early Childhood Development Framework is coming, but the ASA, the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, covers not only schools but at the home level before a baby is being born. So there’s been a lot of discussion around this area by the people at the community level; the parents, the superintendents, the teachers, the principals, the youth. Even the youth have talked about how we can nurture and support the young early childhood programming. It does cover that area, as well. We’ll continue to work the linkage between those two programmings.
Thanks to the Minister for those remarks. There are two problems with that approach, of course. First is that the early childhood development review has not been complete so we’re dealing with old information. Second, the Minister, in his briefings, has told me that the early childhood aspect of the review of Aboriginal student achievement focuses on schools, daycares, mandatory kindergarten for five year olds, optional kindergarten for four year olds. Even the family and student support focuses on things like family counsellors and tutors, access to school computers. These are way too late for the biggest opportunity we have for early childhood education.
The state of early childhood development programming is obviously a critical consideration in any plan for Aboriginal student achievement. What input is the early childhood sector -- and the Minister listed mostly educational sectors -- having on discussions of early childhood issues, especially those focusing on the age of zero to three during the consultations of the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative?
I didn’t highlight just education parties. There have been various organizations that are involved in the discussion right at the start of the ASA forum that we initiated in the Sahtu region in September until just last week. Those key areas of early childhood development, the discussion from the parties, such as my department, is education and early childhood, and also school services. Also the grandmothers, the parents that are actively involved in education matters. Some have retired but came back to lend their support to provide services as much as they can towards this product that’s before us.
Again, it goes hand in hand with ASA and we have the Early Childhood Development Framework that’s going to be part of the package that’s going to be before us. Some of these individual organizations I have highlighted I’m sure will be part of the team too. These are two important documents that will be before us. I’m also looking forward to making it even stronger to the communities.
I certainly agree that these are two very important processes and will result in important documents. My concern is the schedules do not permit the integration that’s needed. Again, I didn’t hear the Minister mention daycares, day homes, child care centres, Healthy Families program coordinators, family literacy experts. Will the Minister commit to involving all of these early childhood providers and stakeholders before making any decisions under the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initative related to early childhood development for children aged zero to six?
Those parties that the Member highlighted will definitely be involved with the Early Childhood Development Framework. Their input will be valuable. The Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative does highlight the early childhood and also child care area that consists in the schools and also at home, too, where parents, again, grandparents, they were the ones who forced that upon us to say we need to focus on those individuals that are not born yet, that are in the womb, and talk to the child. That is advice that we are receiving from the communities, from the regions. We’ll continue to push that forward.
The big package will be before us as well, the Early Childhood Development Framework, which will take some time to develop and have all the materials together, discussion, and we’ll definitely put that forward to the Legislative Assembly, as well.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks for the comments from the Minister. I’m happy he appreciates what I’m trying to bring forward here and will try to address it. I still haven’t heard him address the scheduling difficulties, because there are two different tracks here. Decisions apparently will be made on Aboriginal student achievement earlier.
Will the Minister commit to reviewing this situation and briefing the Standing Committee on Social Programs at the earliest opportunity on how the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative and early childhood development reviews will be integrated before any changes are made?
We did present the ASA during the process, and we can provide that as soon as we have that information from the regional leadership to say where we’re going with this. We can provide an update to the standing committee.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services with regard to my Member’s statement on the delivery of programs and services. In most cases these are essential services, regardless if it’s a nurse or the Joe Greenland Centre care for elders.
I’d like to ask the Minister, there have been petitions filed in this House, there have been motions passed in this House. You realize that some 500 people signed petitions that were tabled in this House requesting that we save the Joe Greenland Centre. I’d like to ask the Minister what the government is doing to ensure that we sustain that facility, sustain the programs and services for the people of Aklavik. The same thing applies to the people in Tsiigehtchic with regard to the Nursing Program.
I’d like to ask the Minister if he could give me an update on exactly where we are with the Joe Greenland Centre, and are we living up to the commitments that were given by the previous Minister at a public meeting in January.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In regard to the Joe Greenland Centre, the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority has transitioned their full-time care programming at the Joe Greenland Centre to the Elders Day Program and Expanded Home Care to support Aklavik seniors to live independently in their own homes. These expanded programs are up and running. The commitment for $350,000 out of the current budget to be maintained for the provision of home care and supported living is being honoured. The wing that has residents in it is going to be continued to be kept up and running, and the eight units in the west wing which were previously administered by the authority are going to be renovated in order to provide additional independent seniors living.
I’d like to ask the Minister if he can give me an exact breakdown of that $350,000 and are those positions fully activated. If not, when are you intending to have those positions filled and the programs and services that you mentioned being delivered on the ground?
Yes, I can provide that information to the Member and I’d be happy to do that.
Again, I think we have to realize as government that we do have some challenges in the Northwest Territories on program services. Again, it’s essential that these services in our communities aren’t clawed back, taken away, or deleted altogether. That’s the frustration of the community of Aklavik.
Joe Greenland Centre has been a level three facility for many years and served many people throughout the Northwest Territories. By simply deleting that program and putting in something that is simply a care program, I’d like to ask the Minister -- I know there’s a lot of people out there asking for program services -- what are you doing to protect the programs and services in our communities and making sure that we have long-term sustainability of these programs and maintain the programs at the levels, if not enhance those programs so that we receive the same programs throughout the Territories.
In this particular case -- and I appreciate the Member’s broad concern about having basic services in communities -- in some cases communities don’t have services that larger centres have. In this case with the Joe Greenland Centre, as I’ve indicated, we’ve honoured the commitments that were made. We’ve brought other home support workers staff on board. We’ve expanded the home care support and assisted people to stay in their own homes. We’re going to honour that commitment.
Across the North we’re challenged with trying to meet all the demands that are there with the resources we have, but in this particular case we worked closely with the community to honour those commitments.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I know Joe Greenland is a unique problem, but I think that problem appears all through the Northwest Territories. A lot of our communities, like McPherson where we have 120-something elders over the age of 60 -- that’s a large portion of our population -- need these type of programs. I’d like to ask the Minister what he’s doing to expand the respite care program, the care programs for elders throughout the Northwest Territories, especially in a lot of our rural and remote communities.
There was some funding available in the budget that was recently passed to look at expanding respite services outside of Yellowknife. It was a modest amount of money, but it was a start. As I’ve indicated in this House to the many questions that we’ve had and requests for program enhancements, be it midwifery or addiction services or other facilities to be built or other program areas, as we all know, as I indicated in my fiscal update as Minister of Finance, we have significant fiscal constraints that precludes us at this point from engaging in any significant new program expansions. Keeping in mind as well that we’re only four months from the end of our term and we’re building up the work for the new Assembly to consider as they set about setting their priorities and looking at the budget for 2012-2013.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
