Denny Rodgers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight to speak to the recent findings of the auditor general on child and family services in the Northwest Territories by the auditor general.

Mr. Speaker, the report paints a deeply troubling picture. It identifies failures in responding to reports of maltreatment, gaps in monitoring and support for children and families, and serious staffing pressures. And these issues are not new, Mr. Speaker. This is not a single failure. It is a pattern, a pattern we have seen before, a pattern...

Ever so briefly, Mr. Speaker, thank you. Also an issue that obviously I've brought to this floor as well from the Town of Inuvik albeit in a little different perspective, given that they have two settled land claims in Inuvik, but there is an issue of getting the block transfer of the land within the municipal boundaries transferred to the community as a whole. Having said that, for all the reasons that my colleagues have said here in this House, I will be supporting this motion.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move the chair rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and yes, if it ends up being 18 beds, 20 beds, or 15 beds, certainly that will be appreciated.

I know I've had conversations with the Minister both publicly and in our constituency meetings in our hometown regarding the design stage, and we're anticipating construction starting in 2027. Can the Minister speak to when she is now anticipating construction to begin, and are we still looking at 2027 for shovels in the ground, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will go a little slow to give my colleague, the Minister of health, a chance to catch her breath. Seems like she's the only one answering questions today.

Mr. Speaker, following up on my Member's statement regarding the long-term care facility in Inuvik, you know, I went back to the history of what's been happening. So I understand the Department of Health and Social Services has been anticipating updated long-term care bed projections. Can the Minister please tell us what we can expect to hear about those projections and what they will mean for long-term care in our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I've said to my colleagues in this House many times, I respect the work that any Member puts into putting together the information and the research to make a motion. I've told my colleagues that unless there's a reason, I would support motions that are brought to this House. I think it's important to recognize the amount of work and in this case, I think that the work and the reasoning behind why this motion is brought forward makes sense, and I would support that in any regard however it came forward. And in my opinion, if you would, Mr. Speaker, and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister update the House then on the current status of the expansion in Inuvik and how those bed projections will be factored into the project once they are completed this summer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once again today I'd like to talk about the long-term care program review that was completed in 2015 for the Northwest Territories. And at the time, it was said that there was 115 beds per 1,000 people aged 70 or older required.

Mr. Speaker, I know I've done Members' statements on this in the past, we went through that; that equated for Inuvik at the time 43 beds. There was then a proposal brought forward to this government for a 48-bed long-term care facility built and designed -- either built and owned by, built and operated by, a partnership between both...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move the Chair rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that consideration of Tabled Document 522-20(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2026-2027, be now concluded and that Tabled Document 522-20(1) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair.