Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Minister of Transportation’s Report to the Legislative Assembly for 2014 on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1990.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission 2015 Corporate Plan.” Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 15, notices of motion. Colleagues, we are going to have a 15-minute break.
---SHORT RECESS
WHEREAS the Northwest Territories has the second-highest rate of violent crime in Canada;
AND WHEREAS numerous deaths have been caused by domestic violence in the Northwest Territories;
AND WHEREAS risk factors and long-standing patterns of abuse are typically evident before domestic violence results in death;
AND WHEREAS the purpose of a domestic violence death review committee is to establish a forum for experts, community advocates and family members to study trends, risk factors, and systemic concerns and to recommend changes that will prevent future tragedies;
AND WHEREAS death review committees typically operate in a no-fault, no-blame spirit;
AND WHEREAS Manitoba, Ontario, British Columbia and numerous jurisdictions outside Canada have taken steps to establish a domestic violence death review committee;
AND WHEREAS Manitoba’s Domestic Violence Death Review Committee collects first-hand information from family members, friends and co-workers of the victim and the offender;
AND WHEREAS the Minister of Justice stated in the Legislative Assembly on February 24, 2014, that the Chief Coroner is actively working with her colleagues in other jurisdictions to investigate the feasibility of establishing a death review committee in the Northwest Territories;
AND WHEREAS the Coroner’s Act authorizes the chief coroner of the Northwest Territories to bring the findings and recommendations of coroners and juries to the attention of appropriate persons, agencies or departments of governments;
AND WHEREAS the Legislative Assembly passed a motion on November 4, 2014, in support of a national inquiry and a national round table into missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that the Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services investigate the feasibility of a domestic violence death review committee for the Northwest Territories;
AND FURTHER, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are very honoured to bring this motion forward. We don’t have to scratch the surface very far to find family or domestic violence, which has very devastating impacts on individuals and communities.
Family and domestic violence almost never occurs without warning. In most cases there have been repeated incidents of violence and indicators of risk as well as opportunities for agencies and individuals to intervene before death.
It’s important to try to understand the factors that lead to such tragedy and lead to needless deaths when intimate relationships take a fatal turn. One death is one too many, and a domestic violence death review committee can gain to truly be powerful when it comes to preventing domestic violence and the deaths that result from such.
This motion calls for the feasibility to the establishment of a domestic violence death review committee and is an important step forward in the NWT’s ongoing efforts to confront family violence and violence against women, or men, for that matter, or children.
The purpose of this committee, should it be established, is to assist the office of the chief coroner in the investigation and review of deaths of persons that occur as a result of domestic violence and to make recommendations to help prevent as well as reduce and eliminate such deaths in similar circumstances. This will be completed under the expert opinions of the committee members.
This committee would work to develop a comprehensive understanding of why domestic homicides occur and how they might be prevented. It will also help identify the presence of absence of systemic issues, problems, gaps, risk factors, trends and patterns or shortcomings of each case to facilitate the appropriate recommendations for prevention. It will only work with the collaboration and communication among investigative agencies and the service providers, such organizations like victim services, prosecution services, probation, family violence prevention programs, possibly members from the Status of Women or Native Women’s Association, chief medical health officer, positions like psychologists, nurses, of course the RCMP and possibly a member from the community or even from an Aboriginal organization.
Mr. Speaker, we’ve got to stop working in silos. We need to work together to address the issues that are at hand and address the issues that affect our people. We all know someone who has died from domestic violence. We all know a family who has suffered such a tragic loss. We all know a community who has experienced such tragedy as well. It’s worse in the Northwest Territories because we’re such a small population that we literally know family and friends of such people who have gone through the case.
Over the last five years, there have been nine cases of family and domestic violence in the Northwest Territories that resulted in death. This needs to stop. I just want to make reference to a press release that the Native Women’s Association released about two weeks ago with regard to this. It expressed working together to prevent and address violence against indigenous women and girls. It highlights that indigenous families and leaders, Premiers, provincial and territorial Ministers and representatives and nurses from the Government of Canada met in Ottawa on needed action to present and address violence against indigenous women and girls.
In May of 2014 the RCMP released a national operational overview of missing and murdered Aboriginal women. The research identified 1,181 missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada in Canadian police databases between 1980 and 2012. Of those, 1,017 were murdered.
Mr. Speaker, there was a national round table that resulted in creating some priorities. There were three priorities that were highlighted. The first one was prevention and awareness. Under prevention and awareness, one of the areas that they focused on was improving prevention and responses to violence within intimate relationships and families, something that this motion is going to address.
Number two, in community safety it talks about engaging communities, governments, organizations and institutions in supporting prevention, action and intervention when violence occurs. This is what this motion is doing, Mr. Speaker.
