Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I talked a bit about family violence and particularly violence against women and girls in my statement. I would like to follow up with some questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services about the Family Violence Action Plan. The first phase of the Family Violence Action Plan is done. We are now into phase two. I would like to ask the Minister some questions on the progress of this plan. One of the goals and a component of a goal is to increase funding to two shelters with their own buildings to compensate for O and M costs that are not experienced by other shelters. The deadline for that or the timeline on that was October 2008. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not that evaluation has been done and, as a result, whether the increased funding has actually occurred. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, it was. The increase in funding did happen. The increase was as a result of the recommendation from the action plan. The increase was provided under the Shelter Stabilization Enhancement Funds.
I have sat with the operators of shelters in Hay River and other communities. They have thanked us and the government for enhancing the funding. It was also part of the action plan that recognized that there are only five shelters in the Territories and that there are a lot of communities where we needed to support families and victims of family violence and it was for that reason that in 2010-11 five non-shelter region projects were funded, one in Fort Providence and then Fort Liard, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells and Behchoko. The program included prevention and outreach educational workshops, the implementation of community-based awareness campaigns and the hiring of a community services coordinator to assist victims. Mr. Speaker, yes, we are moving under that plan. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister for that summary. I appreciate that the department is providing funds and that they are doing what they can to develop shelter services in other communities beyond where they actually have bricks and mortar. It is something that we absolutely have to do. If it is a priority for this department to make sure that shelters are running and are actually operational, I have to go to Mr. Bromley’s comments about the Centre for Northern Families. This centre is struggling. If it is a priority for this government to provide shelters and make sure they work, why is it the Minister can’t seem to get the Centre for Northern Families on a stable financial footing? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that we are talking about... While lots of clients of the Centre for Northern Families, have to do with victims of family violence, the Centre for Northern Families is funded in a different way and they serve also different clientele.
I can assure the Member that, under the action plan, a number of things have been accomplished. We have conducted a territorial attitude survey on violence. A territorial family violence consultation was held under this action plan. We have also developed a training program called Supporting Northern Women, a Northwest Territories shelter worker training program which has been delivered in all shelters.
The existing family violence shelters outside of Yellowknife have been better funded and stabilized, and services have been enhanced in communities where there are no shelters. Protocol development has happened in Yellowknife and Sahtu. We have funded YWCA on Child Recovery Program for children who witness abuse. We also have developed a video on non-violence, a strength-based community inquiry, and a lot more work has been done to research and develop a program for men who use violence.
Also, I would like to advise the Member that evaluation of the first five years of the Protection Against Family Violence Act will be completed by March. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will try to be short. Maybe I should sit down. No.
I would like to thank the Minister for that summary of all the wonderful things that we are doing, but it did not go to my question. If it is a priority for this government to make sure that shelters are funded, then why is the Minister not making sure that the Centre for Northern Families is financially sustainable? They are funded differently and that is the problem.
Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, the Centre for Northern Families has a unique challenge that the Department of ECE and I have been working on. We are committed to working with the organization and to support the organization to the extent possible. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question has to do with a part of the action plan which talks about a community consultation in Inuvik to develop a strategy for the implementation of changes that are required, and the timeline on that was February 2009. Can I ask if that is done?
I am aware that a lot of work has been done and is being done on that, so I will follow up to be able to confirm that to her, seeing as it’s going back to 2009.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
