Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on the Department of Lands' progress related to enhancing transparency and client experience for residents of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Lands is an active member in the Government of the Northwest Territories Open Data Initiative, which aims to increase government transparency and accountability by proactively making data available to the public, while respecting our privacy, security, and legal obligations.
In support of this initiative, the Department recently expanded the information and data related to land administration that is available to the public on our webbased mapping tool. As of March 7th, 2022, additional nonpersonal information on disposition term length, effective date, and specific landuse type was published on the Administration of the Territorial Land Acts System, commonly referred to as ATLAS. This enhanced information will help viewers better understand the activities and uses of public land.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT’s evaluation policy states that the government will implement program evaluation practices to ensure program performance is measurable and informs sound resource allocation decisions.
In support of this policy, the department has established a performance and evaluation committee to enhance our performance measures process with the goal of improving departmental performance.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share that the department has developed and evaluated draft client service standards in response to feedback from our clients and stakeholders. The standards were initially developed, and the department piloted them prior to moving forward. The standards are being finalized before being posted to the department’s website, which is anticipated later this month.
Client service standards are designed to increase transparency, predictability, and public understanding of both; the steps required to complete land transactions and the timelines for services. The timelines are an important inclusion as they provide clients with a commitment for engagement with the department.
The department plans to regularly review and improve our client service standard with intent to provide more information online and inperson for the clients.
The department will also track progress through performance measures reporting in our annual business plan.
Mr. Speaker, enhancing transparency and client experience is a process. The department is committed to improve services for the residents of the Northwest Territories and will continue to conduct business in a transparent and accountable manner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, June is Senior Citizens Month, a time for us to acknowledge and celebrate the important role seniors have in our families and communities.
Seniors teach us about culture, tradition, and history. Their wisdom is integral to making wise decisions that will impact the future of generations of Northerners.
This Legislative Assembly has made a commitment to enable seniors to age in place, with dignity. The Department of Health and Social Services is working with Housing NWT and the Departments of Municipal and Community Affairs, along with Education, Culture and Employment, to ensure that seniors may live longer and healthier lives wherever they live now.
Mr. Speaker, these departments are working together to increase supports for seniors to make it easier for them to stay in their home community and in their own home if that's their choice. Funding is being provided to enhance inclusion and safety and remove communitylevel barriers to aging in place, along with initiatives to protect seniors from abuse.
Mr. Speaker, senior abuse and neglect are very serious concerns for this government. One of the challenges we face is the underreporting of abuse, making it difficult to get a complete picture of the problem. This issue is not unique to the North, or even to Canada.
June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It is an official United Nations International Day acknowledging the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue around the world. Ministers Responsible for Seniors across Canada recognize the seriousness of this issue and collaborate at the federal, provincial, and territorial table to discuss it.
Mr. Speaker, a crossjurisdictional work plan includes projects that identify gaps, challenges, as well as policy and program options to address financial and nonfinancial abuse of seniors. The GNWT is actively participating in this work and will implement the regulatory and service delivery changes required to protect seniors.
We are also working with our partners to launch a public awareness campaign focused on senior abuse, and to provide training to GNWT staff that teaches them how to identify signs of abuse.
The GNWT works closely with the NWT Seniors Society to support organizations, communities, families, and individuals confronted with senior abuse. They operate a 1800 phone line to offer information, referrals, and support to seniors and their families. Questions about senior abuse account for about 20 percent of all the calls they received in the last fiscal year, so this is an important issue in NWT communities.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT Seniors Society also delivers the Creating Safe Communities for Older Adults workshop to communities that want to increase awareness of abuse of older adults, learn how to identify the abuse, and take action.
Individuals experiencing abuse can reach out to the RCMP, call Alison McAteer House toll free, contact the five family violence shelters, or connect with a health and social service provider in their community for support to discuss next steps they can take to protect themselves.
Mental health supports such as community counsellors, the NWT Help Line, as well as various online resources are available to those who are affected by senior abuse, Mr. Speaker. I encourage anyone who wants to know more to reach out to the NWT Seniors Society or visit their website.
Enabling seniors to age in place requires an effort at the territorial level, at the community level, and within NWT families. Over the next few months, NWT residents, Indigenous and community governments, and stakeholder organizations, will have the opportunity to participate in communitybased inperson and virtual engagement sessions, as well to complete an online survey to inform the work the GNWT is doing to enable more seniors to age in place no matter where they live in the Northwest Territories. And that survey is available at health centres and from the NWT Seniors Society in paper form.
Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of June, I encourage you to take a moment to honour the seniors in your life and in your community and remember that all seniors have the right to choose their own lifestyle, express themselves in their own language, and enjoy the same privileges granted to all residents of the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Mr. Speaker, since becoming the Minister responsible for Housing NWT, I have repeatedly spoken on the theme of partnership. This is because the Northwest Territories is in a housing crisis that cannot be solved by any one government alone.
Mr. Speaker, it is crucial that Housing NWT works with Indigenous governments to increase affordable housing for residents, providing training opportunities, and supports the housing goals of Indigenous governments and communities while maximizing local economic activity.
Last fall, as part of our renewal strategy, Housing NWT committed to strengthening its partnerships with the Indigenous governments of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that Housing NWT is making progress on that. Housing NWT has recently signed a memorandum of understanding on housing with the Tlicho government. This provides a framework for intergovernmental cooperation on housingrelated matters, including discussions on coordinated program delivery in the Tlicho communities. Working with the existing intergovernmental memorandum of understanding with the Tlicho government, this memorandum of understanding on housing demonstrates Housing Northwest Territories' commitment to strengthening this important relationship and to ensure that our cooperation will endure far into the future.
Mr. Speaker, stronger cooperation between the two governments has the potential to positively impact the daytoday lives of the Tlicho citizens and the public, and to help us focus and maximize our collective efforts on housing.
Despite the promise of progress in the memorandum of understanding, there is still much more work to be done. Guided by the MOU, Housing NWT will work with the Tlicho government on providing effective housing supports for people most in need.
Mr. Speaker, while we may not always be able to agree, I want to express with this relationship, based on trust, recognition, and mutual respect, we will overcome any challenges. We will be better, we will do better to maximize our collective efforts for people we serve. I look forward to jointly working together and continuing to make this progress on matters of importance to both the GNWT and the Tlicho government.
In closing Mr. Speaker, mahsi to the Tlicho government for working with us to set a new model for housing success in the Northwest Territories. I also want to thank the staff of Housing NWT for making this a priority and putting their efforts forward. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is a little bit different. To begin my statement today, I want to share a quote from Gandhi when he described our modern western society as one of wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without mortality, size without sacrifice, and politics without principle.
Mr. Speaker, for my Member's statement today, I want to talk about logical decisionmaking and logical thinking.
One of the biggest things that I have noticed since becoming an MLA is that every single decision that government makes needs to be backed up by frameworks, action plans, studies, and strategies. It is very clear to me that public government is nearly incapable of making seemingly easy decisions on about anything. There is much talk about doing things in the future because of the need to wait for further studies. However, that provides for a lack of action for long periods of time when logical decisions about things that have been studied to death can be put into action. This way of doing things wastes valuable time, money, and resources that can be put to better use and actually gets things done in a timely matter.
Mr. Speaker, this way of doing things would never be acceptable when running a business as the business would likely fall into deep deficit, eventually go bankrupt, and never be able to accomplish any of its core mandate actions. For private enterprise, as the saying goes, time is money, so logical decisions and logical thinking about known and established facts on various matters usually prevails. However, that same principle does not apply to public government as government bureaucrats are always trying to cover decisions that should be made with good leadership in a timely effective manner to make a difference for the people of the Northwest Territories. I seek unanimous consent to complete my statement, Mr. Speaker.
Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, as the MLA for Thebacha, I am stressing that decisions should come from the heart. It should come from your knowledge of the subject. You should be passionate about the subject. And it should also accomplish positive changes. As leaders, we should also make sure that we are not making decisions that are not detrimental to the people of the Northwest Territories.
We need to learn to think outside of the box for the betterment of the people of the Northwest Territories. We must show strength and be proud of our decisions.
Many times I feel there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians. The waters get muddy, and the whole idea of why we are here is sometimes being questioned by the people of the Northwest Territories.
So colleagues, think before you leap; think before you speak; think before you action; to make it easier for the people of the Northwest Territories to understand what we are doing here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Members' statements. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I am following up on my statement from last week on overpolicing and police brutality.
Since my last statement, several constituents have reached out to share their fears of the RCMP. Mr. Speaker, we should all be deeply troubled by this.
Mr. Speaker, Indigenous people face violence every day. This violence is rooted in colonization, residential school, the 60 Scoops, the Indian Act, and other racist policies aimed at assimilating Indigenous people.