The third area they’re focusing on is policing measures and justice responses. Under that heading, they speak of identifying strategies within the justice system to protect and assist indigenous women and girls who are victims of violence, something that this motion will help work on.
In this press release from the Native Women’s Association of Canada, they did take quotes from leaders right across Canada. I would like to highlight one person’s quote in here and that’s our own Premier, Mr. Bob McLeod. He was at the round table and he did express his support. He goes on by saying: “Our experience in the Northwest Territories is that we are stronger and more successful when we work together as partners. This has been at the foundation of our commitment to engage with Aboriginal governments and organizations in the spirit of respect, recognition and responsibility. As the chair of the National Roundtable, I am very encouraged by the willingness of all the participants to engage in a meaningful national dialogue about concrete action and solutions to address the crisis of violence against indigenous women and girls.”
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Premier for representing this government at the round table but also being a very strong advocate for Aboriginal and indigenous women and girls not only across Canada but up here, as well, on this very important initiative.
This government took a bold step November 4, 2014, to support a national inquiry and a National Round Table on Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls. I ask this government to continue that support in protecting our women in the Northwest Territories, and men, for that matter, in domestic violence that results in death and re-creating the resources and putting a foundation in place so we can intervene, find the trends, find the things that result in death and stop it before it happens.
Before I finish, I would just like to thank my colleagues who will be supporting the bill. I’d like to thank the chief coroner of the NWT, Ms. Cathy Menard. In fact, I’d like to thank all the coroners on the tough jobs they do when it results in the deaths, as I stated earlier, domestic and family deaths over the last five years, as well as the RCMP, the victim service coordinators and all those who work in the justice system who have to deal with these kinds of issues possibly on a daily basis.
With that, I would like to thank my colleagues who will be supporting. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. I’ll allow the seconder to the motion, Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m honoured to second the motion today. As you’ve heard from the Member for Inuvik Boot Lake and his passion, many of us are very thankful that he spends a considerable amount of time doing a lot of research for a motion such of this.
The mover, Mr. Moses, has been a staunch advocate for issues surrounding coroner’s reports. I know he spends many hours reviewing these reports for recommendations, trends and insights and how to make NWT a better and safer place. So when the Member brought forward this motion for committee review, I was taken aback on the incredible amount of information that was available online on numerous jurisdictions already enjoying the benefits of such a domestic violence death review committee.
Unfortunately, learning from tragedies helps us break the vicious cycle of domestic abuse plaguing our society. These domestic violence death review committees undertake many meaningful approaches on recommended changes, and with the proper establishment of such measurement instruments, such as domestic violence risk management screening tools, many jurisdictions in Canada are benefitting and working towards awareness and the elimination of violence.
Although most of these domestic violence death review committees in Canada were established based on horrific findings, and as a result of extensive evidence pointing to systemic abuse and sexual violence and oppression, we have the opportunity to do something positive now, knowing full well our long-standing patterns of abuse in the Northwest Territories. In other words, Mr. Speaker, let’s not wait for a specific tragedy or tragedies before we can act in this area. Let’s put the power of networking, partnerships and resource building in the hands of a coordinated community approach to domestic violence awareness.
I know funds are tight and I know time is limited in the House. As the motion points out, we are merely asking the Minister of Justice to undertake the investigation and feasibility of such a committee that gives back the basic human right of safety, dignity and social economic justice to society.
Again, I want to thank the hard work of Mr. Moses for raising awareness today on such an important opportunity for the people of the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, if you’re not aware by now, I will be voting in favour of this motion. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. To the motion. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to say that this domestic violence death review committee motion, I certainly will be supporting it. As the motion states, and the mover of the motion as well, it’s just reviewing these situations. We’ll learn from them. It has benefitted many jurisdictions and I think it’s time for us to start doing that. Even though when you review it, it’s for a large, general population, but I believe it can work in the smaller communities as well. It’s about establishing and learning from the risk patterns that are out there and protecting our people as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Menicoche. To the motion. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the mover and the seconder for bringing this motion forward. I am in support of this motion, and I just have a few brief comments.
We have a very high incidence of domestic violence in our territory, unfortunately, and that’s been pointed out already. The thing that I struggle with, that I have difficulty with is that we can’t seem to find a solution. It’s a very complicated issue, but we continue to work to try to make things better, to try to reduce the incidents of domestic violence in our territory.
One of the organizations that are doing good work and that is attempting to bring down the incidence of domestic violence is the Coalition on Family Violence, and we have funded them for quite some time. I think that this motion will enhance the work that the coalition has done and is doing. It simply asks for an investigation of a domestic violence review committee, a committee which can look at an incident of domestic violence death, can determine why it occurred and can look at ways to prevent that from happening. We’re never going to stop domestic violence unless we put more… I don’t want to say more money. We need to put a greater emphasis on prevention. I think we have some, but I think it needs to be a mindset that’s a little closer to the front of mind as opposed to the back of mind. Anything we can do to prevent domestic violence is simply going to make life better for our residents, Mr. Speaker.
