Mr. Speaker, today I would like to provide Members with an update on the draft Child and Family Services Quality Improvement Plan. The quality improvement plan sets out actions that we are taking right now to address issues identified as part of internal reviews, the 2018 Auditor General's Report, and from staff feedback.
The quality improvement plan extends the work that was started under Building Stronger Families, and refocuses our efforts in those areas where it is needed the most. It reinforces what has already been achieved, ensures outstanding items are completed, and addresses additional gaps that were found.
The plan responds directly to the Auditor General's recommendation to develop a detailed action plan that clearly sets out how we will ensure that the child and family services system will operate in compliance with legislation.
Mr. Speaker, the plan contains key actions that will allow us to better manage, resource, and structure our system to ensure that significant changes achieved through the Building Stronger Families Action Plan can be sustained.
It identifies four strategic directions to improve the child and family services system, including:
Continuing to build a culture of quality;
Investing in human resources;
Building staff capacity; and
Engaging with our partners.
As part of the quality improvement plan, we have already taken important steps in each of these areas.
To meet the goal of the plan, the government has proposed a new investment of $3.3 million to add positions to support child and family services. We have already completed an initial caseload analysis and have started a territory-wide recruitment campaign for front-line staff.
We have also set up quality reviews for closed investigations, foster-care services, and minimum contact requirements. We have clarified roles and responsibilities for the out of territory program and have established a system to monitor the interprovincial placement agreements and courtesy supervision for out-of-territory placements.
Mr. Speaker, with the renewed focus of the quality improvement plan, we have also implemented a revised accountability framework and established a guardianship standard, tool, and checklist. We have established a training team and completed additional training for staff, supervisors, managers, and assistant directors. We've created a quality committee and working groups, implemented monthly staff teleconferences, and set up an assistant directors' forum.
Mr. Speaker, engagement is one of the strategic directions of the quality improvement plan. Working collaboratively with our partners and receiving ongoing feedback is crucial to ensure that we are moving in the right direction to improve the quality of child and family services and are supporting our staff and partners adequately through this process.
While our team continues to work on the priority areas of the quality improvement plan, over the coming months, we will work with key stakeholders to further refine the plan and receive valuable feedback on the implementation of specific actions. This is a living document, Mr. Speaker, and will change over time as actions are completed and new actions are identified as needing focused attention to be addressed.
For example, once publicly released, the Department of Health and Social Services will review carefully the recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Government Operations in relation to the Auditor's General's 2018 report, and these recommendations will inform revisions to the quality improvement plan and its implementation.
In addition, we have reached out to Indigenous governments to request a meeting with them to discuss their priorities and how we can work together to strengthen child and family services across the Northwest Territories. This feedback will also help shape the quality improvement plan and the implementation of specific action items.
Mr. Speaker, we remain committed to taking action to improve our child and family services system, and our number one priority will continue to be the well-being and safety of children and youth in our care. The Auditor General's report and our own internal audits have shown that there are areas that need focused and better-resourced attention to continue to build on the promise of Building Stronger Families. With our living quality improvement plan, we will continue to work with Members of the Legislative Assembly, child and family services staff, communities, Indigenous leaders, other partners, and the families we serve to make the changes we need for a stronger child and family services system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency.
Mr. Speaker, in recognition of global Open Government Week, I would like to take this opportunity to update this House on our government's progress in advancing our mandate commitments for increasing government transparency and accountability.
One year ago, Mr. Speaker, I stood on this floor and announced the release of our government's Open Government Policy. The policy represented an important step towards fulfilling our government's pledge to greater openness and transparency.
Mr. Speaker, the Open Government Policy committed our government to develop directives and guidelines to improve the way we share information and data, and how we acquire and use feedback from residents from public engagements. All Ministers are accountable under the policy to ensure that their departments and agencies follow these directives and guidelines and to take further actions to increase openness and transparency.
Since the Open Government Policy was launched a year ago, an interdepartmental working group has worked to develop one of the major commitments of the Open Government Policy, a common approach to public engagement for our government. The approach has since been piloted within the government, and I am pleased to announce today that it has been launched to the public.
Engaging with the public on issues of importance and interest to them is vital to advancing the principles of open government, Mr. Speaker. This is why the common approach we have developed consists of a number of elements and resources, including:
A step-by-step guide for employees planning public engagement activities;
Updated web resources and a common online approach that provides a central listing of all public engagement opportunities; and
An advisory committee to build capacity and a community of practice among our government staff.
Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage all Members in this House and NWT residents to visit the Open Government website and learn more about the Government of the Northwest Territories' common approach to public engagement. It is my hope that residents will embrace this new approach to engagement with our government and will make their voices known through their participation.
Mr. Speaker, as we approach the end of the 18th Legislative Assembly, I am proud of the progress that our government has made to increase government accountability and transparency. While we recognize that improving the way we share data and information and engage with residents is an ongoing process, not a destination, our government remains committed to this process and to fulfilling our mandate commitments in this area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today on the occasion of Commonwealth Day, the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations, observed by roughly 2.4 billion people in 53 countries around the world, spread over every continent and ocean.
The day will be celebrated with a broad range of activities, including faith and civic gatherings, debates, school assemblies, flag raising ceremonies, street parties, cultural events, and a multicultural, multi-faith service at Westminster Abbey, where the head of the Commonwealth, the sovereign Her Majesty the Queen, will deliver an address that will be broadcast around the world.
The theme for 2019 is "A Connected Commonwealth," which offers opportunities for the people, governments, and institutions of this richly diverse family of nations to connect and work together at many levels through far-reaching and deep-rooted networks of friendship and goodwill.
This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the formation of the Commonwealth as we know it today. What was once held together by colonial rule has transformed into an international community of nations in free association, with old ties and new links enabling co-operation towards social, political, and economic development which is both inclusive and sustainable.
To quote the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Right Honourable Patricia Scotland, "At this time, when multilateralism is under threat and we see nationalism and narrow self-interest on the rise, the Commonwealth shines as a beacon of hope and promise, inspiring confidence in the benefits of international cooperation and collective action."
Commonwealth Day serves as a reminder of the awesome responsibility we bear to each other as human beings and of the continuing importance of international cooperation and of the peaceful co-existence of nation-states, cultures, and peoples.
I would like to conclude with the encouraging words of Her Majesty the Queen, "We are able to look to the future with greater confidence and optimism as a result of the links that we share and thanks to the networks of cooperation and mutual support to which we contribute and on which we draw. With enduring commitment through times of great change, successive generations have demonstrated that, whilst the goodwill for which the Commonwealth is renowned may be intangible, its impact is very real."
Happy Commonwealth Day, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Mr. Speaker, last fall I, along with the Member from Hay River North and along with the Minister of ITI, was pleased to attend a policy discussion with the NWT Manufacturers' Association focusing on the development of a NWT manufacturing strategy. This is another one of our mandate commitments for this Assembly, and I was pleased to see that we are moving forward in this area.
In particular, I was pleased to see new energy and ideas being generated from members of the Manufacturers' Association. Giving credit where credit is due, I noted significant interest and responsiveness on behalf of the Department of ITI.
Mr. Speaker, manufacturers in the NWT face a number of challenges, factors that we are all familiar with. Like all of us, they face high energy costs. They face high costs of shipping that hit them twice; first, when they import raw materials, and then again when they try to market finished products.
Recruiting, training, and keeping qualified staff is another challenge. Finding skilled tradespeople is not always easy, but is important when compared to the demands of training and supervising unskilled labour.
Then, when a product is complete, who do they sell it to? Our territory offers a small market for the purchase of manufactured goods. Online selling is a good way to reach a wider market, but then, to send their product elsewhere, they are faced with the shipping costs again.
Facing these challenges, it may seem a difficult task to get a manufacturing initiative off the ground, and certainly it will be. Energy, commitment, and initiative will be needed, but there are ways in which the government can help alleviate those pressures, Mr. Speaker:
We can support partnerships among manufacturers to achieve economies of scale.
We can design training and apprenticeship programs to help workers find and match a skilled workforce with demand from employers.
We can support research and innovation to reward new, made-in-the-North ideas and practices.
We can assist with marketing to help manufacturers develop new markets for their products.
Mr. Speaker, our greatest strength is the imagination, creativity, and resourcefulness of the people of the North. We can provide them with backing and resources to develop home-grown ideas and support this untapped sector to flourish and grow. Later, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of ITI. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about an event that occurred this past Friday evening in the community of Detah, which was the Indigenous Cultural Gala that is being held to honour the grand opening of an Artisan Shop, within the Chief Drygeese Hall of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.