Mr. Speaker, historically the RCMP was complicit in this violence. For example, many RCMP were involved in separating Indigenous children and youth from their families to attend residential schools. The policing of Indigenous children and youth began at a very young age. This is one reason why there is mistrust and fear of the RCMP.
Mr. Speaker, Indigenous women in the Northwest Territories and Canada face extraordinary rates of violence. In 2021, Statistics Canada revealed that six in ten Indigenous women report being physically or sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
These acts of violence are not separate from the colonial legacy of Canada. In fact, the colonial acts and policies I listed diminish Indigenous women. This has made them more susceptible to violence including violence from the RCMP. The RCMP's rough handling, harsh treatment, racist remarks, indifference, and cruelty towards Indigenous women is systemic discrimination and violence against Indigenous women. This is unacceptable.
For example, when charges are stayed against RCMP for police brutality, what message does this send to the Indigenous people, especially the Indigenous women? Mr. Speaker, can I have unanimous consent to conclude.
Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, in 2019, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls final report was released with Calls to Justice. From that report, calls for police services, 9.1, reads, "Acknowledge that the historical and current relationship between Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people in the justice system has been largely defined by colonialism, racism, bias, discrimination, and fundamental cultural and societal difference. Acknowledge that going forward this relationship must be based on respect and understanding and must be led by and in partnership with Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people."
Mr. Speaker, Indigenous people across the territory are ready for a healthy and positive relationship with the RCMP based on respect. Reconciliation with, and the safety of, Indigenous people requires we implement the MMIWG for justice.
I will have questions for the Minister of Justice. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Members' statements. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the East Three Secondary graduates who will be having their ceremony on Saturday, June 4th, in Inuvik. I would also like to congratulate the postsecondary students that will be having their convocation on June 17th at the Inuvik campus. As well as all those students that have completed their postsecondary this year with all the challenges that they have had to do to complete their studies throughout the pandemic.
Mr. Speaker, graduating in the Northwest Territories is a great achievement for those who are able to do so.
According to statistics, from ECE's grad rate fact sheet stats in 2018, show that the NWT graduation rate is 61.3 percent. And when it is broken down by regional centres, small communities, and Yellowknife, the stats are as follows: regional centres are at the highest with 83.1 percent; small communities at 33.1 percent; Yellowknife at 71.4 percent.
When we dive deeper into who is graduating and break it down even further between Indigenous and nonIndigenous, the stats are no surprise to most of us sitting in this room.
In 2018, only 48.3 percent of the Indigenous students graduated compared to 77.9 of the nonIndigenous students, Mr. Speaker. This saddens me. Do you know why this saddens me, Mr. Speaker? It's because there are so many systemic barriers and challenges that Indigenous students face, especially in the smaller communities, as my colleagues from the small communities continue to remind us all, that prevents them from achieving graduation, like poverty, lack of food, lack of shelter, addictions that some of these family are challenged with. Attending school and getting to school is much lower on their priority.
Mr. Speaker, we talk about a representative workforce in the North, and I do as well, but we need to really fix the root causes as to why we don't have a representative workforce in the North. And that is why I stand in this House, as long as I am as an MLA, to raise the issues of these root causes, to get the attention they need for a better future for all of our residents, especially our Indigenous residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what happens when a constituent finds him or herself with a disease that only one in a million people have? And then finds that disease is not on this government's antiquated list of specified disease conditions?
Mr. Speaker, I will speak about chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis, also referred as a CRMO. It is an issue that I promised a constituent I would bring forward on his behalf.
CRMO is a disease that affects mostly children and adolescents but can affect any age. It results in inflammation in around the bones with symptoms of continuous pain, inflammation, abnormal bone growth, bone deformity, bone fractures, joint swelling, and fever. It affects the person to the point that he or she is unable to work or participate in activities many of us take for granted.
Mr. Speaker, of all of the diseases present in the world today, we only have 50 shown on our list of specified disease conditions. Again, what happens when you have a rare disease and that disease is not on this government's list of specified disease conditions?
The answer is simple.
If you have private health insurance, treatment and medication may be covered. If you're relying on this government's healthcare system for support, you are in fact on your own.
Mr. Speaker, the federal government has tasked this government with the responsibility and financial resources to provide healthcare to all residents of the Northwest Territories. What that means is we must do all we can to ensure residents have access to appropriate healthcare whether or not they can afford it. And in this instance, whether or not it is a disease that is not on this list of specified disease conditions.
