Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I see Ed Hoff in the gallery today. He is a neighbour, a retired engineer, and a solid community volunteer, and I'd like to welcome him to the House. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also rise to recognize Ed Hoff in the galley. I have known Ed since I was here 15 years ago. He has been a great mentor and friend, and I'm not sure that he actually has retired because I don't think engineers really retire; we just consult until the end. And I just want to say if anybody wants to know anything about Yellowknife's permafrost, Ed could give you a great walking tour of that. So welcome, Ed, to the gallery. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Ruth Wright here in the House today. She's a constituent of mine and she used to be my old dog's my dog sitter. He actually used to run away, run away when I was home to her house.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Angie and Clay Balsillie who are here to support me today as I do the eulogy for Rosa Kisoun. They were very good friends of hers and thank you for being here with me.
Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to recognize my brother Desmond. He is sitting up in the gallery. He's here today; he wasn't the other day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was also going to acknowledge Angela and Clay Balsillie who were here to hear the obituary for Rosa Kisoun. They're residents of Yellowknife South.
Mr. Speaker, and while we're on the topic of many old friends, it sounds like I have three new friends I also wanted to recognize. I have guests here today from PNWER. That is the Pacific Northwest Economic Region. And with me today in the House, we have president of the organization Chuck Winder who is also the president of the Idaho State Senate; vicepresident of PNWER, Rick Glumac who is the British Columbia MLA for Port MoodyCoquitlam. And, Mr. Speaker, we have PNWER's CEO and executive director Matt Morrison also joining us. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife South. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Charlene Liske. She's from Dettah, and she's also from and she also is the Dechinta Centre for Research Learning's director of traditional knowledge.
Also Kelsey Wrightson, a Yellowknife a Yellowknife Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning executive director.
Also I just wanted to acknowledge that Charlene also received the award this morning for Education Hall of Fame community outreach. And I just want to say welcome and mahsi and congratulations.
Another one, Mr. Speaker, is that I had to oh sorry. Thank you. Sorry, Mr. Speaker. I just want to also recognize Clay and Angie Balsillie. They're a longtime family friend. And, also, I just want to say that I played hockey with Clay when we were a lot younger and good looking. Now we're just good looking. But at the same time, we also have a good friend, his name is Alan Cardinal who's 77 years old. So we had to retire from playing hockey because he passed us. So anyways, we hung up our skates. I just want to recognize him. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize Al Karasiuk, the PWK High School principal for many years in Fort Smith, and who's a resident of Fort Smith and plans on staying in Fort Smith. And he's also a great friend of mine and has done many great things for the community, all across the community, and I'll always remember how he looks after the students and guided them down the right path. And he's an incredible guy, and I'm glad that he's here today with us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. There's a lot of friendly and familiar faces in the gallery today. I'd like to acknowledge Kelsey Wrightson of Dechinta. And also Dechinta's hide tanning camp is open to the public and all set up and ready to go, so that's very exciting right now as well.
I'd like to recognize a couple of former Kam Lake constituents as well. There's Jennifer DallmanSanders and above me, who I cannot see but wish I could see their wonderful happy faces, are a team of lifelong northern educators, past Kam Lakers, Colleen Eckert and Arthur Osborne. A huge congratulations to Colleen today who was inducted into the NWT Education Hall of Fame, and her speech today had us all either wishing we had become educators or were fondly remembering one we adore. So thank you very much.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize one of the pages, Jaylyn Gaudet, originally from the Sahtu, her home community is Deline, and just appreciating her work assisting us this week. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Sahtu. Recognition of visitors in the gallery.
Colleagues, I too would like to recognize Mr. Desmond Benoit, one of my constituents from Fort McPherson who is a chaperon for his son Brody AlexieBenoit, and also page Brenden Vittrekwa, who are with us for the next couple days here. I hope you're enjoying the proceedings. And if we have missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the Chamber, and I hope you're enjoying the proceedings.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a heavy heart today I have to ask these questions.
Mr. Speaker, Frank Gruben's been missing for 26 days, last seen in Fort Smith. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to ask my Minister what is the detachment responsible for in the search and rescue of missing Aboriginal peoples? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for Justice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know this has come up a few times in the House and, you know, the last time it came up it was a heavy subject and I, you know, expressed my concern and my thoughts with the family, and I'll do the same today. Clearly this is an issue that's touched people across the territory.
So when there is a missing person, the RCMP do look into it. If there is evidence of a crime, then there's a criminal investigation that occurs. If someone is missing and there is no evidence of a crime, it's still an open case, so. I have been in contact with the commanding officer about this. The department is in contact with the RCMP about this because, you know, I'm hearing from a number of different MLAs on this topic. So we are doing our best to convey the concerns to the RCMP. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the investigator at the detachment is responsible for searching for Frank, and is there any expertise that was given and provided to the Fort Smith detachment from Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The RCMP don't share those kinds of details about investigations, with myself even. So what I can do is I can try I will reach out again and see what type of information is out there. I will say that it's my understanding that the RCMP are in contact with the family and when there is anything to update to the family with, they do that. But I can get back to the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I really want to help my Minister in regards to seeing if what we can do other than, you know, relaying messages back and forth. I'd like to see if the Minister's willing to bring the superintendent of the RCMP to meet with the MLAs in caucus or in AOC, our Regular Members, just to give us an update on what's the protocol and what happens when something like this happens? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I can't bring the commanding officer anywhere; I don't have that authority over the commanding officer. The RCMP are independent from the Government of the Northwest Territories. They are contracted. However, the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight can reach out and contact the officer. And, frankly, given the interest from the Regular Members I would expect that they would be doing that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will bring it forward to the accountability and oversight committee chair to see if we could bring the detachment or superintendent to meet us with in regards to what happens.