Mr. Speaker, this event truly showcased northern art and creativity at its best. It featured a fashion show, which provided an opportunity for northern artists to collaborate and exhibit their homemade and handcrafted items on a runway. There were creations of all sorts, Mr. Speaker, from traditional vests to handmade earrings and necklaces. This event was an excellent demonstration of artisan collaboration, which supported Indigenous makeup artists, hair stylists, musicians, a florist, a photographer, and clothing designers.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to share some of the names of the designers who contributed to the gala. The list includes designs from Berna Beaulieu, Lesley Ann Evans, Shawna Mcleod, Sarah Plotner, and Sheena Yakeleya. There were also designs from Charlene Chapple, owner of Haylani Apparel; Tishna Marlowe of Dene Couture; as well as Sarah Erasmus of Erasmus Apparel.
Also, Mr. Speaker, the musicians who performed at this event included Wesley Hardisty, who played the fiddle; William Greenland, who played the flute; and Casey Koyczan, who performed with multiple instruments and audio-visual effects.
Mr. Speaker, this event was only made possible thanks to a dozen generous sponsors, a small army of devoted volunteers, and thanks to the entire staff of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, who worked tirelessly on this event planning and coordinating. As a regional collective, the communities of Yellowknife, Detah, and N'dilo really came together in a positive way with this Indigenous Cultural Gala. It would be great to see this event become an annual mainstay within the cultural fabric of the Northwest Territories. Until the next one. Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week I delivered a statement on the concerns the Sahtu is experiencing with low numbers of graduates.
Mr. Speaker, leading by a consultation process designed to engage all leaders, parents, and stakeholders is healthy in both strategic planning and developments of an action plan. Last year, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment delivered the Canada-NWT Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and three-year action plan.
Mr. Speaker, I agree on the principles of prudent management and, in the area of Sahtu education reform, advancing forward, a universal review session is long overdue, including reviewing the Education Act.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment response to the Aurora College Foundational Review is establishing a vision for post-secondary education for the Northwest Territories, a common vision around education after high school. I agree with these reformed engagements and the initiated online survey for public input. However, other venues can be reviewed for maximum outcomes, such as a Sahtu regional symposium for education.
Mr. Speaker, it is not what the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of ECE can do for the residents and families; it's what the families and leadership can do for education. This forum would create a community-based dialogue and joint collaboration necessary for a modernized education action plan. Later, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of ECE. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last December the federal government released its framework on palliative care in Canada. The framework is a counterpoint to the 2016 introduction of assisted dying legislation. It identifies four priority areas for action intended to improve access to palliative care. They include palliative care education and training for healthcare providers and caregivers; measures to support palliative care providers; research and the collection of data on palliative care; and finally, measures to facilitate equitable access to palliative care, particularly for underserviced populations.
The federal framework was developed in consultation with provincial and territorial governments, including our own. Now that there is a federal framework, this government says it is examining how we could align our palliative care services. Our mandate for the 18th Assembly calls for the development of an action plan for expanded palliative care services, although the mandate tracker contains no information on progress towards this commitment, which is shown as "under way."
Achieving these alignments will require special accommodations within the service environment of our territory-wide system. Information on culturally safe end-of-life practices specific to the cultural context of the NWT will be especially important, particularly in fulfilling the recent Cultural Safety Declaration of Commitment.
In attempting to honour the desire for not only for aging but dying in place, our far-flung healthcare service area will need to provide the ability to consult a palliative care clinical support network.
Mr. Speaker, the needs of seniors are becoming more obvious as their population increases, whether it is in relation to the need for the increased supply of long-term care beds, housing support and programs under the seniors' planning study, or the increased demand on seniors' programs and services.
There is not much time left in the mandate of this Assembly, and I am eager to see what progress has been made on the palliative care action plan commitment under the mandate. I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I have the privilege of congratulating Irene and Angus McLeod of Fort Liard as they are celebrating a combined 75 years of service to the GNWT in the community of Fort Liard.
Irene has been working at the health centre in Fort Liard since August 1973. Irene first began working as a housekeeper, and then it became housekeeping, receptionist, and clerical duties. Irene remained in this position for 10 years.
Following this, Irene became the interpreter, medical travel assistant, and receptionist. When Irene was young, she aspired to be a nurse. However, the first time she assisted with a delivery, she realized that her dream of being a nurse may not be what she thought, as she started to feel sick during the delivery. Irene thought to herself, "So much for that idea." Irene soon realized she needed to find something that she enjoyed. She shared and encouraged everyone committed to the long term, "If you want to learn more, you have to teach yourself and have the motivation and drive to excel."
Angus has been employed at the health centre in the custodial service for 35 years. When asked how to maintain successful long-term employment, Angus stated, "If you want to work, then work. Don't take time off." Angus shared he rarely, if ever, took time off.
When asked what they enjoyed most about their work, Irene shared how she enjoyed meeting new people and interpreting for the elders. Angus shared how he enjoyed getting out and helping people.
Irene and Angus were born and raised in Fort Liard. Both have nine siblings. They are each the eldest in their families. Irene and Angus met in Fort Liard in 1972 and married on December 20, 1973. They have been blessed with three children, William, Lisa, and Clinton. They also have the privilege of having 11 grandchildren, with the 12th on the way in May 2019.
Mr. Speaker, Irene would like to express a heartfelt thanks to her grandfather for her successes and drive in life, namely her employment. Irene attended residential school from the age of five to 15. Her grandfather cared for her and was the one who revived her South Slavey dialect, which has served her and the people of Ford Liard well.
I would like to thank them very much for their service and encourage them to enjoy their retirement, since they have put three quarters of their life together for the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I rise today to make my fourth annual midwifery statement. The Northwest Territories Midwifery Program has one of the longest gestation periods in the history of this Assembly, but now there is some good news to report.
In response to my questioning during the Committee of the Whole review of the Department of Health and Social Services budget earlier in this sitting, there is now confirmation of new 2019-2020 funding of $373,000 for three positions. One of them is a full-time midwifery clinical specialist and a three-quarter-time midwife position, both in Yellowknife, and a three-quarter midwife position for Hay River. The total spending on midwifery for 2019-2020 will be $1.789 million, which will be a very good investment with huge payoffs in deferred or avoided costs.
For 2019-2020, there will be a total complement of 8.5 full-time-equivalent midwifery staff in the Northwest Territories. The department says that this makes for one of the most robust midwifery programs in the country, measured against 15 total positions in Saskatchewan and the Maritime provinces with a combined total of 13. A Northwest Territories midwifery program means mothers having children in their home communities, with decreased travel costs, the benefits of pre- and post-natal care, and a healthcare model completely in tune with community health centres and reconciliation. Good news, indeed.
In applauding this program, I have to give a great deal of credit to midwifery advocates who have lobbied long and faithfully for these results. We go back to the last Assembly in 2012, when public advocacy prompted the government to commission a Midwifery Review and Expansion Analysis Report. Since then, I have personally attended at least two midwifery demonstrations out in front of this building.
Although it has taken more than seven years to get here, I also want to recognize the work of successive Ministers of Health and their staff, especially the current Minister, who went to the well with what must have been a convincing business case to secure the resources to see this through.
I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services later today about making sure that we get this good news on midwifery out to all of our citizens and publicly report on further implementation and progress. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to give a shout-out to the women and men of the Hay River Fire Department. Since yesterday they have been working to contain a fire that flared up at Hay River landfill, and for the past week they have been working to manage the fire as it burned underground. For the most part, all of the firefighters have other full-time jobs and family responsibilities, so I am sure that many of them have had some long, tiring days over the past week. That is why I figured that this would be a good time to show them some appreciation and thank them for helping keep our region safe.
Mr. Speaker, we are lucky in Hay River. For decades, the Hay River Fire Department has set a high bar when it comes to training and preparedness. As a resident, it feels great to know that, if I am ever in a situation where I need to call an ambulance or report a fire, there is a dedicated team ready to jump into action. I know that it is not something that every community has, so I am thankful, and I don't take it for granted.
In addition to responding to hundreds of calls each year and spending thousands of hours fighting fires, providing emergency medical services in town and along 800 kilometres of highway, and performing other emergency services, such as the 24-hour flood watch in the spring, the members of the Hay River Fire Department find plenty of time to contribute to the community in other ways, as well.
Every year they are present at the track-and-field championships, managing the medical tent, taking care of athletes and spectators, and helping out in other ways; on New Year's they treat the community to multiple firework displays; during the Christmas season they team up with the RCMP for the annual toy drive, where they collect and deliver hundreds of toys for children; and throughout the year they also hold public safety events.
Mr. Speaker, we are very lucky to have them. I know that they are all busy right now, they are all tired right now, and I just want to let them know that their work is appreciated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the visitors in the gallery, but more specifically, a visitor in our interpreter booth. If I can ask Mary just to stand up for a few minutes, Mary Kudlak. I would like to recognize a respected elder, Mary Kudlak from Ulukhaktok. We are lucky to have Mary as an Inuinnaqtun interpreter this week.