Mr. Speaker, this government's Extended Health Benefits Policy, 49.07, states that government is committed to the realization and maintenance of health and wellbeing of the Northwest Territories residents. It also states that nothing in this policy shall in any way be construed to limit the prerogative of the Executive Council to make decisions or take action respecting extended health benefits outside the provisions of this policy.
Mr. Speaker, the second quote is particularly important as it is apparent the drafters of this policy anticipated that there would be instances where gaps would exist thus provided the Executive Council with the authority to address those gaps. As such, CRMO not being listed is an instance where a gap does exist. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, fixing an outdated policy is our responsibility. Providing healthcare is our responsibility. However, this government feels it would set a precedent and open the floodgate to others in similar circumstances. Making those debatable decisions in favour of our constituents are why we are here.
Mr. Speaker, the cost of helping this young man is approximately $20,000 per year. This will not cure the disease, but it would provide my constituent with quality of life, something we all take for granted.
Although the initial request on behalf of my constituent was denied, I would ask the Minister of Health to do the right thing and reverse her decision to provide the support that will improve this young man's quality of life, or at least place the matter before the Executive Council for their consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Child and Family Services Standards and Procedures Manual states the Northwest Territories Child and Family Services Act mandates the provision of protective and supportive services for children and families.
It goes on to state this mandate is the responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Services and regional health and social services authorities to jointly fulfill the obligations under the Child and Family Services Act.
Mr. Speaker, the main objective of the act is for the protection and wellbeing of children. It goes on to tell parents how to raise and handle their children free from abuse and harm and use of safe disciplinary methods.
Mr. Speaker, the document goes on to state that measures taken for the protection and wellbeing of children should, as far as possible, promote family and community integrity and continuity. It also suggests that communities should be encouraged to provide and develop their own child and family services but, I take it, within the rules of the Child and Family Services Act.
Mr. Speaker, there is perhaps a lot of education for parents and communities within the act which focuses on the protection of the children within the family unit. The problem with the Child and Family Services Act is that it is not front and center in our communities. Only when there are troubles for families that this act springs out of the dark and families are left scratching their heads wondering and realizing their worst nightmares, that their children are being taken away.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in every other jurisdiction in Canada, I can stand up in the House and ask a Minister what exemptions, what changes, and how the National Building Code applies in that jurisdiction except the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker.
Right now, the answer to whether the National Building Code applies in the Northwest Territories is something like "part of it", "somewhere", "sometimes", Mr. Speaker. And we know this. We know this because we have sued ourselves over it, and we know this because there are numerous contractual disputes about when and how the code applies in this territory.
And, Mr. Speaker, there are many debates that need to be had by jurisdictions about what sections they want of the National Building Code. For example, the National Building Code is not only the standard. There's the Canada Safety Association Standard on Accessibility. Our Human Rights Commission has had multiple cases where they have said the National Building Code is not enough for accessibility. They have recommended that we implement higher accessibility standards in the Northwest Territories.
Additionally, Mr. Speaker, right now in BC or Alberta or Ontario or Quebec, I could build a 12storey mass timber building. Mass timber is one of those areas that has exceeded beyond the current building code and is recognized as the more sustainable and cheaper option for northern building. But that would be illegal, presently, in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, there is a very large debate about what energy standards we want to adopt in the Northwest Territories. Right now, we haven't really adopted any. Perhaps we need northern specific sections for building on permafrost.
Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about single points of egress in four to sixstorey buildings. I love single points of egress in fourstorey buildings, Mr. Speaker. Ontario is looking how to adopt those because we recognize now that new buildings that are built with fire safety standards don't need a second stairwell. In fact, all that second stairwell is doing is driving up the cost of building and further increasing our housing crisis. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we can't have that conversation here because we do not have a Building Standards Act.
Mr. Speaker, the steps right now to get a building approved depend on which municipality you're in, and there are literally hundreds of steps and hundreds of points of approval across multiple jurisdictions.
I believe that implementing a Buildings Standards Act will pay for itself in streamlining the building process and it will help alleviate our housing crisis.
I'll have questions for the Minister of MACA. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Mr. Speaker, I will be speaking to suicide today. Before I start, I want to give people an opportunity to turn down the volume or remove themselves from the Chamber if they prefer not to listen.
Mr. Speaker, I like numbers because they compel evidencebased decisionmaking, so here are some numbers.
The World Health Organization estimates one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. Over 4,000 Canadians die by suicide every year. That's 11 people every day. 70 percent of mental health problems arise during childhood or adolescence, and 75 percent of children with mental disorders do not have access to specialized treatment services. Indigenous youth are five to six times more likely to die by suicide than nonIndigenous youth. And suicide rates for Inuit youth are among the highest globally, at 11 times the national average.
