Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs in regards to the sport physical activity and recreation framework and thank you to the Member for Nunakput for also raising this today.
Mr. Speaker, my first question is MACA's 20222023 business plan reports that the SPAR, or Sport Physical Activity and Recreation Framework, would be finalized in 20222023 and implemented in 20232024. At this point in time, I'm not aware that MACA has, in fact, released this SPAR framework. So can the Minister clarify by what date we can expect to see the SPAR framework finalized and implemented, and will we see it in the life of the 19th Assembly? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for MACA.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member's correct that MACA is currently doing engagement and has met or is planning to meet with sport and recreation organizations, Indigenous governments, NGOs working with underserved populations, community coaches, and territorial sport organizations. After engagement, the department will publish a “what we heard” report by June 2023 follows the release of the SPAR framework. If the engagement work advances positively, my intent is to approve the new SPAR framework this Assembly, but it will depend on what we've heard or what we've heard through the engagement and how much is required to address this engagement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, work on the SPAR framework has been significantly delayed. The RFP to develop a framework went out originally in August of 2018. A $60,000 contract was awarded in September 2018 but then, according to the business plan, in 2020 MACA became aware of concerns that the framework didn't adequately address recommendations 87 to 91 of the TRC's final report. Those calls to action include ensuring sports policies are linked to health and wellbeing, providing stable funding for and access to community support programs.
So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide more details on why the GNWT procured a SPAR framework that didn't account for the calls to action, and can he confirm that the updated SPAR framework, when it arrives, will actually reflect these calls to action properly? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, so when we brought it in 2023 [sic] prior to the pandemic, the one thing we noticed it did not identify the Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action, specifically recommendations 87 to 91. So MACA has taken this feedback and included this work we are now undertaking now to update the SPAR framework. My expectation is that specific actions will be included in the final SPAR framework. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm very appreciative that the GNWT has a contracts website where we can easily see and kind of keep tabs on what's going on with certain contracts within the GNWT because it now appears that a new tender for the SPAR framework opened and closed in June of 2022, then it changed from closed to cancelled in September of 2022. I'm troubled by this because, luckily, I'm hearing from the Minister that this is supposed to be done, but this is really important work that's being done here. For example, when the Standing Committee on Social Development put forward their review of the Child and Family Services Act in the March 2022 sitting, one of our recommendations actually called on the government to create more activities for family and youth across the territory. This is something we've heard time and time again in all of our community engagement from the Standing Committee on Social Development. And when we received a response from the government, it actually hinged on sorry, Mr. Speaker. The recommendation actually hinged on the finalization of this SPAR framework. And so it is so important, not only to this House but to the people of the Northwest Territories.
So can the Minister please just confirm why the tender was cancelled and generally tell this House how MACA ensures that this work is going to be done? This work needs to be done. This work is important to the people that we all serve. Thank you.
Minister responsible for MACA.
I would get her to write my Minister's statement because that's exactly how I feel about this.
Mr. Speaker, what happened is we went out. Nobody bid on the contract. Nobody did. So we had to cancel it because there was nobody interested. Fortunately I can say that we have somebody that's interested or a company that's interested. We're very happy with the people that are doing it. They already started the work. So we're hoping it's going to be successful and we're hoping that it like I said this year, hopefully, be able to get this SPAR framework done and ready to go. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