I am in support of the motion. I thank the mover and the seconder for bringing it forward. I encourage my colleagues to support the motion as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. To the motion. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also rise in support of this motion. A domestic violence death review committee is something that I know our coroner has been interested in for some time. Our chief coroner has done a lot of work to bring forward recommendations and try to learn lessons that we should have been learning when these events have occurred and brought those forward through recommendations.
I know a number of Members have been a little bit uncomfortable, perhaps, in that we haven’t necessarily followed up as much as we should have to actually address a lot of those recommendations and concerns. I know having something like this, a domestic violence death review committee, would help enhance the issue, increase the insights and opportunities for learning and going forward with real action towards reducing the occurrence of these and the severity of these.
Again, I appreciate this being brought forward by the Members for Boot Lake and Range Lake. I think it lays it out pretty clearly here. It’s something we have talked about for a long time, the need to follow up on the sorts of things we have been hearing from our chief coroners over the years. This is action that will capitalize on that intent.
Again, I appreciate that. I will be supporting the motion. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. To the motion. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Anything that helps solve domestic violence is a good thing. By all means I will be voting in favour of it. I also will vote in favour of it, thinking that we could probably do more by making our coroner’s recommendations binding. I don’t necessarily think that this is the only solution. I think it’s a step in the right direction and I wouldn’t deny by any means. But I think if we wanted to do more, we would be standing here finding a way to get those coroner’s directions and recommendations and making the government act upon them. We have seen many good ones come forward over the years and they just sit on the bookshelves of government and get ignored. We seem to revisit the same types of issues over and over again.
I will vote in favour, but I’m not sure what results will drive the end of it, but it certainly wouldn’t solve its potential by any means. I think it could be an idea that delivers results, so why would a person get in the way of that?
That’s why I’m happy to vote in favour. But, like I said at the start, if we wanted to have real change, we would make sure those coroner recommendations are binding and get behind them with the right resources. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. To the motion. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We know that the Northwest Territories has a significant incidence of domestic and/or family violence. Domestic violence in the Northwest Territories is a complex issue with no single solution. One of the main goals of the 17th Legislative Assembly is to support development of sustainable, vibrant and safe communities. In order to achieve this goal, we need to reduce the levels of family violence across our territory.
The Department of Health and Social Services focuses on prevention and intervention of family violence including providing recovery as well as support programs. Recently the department launched the What Will it Take? campaign to change attitudes towards family violence.
The department also funds a network of family violence shelters providing safe environments for women and children fleeing violence. On February 27th the Premier chaired the National Round Table on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Addressing the issues of missing and murdered indigenous women is complex, and while it goes beyond family violence, we have to recognize that violence against women, children and elders is a charged topic that cannot be ignored.
The proposed review committee is one more tool we consider in dealing with the issues of domestic violence. A very brief review of these death review committees in other jurisdictions shows that studying trends and risk factors to prevent future tragedies is their purpose. We will need to investigate how such a committee would work before we can actually take steps to establish a committee in the Northwest Territories.
We understand that in Manitoba, Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick these committees have been established under the authority of the chief coroner. As these committees usually report to the chief coroner, we are happy to partner with the Department of Justice to work on a feasibly study for the domestic violence death review committee here in the Northwest Territories, and we will report back within 120 days. However, as this is a recommendation to government, Cabinet will be abstaining from the vote.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. I now call upon the mover of the motion, Mr. Moses, to close debate on the motion. Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank all my colleagues who spoke in support of the motion. It is a very important issue that we have in the Northwest Territories and right across the North and Canada, and I think the direction we’re giving to government is the right step to address this issue. I did mention earlier about all the different organizations working on, when a death occurs, the work that they do. This feasibility study will bring all these organizations together to understand that, yes, we’ve got to work together, we’ve got to make the recommendations so that it stops now and that we can make the prevention happen before it occurs.
I’d also like to just once again say that in the last five years we’ve had nine deaths related to domestic family violence, and one just in this year, 2015. I just want to send a message out there to those families and let those families know that their losses didn’t go unnoticed and that this government is actually working on addressing the necessary steps so that no other families have to go through what these families have went through.
Once again, I’d like to thank all my colleagues who spoke in favour of this and will be supporting it and voting.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS the chair of the Stanton Elders’ Council has called upon the Department of Health and Social Services to include a wellness centre at Stanton Territorial Hospital to provide a blend of traditional Aboriginal and western medicine;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues, for allowing me to speak to the motion.
