Caitlin Cleveland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 40, An Act to Amend the Medical Profession Act.

Bill 40 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on November 26th, 2021, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review.

Near the end of the committee's 120day review period, the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services identified issues with the bill that could require substantial amendments.

On March 28th, 2022, the committee sought and received an extension of our...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for that response. So that response is great news. Currently on the career's website, there are still advertisements out for some of the regions where all the vacancies have been filled, just of note to the Minister.

This past week, we celebrated here at the Legislative Assembly 15 new Indigenous counsellors that just finished their twoyear diploma program. And so I'm wondering if these brand new Indigenous counsellors will be offered CYCC positions within our schools or with the department of Health and Social Services. Thank you.

Absolutely, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I was just noting that we're two years in to the child and youth care counsellor program, and I was wondering what kind of feedback or review process Health has undertaken with schools to evaluate this program. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's always nice to have kids back in the gallery today and I would like to recognize the three pages that we have here in the gallery from Kam Lake who are Marianne Bumaat, Isha Jha, and Justin Quito. Thank you.

Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 47: An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act, No. 2.

Bill 47 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on March 28th, 2022, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Development for review.

On May 10th, 2022, the standing committee held a public hearing with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and completed its clausebyclause review of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, the committee reports that Bill 47: An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act, No. 2, is ready for...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that we hear in committee quite often is this desire for some more transparency around equivalencies. And this program, I praise Health and Social Services for their support of the program and their support also through the aftercare fund as well in providing people with access to that funding in order to provide employment beyond the program. But I'm wondering if Health and Social Services will increase the transparency of the equivalencies within their job descriptions so that people know what equivalencies will be accepted by...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to request that teachers be made part of that process. Some of the feedback that I'm hearing is that there's definitely a feeling of an iron wall in some instances between the teaching staff and the Health and Social Services staff. And so there is a desire to have a collaborative process of how to support students in the classroom if there is ways for teachers to better support their students.

So I'd just like to leave that there.

But I'm wondering if the Minister can speak to the number of CYCC vacancies that currently exist across...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are in regards to the child and youth care counsellor program. I note that we're about just over two years in to the new way that schools are being able to bring child and youth care counsellors into their schools. And so I'm wondering if cabinet can speak to what kind of feedback or review process Health is undertaking with schools to evaluate this program and how are the CYCCs collaborating with teaching staff to provide that feedback. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, growing up in the North, I was never interested in politics. My view was antiquated with visions of smoke filled back rooms full of white-haired men talking about things that didn't include me. But they did, and they do. The conversations in those rooms speaks to health, safety, dignity, and potential. And as I have aged, I realize that who is having the conversation is just as important as the conversation itself.

This May, the Legislative Assembly's Youth Parliament provided a week-long glimpse of territorial politics, the role of consensus government, and...

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services provide legal services to parents as early as the plan of care stage with child and family services. Thank you, Mr. Chair.