Mary was born 30 miles east of Ulukhaktok in a place called Anialik. She grew up in a caribou-skin tent where they speared fish, wintered in snow houses, and hunted seals through seal breathing holes. Mary has the same Inuit facial tattoos as her grandmother, Helen Kalvak. Her tattoos were done by Hovak Johnston, who brought back traditional Inuit tattooing.
Mary can be found ice fishing from March until July around the surrounding lakes in Ulukhaktok. She has a fire pit outside her house where anyone is welcome to share her traditional food, stories, and drum songs. Mary is a respected elder in the Northwest Territories, and many people look up to her as a mentor. She is an advocate of her official language, Inuinnaqtun, and shares her passion and knowledge through the territory.
Mary definitely does not see age as a barrier. This past weekend, colleagues, Mary completed the Ice Road Jigging Challenge, went for a slide down the snow castle ice slide, and sat on the Snow King's throne.
At this point in time, I would like to say thank you, Mary, for all of the things that you do to keep Indigenous languages alive and for continuing to educate our youth about the traditional ways of our people. Masi for all of your services.
---Applause
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize my constituent, Mary Kudlak. Actually, Mary is a relative of mine. She grew up with my father in residential school in Kugluktuk, actually, I think, in the '50s. I would like to welcome Mary to the Legislature. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. First, could the Minister tell us the status of the mandate commitment on developing and implementing an action plan for expanded palliative care services? Mahsi.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That item is 4.2.1. In an effort to limit the number of action plans that we are developing, we have actually incorporated the palliative care work within the existing Continuing Care Services Action Plan. That is actually under objective 4 within that action plan. Palliative care is a component of home and community care, and this review is currently under way and will help to inform these services when they are rolled out and delivered.
Also, Mr. Speaker, palliative care is also a component of the Charting Our Course: Northwest Territories Cancer Strategy 2015-2025, and we have hired a territorial palliative care specialist to work in collaboration with the authority, with the Tlicho Community Services Agency, and Hay River to finalize palliative care policies, care pathways, and protocols for the implementation across the entire health system in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I just have to make sure I understand what was said there. This plan is becoming part of another plan, and the other plan is coming to us I'm not sure when?
The Continuing Care Services Action Plan has already been released. It's a public document, and objective number 4 is the area where we're focusing on some work in the palliative care. We're doing the homecare review, those types of things that are going to help inform how we move forward in this area. Also, Charting Our Course: Northwest Territories Cancer Strategy 2015-2025 has also already been released, and we've already hired a territorial palliative care specialist who is doing a significant amount of work to help streamline palliative services here throughout the Northwest Territories.
I'm wondering what advice the Minster took from families and people who have requested and used palliative care in the development of the provisions in the continuing care plan?
In the development of the Continuing Care Action Plan, we reached out to stakeholders across the Northwest Territories and got feedback from a number of them. With respect to Charting Our Course: Northwest Territories Cancer Strategy, the territorial palliative care specialist is working with the different authorities and communities in order to streamline services and programs. Some of the things that we're looking at are helping individuals in smaller communities who have family members who might be palliative, to support them in their own homes and communities. This may include support from community health nurses. It may include providing tools or resources, equipment that is necessary to help maintain that person in their home. We are working, where it is safe to do so, to actually have individuals remain in their communities during their final days, but also when they need support, as well.
Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Finally, I want to ask a question with reference to the Cultural Safety Action Plan that was recently released. Can the Minister tell us how the development of the palliative portion of the Continuing Care Services Plan included traditional knowledge and the healing approaches of all the cultures of the NWT? Thank you.
The activities within the Continuing Care Services Action Plan are focused on ensuring culturally safe palliative care for clients and their families throughout the Northwest Territories, and staff are being supported to have cultural safety awareness training. This includes, obviously, updating and adapting practises and resources and tools to ensure that they are contextually as well as culturally appropriate. I know the Member knows, we recently released a Cultural Safety Action Plan which would also be applied in all the work that we do in this area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In one of my communities, we have a couple who opened their home to homelessness and people who are in need. They do an amazing job, and I don't want to embarrass them so I won't give their names. My questions are for the Minister responsible for Housing: does the Minister know of any programs that this couple can access to improve their home so that it will be a warmer and welcoming home? Thank you, Mr. Speaker?
Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
