I want to thank the Minister for that. The flawed system of northern resident tax deductions has been in place for about 33 years. Can the Minister tell us whether she has ever raised this issue with federal officials and what the response was?
I can't disagree that the indexing or the lack of indexing is certainly a challenge. It doesn't allow us to be matching up to inflation, necessarily, but we certainly do get a benefit in terms of our northern residence deduction, so I want to be a bit cautious before biting the hand that feeds us all. That said, the last year, I've had a lot of engagement with the federal Finance Ministers, both of them, and it's been positive. The focus has been on COVID-19 relief and supports. It is certainly my expectation that, as we have all gotten back a bit more to some of the more regularly scheduled programming between finance departments, while we will continue to have those conversations about COVID-19, we'll be in a better position now to get back to conversations, including this one about indexing.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. The issue is not just about indexing, though, it's about trying to guess what the lowest return airfare is each year. I just don't know why Canada Revenue Agency just can't set what it is and tell people or make it publicly available. It's a bundle of issues there, and I'd rather not be here next year or the year after, maybe even the year after that, bothering the Finance Minister about it, so I would like to encourage her to try to work with her colleagues in Nunavut and Yukon, maybe even get together with them and write a joint letter, but somebody has to start this again, this conversation and putting some pressure on the federal government. Can the Minister tell us what she is prepared to do to resolve these chronic problems with the northern resident tax deductions? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
I am glad the question stays on the same train of thought because I should add that officials actually have continued to engage on this topic. So, to the extent that there has been some improvement with respect to Canada Revenue Agency looking specifically to Northerners as well as trying to simplify at least a little bit the lowest return airfare, that is the benefit of having the officials continuing to engage on the day-to-day work that does impact us. Look, I'm happy to commit to checking in with my colleagues in Nunavut and Yukon to see if this is an issue that is of shared interest to us, and to then consider whether or not a joint letter would be appropriate, but I'll make that initial engagement first. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions this morning to start off are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Does Health and Social Services plan to expand the FASD clinic to adequately support children and NWT adults with FASD and cognitive disabilities, including hiring caseworkers and occupational therapists? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the question. There are a number of supports in place now if a youth is provided with an FAS diagnosis. The youth FAS coordinator will work with that person and his or her family to ensure collaboration and coordination of the response. That could include things that the family already has in place, that will remain in place. It also may include connecting the person with Inclusion NWT or the Northwest Territories Disabilities Council or the Foster Family Coalition, depending on the circumstances. So there is a robust system of supports that clients are referred to, and so we don't have any plans at this point to hire more health staff to support this program. Thank you.
How many people currently living out of territory in residential care are there because they have FASD or cognitive disabilities, and how many would be able to brought home if we had appropriately resourced FASD support services?
The answer is to question 136, and the answer to question 2 is this area is under review by the supported living review.
I am wondering if NWT residents are funded by medical travel to participate in the FASD diagnostic clinics. If yes, how many participated in 2019 and 2020 and, if not, why not?
The FASD clinic provides for the costs of travel to people to attend the clinic in the NWT. They have also taken the youth diagnostic clinic out to the communities of Behchoko and Fort Providence so that people can directly participate there. The youth FASD clinic completed 16 assessments in 2019, and 17 in 2020. The adult clinic provided for six individual assessments since it opened in January of 2020.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We all know that travel can eat up a budget pretty quickly and that, having fewer than 40 people having gone through the assessment, I think we could stand to maybe add some more resources to that. However, will the Minister commit to developing a comprehensive plan for the treatment and support of FASD and complex developmental behavioural conditions in the NWT? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. This program is relatively new. The youth clinic has been in place for nearly two years, the adult clinic for just over one year, so we are still getting a feel for what the needs are. I feel confident that we are providing good service to the people of the NWT. Of course, we could certainly do more and do better, but we have a lot of pressures on the Department of Health and Social Services for spending, so we are doing the best we can for FAS at this point, and I am sure that an evaluation will be forthcoming, as it is with every new program. However, it's too early to begin evaluations at this point. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Justice. When are we going to get a family day, Mr. Speaker?
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister of Justice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are no plans to make family day a territorial holiday. Thank you.
It's about three months without a statutory holiday, depending when Easter lies, and it is a dark time of the year for many people. Are there any plans to add a statutory holiday in between New Years and Easter?
Is there anything preventing the Minister of Justice passing a holiday? Legislatively, is there anything preventing us from creating another statutory holiday?
Creating a new statutory holiday would go through the same legislative process as amending other pieces of legislation, so it is within the power of the government and the Assembly working together to make something like that happen. No, there are no barriers.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Has any work been done to consult the people of the Northwest Territories about whether they would like another holiday? I really have a hard time believing that, if we listen to the will of the people, they would not want a Family Day, so my question: has the department done any work reviewing the number of holidays and asked the people whom we serve whether they want a Family Day, Mr. Speaker?
We have about as many holidays as other jurisdictions. We do not have Family Day. We have Aboriginal Day, which is not a holiday outside of, I believe, the NWT and Yukon. We have the same number of holidays as everyone else, and, no, we have not gone out and asked, "Should we have more holidays?" Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Justice or, sorry, now the Minister of Holidays. I am wondering: how many inmates have participated in the FASD diagnostic clinic from any of our correctional facilities in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Justice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Minister of Holidays, I give the Member the rest of the day off.
---Laughter
I do not have that number, but that is something we can find and provide to the Member. Thank you.
I would rather ask the Minister questions. What FASD support services are available within North Slave Correctional Centre, or any of our other correctional facilities, for inmates who receive a diagnosis or who are diagnosed already with FASD?
Of course, inmates can be referred to the FASD diagnostic clinic, and they do not need a diagnosis to access individualized supports or supports for individuals with complex need. Perhaps I can offer to provide the Member with some comprehensive written information, because there are a number of supports and I just do not have them at my fingertips.
I am wondering: what supports are provided to inmates upon release, to reduce recidivism?
Upon release, former inmates work with their case managers and they identify what is available to them in their community and work with them to do everything they can to ensure that they do not come back. It does not always work, obviously, and there are differences across the territory. It often depends on who you are working with and in what community you are, but, again, I can provide this information to the Member.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am wondering if the Minister of Justice would commit to working on an FASD services plan -- sorry. My brain has just gone today. It's been a long week. I am wondering if the Minister of Justice would be willing to develop a comprehensive plan for the treatment and support of FASD within their correctional centres and if they would also be willing to include in that comprehensive plan a plan for after-care for inmates once they are released into the community. Thank you.
Perhaps, once I get all this information, I can share with the Member and we can discuss about what the next steps might be and what supports could be offered. Right now, without having that information, it's hard to stand up and say, "Well, this is what we need to do," so I am happy to continue having this conversation with the Member. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am not quite done, I think, with questioning the Minister of Health and Social Services. I understand that this program is fresh and it is new, but FASD has long been a challenge in the Northwest Territories, and I do not believe that we are quite there yet and that people are getting the support that they need. I would just like to ask the Minister again: will she look at creating a comprehensive plan for the treatment and support of people with FASD and complex behavioural conditions within the Northwest Territories? Because it is something that we really need additional supports for. The supports are not available in communities as they are in Yellowknife, and even the supports within Yellowknife are lacking and not wraparound services like they need to be. Our people need more support, not less and not stagnant support, either. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am certainly willing to have that conversation with the Member about where she thinks the gaps in services are and what kind of supports she thinks are needed and not currently provided, so I invite her to come and talk about that. Thank you.
I will have an offline conversation first.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister of Health and Social Services. I will take that as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
