Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a set of questions that deal with the unfounded sexual assault complaints for the Minister of Health and Social Services. The questions for Justice really deal with what has happened after the fact, but Health and Social Services is in charge of prevention.
My first question is: how is the department integrating the Globe's findings into the work that it is doing, or planning to do, in combatting violence against women, and family violence? Mahsi.
Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have had some discussions between myself and the deputy about The Globe and Mail article and the very disturbing findings in there. I was really happy to hear the work that Justice is doing with the RCMP to attempt to change some of those results for the better.
In the Department of Health and Social Services, we are focusing on a couple of different areas. One of them is prevention. We are utilizing programs like what will it take to get out there and work with residents across the territories to change the perspective, change the attitudes around domestic, as well as violence against women.
We are also working on a different campaign, a series of rants that are very specific to individuals, sort of issues that are raised or coming up, the myth that perpetrators of family violence are simply have a difficulty with anger, that it is not the victim's fault. We are trying to address those issues through a number of these rants. Those are available online in movie theatres and other means across the Northwest Territories. We are making sure that we are trying to incorporate as much national data in those as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Minister for what sounds like a promising approach. I note that What Will It Take is really about empowering bystanders to intervene in family violence situations. I think that that is another downstream problem. The upstream problem is consent. I think that that is the approach that needs to be taken now, is to ensure that people understand what consent is. I am wondering if the Minister has any plans to pursue that line of thought?
The Member raises a solid point, and it is a good point. What Will It Take does have significant value. There is no evaluation framework, and that is something that I have committed to working on so that we can see what kind of benefits we are getting over time. We know that social marketing does and can play a key role in challenging people's perceptions, or bringing greater public attention. I take the Member's point, and I think the point the Member is raising is something we might be able to build into one of our future rants that we are sitting out there to get that information out. I would certainly love to sit down with the Member and get more of her thoughts on that particular area, to see how we might be able to incorporate that into one of our future rants as far as getting the information out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for his openness to this idea. One of the things that we have discussed previously -- I know he is working on some kind of an evaluation for What Will It Take. We have also talked about the possibility of redoing the family violence attitude survey. I'm wondering if the Minister is willing to work with his colleague, the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, to find the money and make this repeat of the family violence survey happen?
I want to be clear that I am not saying "no," but it is going to sound an awful lot like "no." The survey was done in 2007. There is a lot of information coming from a lot of different stakeholders about the problems of domestic violence and violence against women. We are in a fiscal environment where we have got to make sure that we are getting as much maximum benefit for every dollar we spend. I guess my question to the Member and the Members opposite is: would I be better positioned to spend money on a survey, or would I be better positioned to spend money on the family violence shelters, putting more money into the awareness campaigns to help change attitudes, change beliefs, and put more money into the health centres to ensure that our healthcare providers are prepared, adequately prepared, to deal with the trauma that individuals who have experienced a sexual assault coming into the health centres are experiencing?
So I guess my question is back to the Members. Is this something we want to make a priority? If it is, if the committee tells me it is, I will certainly pursue that. I am always interested and willing to work with my colleagues, but I guess my question is: is that where we want to invest right now, or do we want to invest in these other areas?
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I like the trend in this question period where I am asked the question. Mr. Speaker, the question about the family violence attitude survey, it is $100,000. That is what it cost before, and it is a very important planning tool in order for the government to make the best use of the money they have in preventing family violence. I would like to think that it is not an either/or. I would like to think that, where the Minister is careful to do planning in other parts of his portfolio, that he would also consider this to be an important planning tool.
I recognize that money is limited, but prevention is really a costsaving measure. If women are not assaulted in the first place, then they don't need the justice system, the health system, victim services, and all the other supports that result from being assaulted. So, I would like the Minister once again to consider putting this into the next business plan so that we can get a grip on what exactly needs to be done/ Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I didn't say no to the Member's request, but we do have to look at the work that is being done in the Government of the Northwest Territories, and I think there is a lot of information out there already about the significant negative impacts that this issue is having on residents of the Northwest Territories. I would much rather invest in more prevention than doing another survey, but if it is the wish of committee, if committee tells me that that is something they want to see, investment in surveys instead of actions, I am prepared to take their direction and lead on that.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Question 602-18(2):
Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Human Resources. Mr. Speaker, the government has proposed three separate amalgamations in this upcoming fiscal year and Infrastructure and the amalgamation of the Executive DAAIR and also Finance, Human Resources. My question for the Minister of Human Resources is: is there work being done with those departments that are amalgamated by him, as the Minister of Human Resources, to ensure that the affirmative action is being followed if there is to be any reduction in positions? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Human Resources.
Yes, Mr. Speaker. There is work that is being done. Thank you.
Is there work being done on ensuring that the affirmative action is being followed?
Yes, there is.
That is not what I am hearing, but in any event, if there is work being done, what type of work is being done? What direction has come from this Minister to other Ministers under the departments that are amalgamating to ensure that Affirmative Action Policy is being followed when they are reducing positions?
We all hear different things from out there, but I can assure the Member and all Members that work is being done. It is called an Affirmative Action Policy, and we have to apply the Affirmative Action Policy when we are looking at filling positions within the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not necessarily talking about filling positions. What I am referring to is, during the amalgamation, sometimes when you amalgamate you get two positions at the same level. When those positions move forward and there are two positions of the same level moving forward, does this government apply the Affirmative Action Policy when they figure out which one of the two candidates is going to be receiving that position? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said before, affirmative action does apply, so if there are two candidates of equal qualification and one is affirmative action and they have the qualifications to do the work, then affirmative action does apply in this particular case.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