Mr. Speaker, I have spoken in this House before about youth mental health emergencies. I explained that if a child broke their arm, they would be given an xray, a cast, pain medication, instructions for cast care, and told what to do if they need more support. But what happens when a child's injury is mental and not physical?
Through multiple anecdotes, I learned the typical emergency room response to a suicide attempt is to physically put the person back together and then request a call to the patient from the community counsellor. If it is a long weekend, that call is a minimum four days away, and the call back is the only support tool provided.
This is a gap, Mr. Speaker. Northerners need immediate aftercare in these traumatic moments.
The Health and Social Services mental health and addictions team brings together various support platforms, expertise, and grassroots funding, but these tools or programs are not communicated to Northerners in crisis mode. There is no space for designing safety plans or discussing next steps. The standard hospital emergent response to suicide attempts is not enough.
Mr. Speaker, many of our children are not okay. Suicide is a common conversation among youth across our territory and across demographics. In the NWT, roughly 160 to 180 people use hospital services every year following suicide attempts. Each of these instances are calls for help with the gift of a second chance.
If mental health is health, we need to ensure that mental health supports and immediate emergency aftercare is accessible at our hospitals and our health centres. We owe it to the people of the Northwest Territories not to waste these second chances. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. There are some issues that I would like to follow up on from the recent royal visit. My colleague from Yellowknife North started to raise some of these issues earlier in this sitting.
The first issue is the need for a new name for the territorial heritage centre and museum. I have raised this issue repeatedly, as has the Member for Yellowknife North in this sitting. I was very pleased to hear the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment say basically, on May 27th, that the only obstacle to renaming the museum is political inertia as there is no requirement or need for royal approval.
Here's a concrete step that our government can easily take towards reconciliation rename our territorial museum.
The Member for Yellowknife North has also raised the need to rename some other places in the Northwest Territories to stop commemorating our colonial and racist roots. I support that call, which is also consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Article 13 says that Indigenous peoples have the right to "designate and retain their own names for communities, places and persons" and "states shall take effective measures to ensure that this right is protected."
Clearly GNWT has some unfulfilled obligations in this regard, and I will ask the Minister how this right will be implemented here. I am hoping that the Special Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs will also take note of this issue and address it in their final report.
The other museum issue that I want to raise is permitted uses of the museum.
During the recent royal visit to the museum, there was a display of some Inuit traditional heritage items, including a stone lamp, or qulliq. Unfortunately, a current direction from the museum appears to preclude the lighting of the lamp. It's my understanding that a lighted qulliq has been allowed before within the museum without any adverse impacts so it's not clear why there is a new policy or direction.
I will have questions later today for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on how we can fulfill our UNDRIP obligations with regard to place naming and also ensure that the museum supports culturally significant practices. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This week, the Auditor General of Canada's report on addictions prevention and recovery services in the Northwest Territories was tabled in this House. Portions of the report speak of equitable access to supports as well as the need for culturally safe services. The auditor general reports that aftercare is limited or nonexistent, and there are little to no formalized processes or communications to clients on other supports available to them, including from Health Canada.
Prevention. I've heard from several residents that they often cannot reach the Primary Health Clinic or obtain an appointment, with many people lacking a permanent family doctor. Primary care can be the first point of contact for someone trying to get help or resources for mental health or medical issues that may lead to addiction and/or relapse.
Immediate access to top quality medical care is crucial if we want to deal with our addictions issue. Adjustments to the current system for accessing healthcare and trauma counselling need to change. Some of this work has been started but it’s clearly not enough as the mental health crisis looms on.
Recovery. People faced with addictions are often underhoused or homeless. Ensuring adequate housing and safe spaces is crucial to mental health and addiction prevention and recovery. The Departments of Health and Social Services and Housing must collaborate with Indigenous governments and communities to establish aftercare services and sober housing so people can continue their recovery in their home communities in a safe environment.
Furthermore, these spaces need to be in good repair, and there must be 24hour supports in place to help those recovering in their journey.
Mr. Speaker, when reviewing the report, the biggest thing that jumps out to me is the lack of data collection and measurable outcomes on addictions in the NWT. Both the Department of Health and Social Services and the health authorities have failed to collect or analyze targeted data; data that could have been used to identify trends and provide information to support action to improve outcomes for Northerners.
Mr. Speaker it has been 20 years since the Department of Health committed to better coordinate the health and social services system to improve residents' access to services. And 20 years later, it appears nothing has changed. This government needs to develop concrete, actionable plans that lead to better outcomes. They need to build sober houses and hire respected elders and community members to provide supports in communities. Mr. Speaker, i seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
They need to build sober houses and hire respected elders and community members to provide sober supports in communities.
The ability to detox and recover in an environment that is safe and supportive is the right of all of our people, and the GNWT has failed to provide this. How can we say we are truly intent on reconciliation when we fail to see our people crying for help? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Members' statements. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about mental health challenges in communities that I represent.
Recently, I have learned of several major sorry, there are several very serious medical incidents arising from chronic mental health conditions in my constituent communities. These tragic circumstances have serious impacts on the community that extend beyond one individual.
Our Indigenous people, our communities, are tightknit and compassionate. We support each other through the best and worst times. We also suffer together. The legacy of colonialism and genocide have left our people deep psychological scars. The (audio) of general trauma continues to (audio) Indigenous people in the Northwest Territories, leading to depression, anger and violence, and suicide.
Mr. Speaker, I received a call from a council Member in one my communities I represent and was very distressed to learn it was about a young woman who was suicidal. This young woman had sadly attempted suicide by hanging herself but was thankfully seen by friends and family who brought her to the health centre to be assessed and hoped to see her admitted to the psych ward in Yellowknife.
The nursing staff kept her for a short time then released her with Tylenol pills. Even the RCMP were unwilling to have the young woman apprehended and admitted to the hospital, something made possible through the Mental Health Act.
This sorry episode is both moving and disheartening. The tremendous compassion and conviction of the young woman and family is inspiring, just the lack of care available in the community is heartbreaking.
Mr. Speaker, we know from the Offices of the Auditor General of Canada that the government is not doing enough to treat and prevent addictions. This is particularly true in respect to our small communities. I will quote from the report.
We were also concerned by the lack of coordination needed to connect clients with services that required (audio) though it's been 20 years since the department committed to better help coordinate the health and social service system to improve residents' access to services. The department and health authorities need to do more to deliver on their commitments to provide equitable, culturallysafe programs to help people impacted by addictions and access the care they need for their own wellbeing and that of their own communities.
Mr. Speaker, who is responsible for the safety of the individual who is a threat to themselves and others. Surely it's not the distressed family (audio) medical and police professionals for help. We can do better.
In that precious time, in that precious lives have been lost already, and my constituents cannot bear seeing any more of their sons and daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers, consumed by the darkness of despair and suicide. It's time to take a serious look at the healthcare and mental health support in small communities and make this a real priority for the government and future governments.
I will questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Mr. Speaker, in February of this year, Ms. Sierra McDonald wrote all MLAs of the Legislative Assembly and acknowledging the need for a treatment centre and addictions support. Since my time in this government, I have seen and heard constant advocation on this issue. And I am pleased to see the progress as we start to make movement within our healthcare approach of new positions, workshops, and fundings for small communities and Indigenous governments to engage and support their efforts in addressing these important issues, trauma addiction and healing.
Mr. Speaker, Ms. Sierra McDonald is here with us today, along with her grandmother, Ms. Mary Jane McDonald. Sierra will be graduating this year and will be attending Concordia University in Quebec and will be pursuing her education in political science. She will also be attending the World Youth Summit on Monday in Saskatchewan.
It is great to see our young people pursuing their dreams and aspirations. And who knows what this future may bring? You may see in the coming years MLA McDonald, Premier McDonald, Minister McDonald we don't know. But you make our future look bright.
Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Acknowledgements. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in December of 2020 we all received an email from a young lady, and she's in the audience. That young lady was Sierra McDonald from Norman Wells.
At the time she was a grade 11 student and was attending the FOXY Peer Leader Retreat, and she sent us an email as part of that program. And in that email, she posed four questions basically on treatment centres and why they are needed in the NWT. And it's an issue that we all struggle with. And my understanding, as Minister Chinna said, is that Ms. McDonald is off to university in the fall, and I wish her all the best in her studies. And I ask that she keep in touch with all of us because I think one day she'll be sitting in here, and Ms. Chinna's probably hoping it's not her seat, but.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these questions are for the Premier.
Mr. Speaker, will the Premier confirm how, in the Extended Health Benefits Policy 49.07, a disease condition makes it on the list of specified disease conditions? How often is this list updated and what consideration is given to those diseases that are rare such as chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis? Thank you.