Mr. Speaker, there is not even a list of missing people, Aboriginal people across our territory. And that's what I want to bring forward to the Minister today. There's something has to be done to make a list and let people know that's what's happening. And I think we could do a better job in regards to that. I want to help my Minister to make it better for all of us across the territory on our missing and loved ones and bringing them home.
So, Mr. Speaker, again, I'm asking would the Minister invite the superintendent to meet with us other than getting me to go to another committee chair to ask. Can the Minister do that for us? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I mean, I'm not the chair of AOC. I can't invite someone to attend a meeting that is not my meeting. So, once again, I mean, the Regular Members do have a role in this House. It's not just to stand up and ask questions. They do have power as a standing committee, and they can use that. So I recommend that this discussion, which happens in the House quite often, must be happening up in the Eagle Room of AOC, and so I would recommend that they get together, and they make that request to the commanding officer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last year the honourable colleagues on the Standing Committee on Social Development released Lifting NWT Children, Youth and Families: An AllTerritory Approach to Keeping Families Together wherein in the committee makes 19 recommendations. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to ask the Minister of health the following question:
The committee's first recommendation calls for a wholeofgovernment approach to child and family services. What concrete steps, for example policies and instruments, legislation, intergovernmental MOUs, has the Minister taken to this approach? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. We responded to the standing committee's report on October 13th last year. And just to recap briefly, we thanked the committee for their research, recommendations, and engagement. We think that they are positive and will contribute to the wellbeing of children and youth in our territory. We responded to each recommendation separately. In some cases we were able to act on them in our next quality improvement plan, which will be tabled in the August 2023 session. Other recommendations require funding and so they would go into the business planning process.
And it's worth noting as well, Mr. Speaker, that the department has been reporting and will continue to report annually on the progress of each of the committee's recommendations on system improvement. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide this House today with an accurate update on number of children in the temporary, permanent, and foster care system in the NWT. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As of May 30th this year, there are 133 children and youth in temporary or permanent custody. That compares to 169 children and youth in temporary or permanent custody on September 1st, 2018. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, in the health and social services quality improvement for planning for child and family service people that are 67 of its 70 actions items are either completed or on track. This is significant progress, but can the Minister tell me how many children are in care today compared to 2018 when the plan was started? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on May 30th this year there were 133 children in temporary or permanent care and custody of the director of child and family services compared to 169 youth in the temporary or permanent care or custody of the director of child and family services on September 1st, 2018. So that's 36 fewer children.
This is really been the result of a change in approach by the Department of Health and Social Services. We have provided family preservation workers to assist families with keeping children in their homes and providing services to them in their homes and communities, and that has made all the difference in terms of cultural continuity and cultural safety for these families.
We've made a big investment since 2018, a total of $9.5 million to add 59 new positions. So in total, there are 169 people working in the child and family services system to care for the most vulnerable people in our population which is, of course, children. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, the proposed amendment to the Child and Family Services Act has been moved down the road to the 20th Assembly. Can the Minister advise why her department didn't prioritize this work in the life of this government when there are so many children that are in desperate need of care? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. And mahsi, Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is time to revise the Child and Family Services Act to bring it into alignment with Bill 92, the federal act respecting First Nations, Inuit, and Metis children and families, youth and families. This will align things that are already being done in terms of cultural safety. And so while the legislation has not come up for review in this session, the changes have been made in standards. And it's worth noting as well that we have a limited number of staff to do this policy and legislation work and the staff who would normally be involved in revising the Child and Family Services Act, have negotiated an agreement with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to devolve services for voluntary services agreement for children to the IRC, and more details of that will be coming at the end of the summer. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions, again, are for the Minister of Finance because she's got control, I guess, of the money and all the finance books. Can the Department of Finance pause is it possible to pause outstanding land lease accounts from going to collections in Finance? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, dealing with land leases obviously, I know the Member is well aware, is primarily the responsibility of now ECC. The Department of Finance certainly works with other departments but we really are, essentially, just the financial agent in that respect. So I can't pause the accounts of going out on my own, we would be relying on government policy to do that, and I know that work is happening right now over at ECC. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I guess my question is, is it possible to I guess I should clarify, can it be done? So can accounts be paused under the direction of working together with the Minister from another department? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, what is required in order to pause an account from going to collections, or to cease acting on a file that's gone to collections, really requires some sort of parameters or criteria where a department that had an outstanding account, some other debts for instance, whether a lease or otherwise, if they were to come to the Department of Finance and say, you know, that they had reached some sort of agreement with the person who owes the debt, then that then can be that those that can be moved forward to be out of collections, to be forgiven, to be paused, to have some other process. But once the matter has gone out, then under the financial administration rules, the matter would continue as a debt owing. So there needs to be some mechanism to indicate that in fact that what was deemed as an outstanding debt no longer is. So it's those types of parameters that I understand ECC is working on to ensure that they can then convey that and share that with the Department of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
All right, thank you, Mr. Speaker. So just trying to think about okay, so it can be done but it has to be in collaboration with another Minister. So I'm just wondering has there been any discussions and like you said, the lands were has there been discussions with finance that this is can be done and will be done or, you know, I'm just the reason I'm saying this is that I have constituents that have leases and they've jumped up 600 percent. And if my power and my heating bill jumped up 600 percent, you know what, I'd have to walk away from my mortgage. If my interest rate jumped up 600 percent, I'd have to walk away from my mortgage because I just couldn't afford to pay it. People in the cabin that have these cabins, they're not multimillion-dollar cabins. They're probably not even worth two years of lease fees. So what I'm asking the Minister is this something that she and the Minister of ECC and if I have to ask more questions, I'll ask the Minister of ECC if he'll work with the Minister of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