I spoke on this issue last week, and I felt it was deserving of a motion to speak about a wellness centre to be included in the Stanton Renewal Project.
I think at that time, too, Mr. Francois Paulette, the chair of the Stanton Elders’ Council, had been calling upon the Department of Health and Social Services to include a wellness centre at the Stanton Territorial Hospital for about eight years, and now the Stanton Elders’ Council is in full support of designing a facility like that.
I’m pleased to hear that the Department of Health and Social Services is supportive of the concept and has identified and set aside land at the Stanton Territorial Hospital, but, regretfully, there are no resources there right now, and that’s what this motion is calling upon the department to do, is to work with Aboriginal governments.
I would also like to say to work with other wellness groups that should be invited. In fact, while I’m speaking, I’d like to call upon the other groups to assist the Elders’ Council with their plans for a wellness centre.
It has been said times are tight and GNWT resources are limited, but we’re not talking about a full facility right now, just the resources to do a planning study, even assistance to cost out the cost of a planning study. I think that’s what they’re looking for, how much this facility is going to cost, what it’s going to look like. They really need assistance in that. That’s why I am bringing forward this motion. Let’s get assistance to cost out a planning study.
I too, about 10 years ago, was at the Alaska Native Medical Center and I saw how that facility works, how homey it is. They have Aboriginal culture, paintings, and it really looks homey and gives people a sense of a northern facility and of belonging in the North. It gets away from a facility that’s so square and institutional. I really believe we have to get away from that because we’ve been living that way too long.
Further, I believe it is an idea whose time has come. We have to support it and get the political ball rolling, as it were, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. To the motion. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department and Stanton recognize the importance of culture in health care and works to incorporate Aboriginal wellness programs into the delivery of health care services.
The department and Stanton have planned for the continued delivery of Aboriginal wellness programs within the hospital as part of the technical and program renewal of Stanton. However, we also recognize that a stand-alone wellness centre could accommodate traditional activities and act as a gathering place for patients, family and friends. Some aspects of Aboriginal wellness cannot be accommodated within the walls of an acute care hospital due to Building Code and safety requirements.
Concurrent with the Stanton Hospital Redevelopment Project, we are looking at best practices that are occurring in other jurisdictions in this area. Over the next few months, we will be reaching out to stakeholders, including Aboriginal governments, the Stanton Hospital and Elders’ Advisory Council, to seek their input on what kind of programming would be important to provide at the territorial hospital.
This is an essential first step in developing a proposal for the Aboriginal wellness centre. We are all well aware that in the current fiscal environment, funding available for capital projects is limited and that there are many competing priorities and we are going to have to think outside the box.
We will obviously be reporting back to the House in 120 days, Mr. Speaker. As this is a recommendation to government, we will be abstaining from the vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. To the motion. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the movers for bringing this forward and the remarks from the Minister and the support for the general concept. The issue of resources certainly comes up on both sides of the House whenever we are talking about these things. That is why I think the Minister will note in the “therefore” that we said “work with Aboriginal governments” that we know now are being resourced through our net fiscal benefit and other means, that they now have the opportunity to participate in the issue the Minister raised.
I just wanted to mention that that wasn’t omitted in our thinking. Again, thanks to the movers. I will be supporting the motion. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to say, for the record, that motions are not taken lightly by Members of this House or the Priorities and Planning committee where the motion was talked about.
In closing, I would like to thank the honourable Member for Hay River North for seconding this motion and getting it into the House to talk about.
I am pleased to hear the Minister’s response with regard to taking it seriously and moving forward. Certainly, that’s where I want to go with this motion. It’s about considering it seriously. Let’s continue deliberations about the planning. I’m a realist. I’m not asking for capital dollars, but I think we should find some resources to help work on a planning study about the size and content of the building. I believe it will be a stand-alone facility, because having it in the new Stanton Territorial Hospital, there are so many technical aspects required for health and safety in a new and modern hospital.
In closing, I, like everybody else in the North and everybody else in this room, think it’s time for a wellness facility that we can call our own, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. The motion is carried.
---Carried
Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 42, An Act to Amend the Residential Tenancies Act; Committee Report 13-17(5), Report on Bill 42: An Act to Amend the Residential Tenancies Act; and Committee Report 14-17(5), Report on the 2014 Review of the Official Languages Act, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We wish to deal with Committee Report 13-17(5) and Bill 42. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will commence with Committee Report 13-17(5), Report on Bill 42: An Act to Amend the Residential Tenancies Act. At this time I would like to call on the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Programs, who reviewed the act, to deliver the committee comments on the committee report on the bill. Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We did make the comments in the House yesterday when we read the report in. I do have a motion, Madam Chair.
I move that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this report within 120 days. Thank you, Madam Chair.
