Mr. Speaker, one of the commitments the Government of the Northwest Territories has made for investing in early childhood development includes improving access to and outcomes of early intervention services by continuing pilot projects in the Deh Cho, Tlicho and Beaufort Delta regions. I am pleased to report that the three early childhood development intervention pilot projects established as part of the GNWT’s Framework and Action Plan for Early Childhood Development are well underway.
These pilots will contribute new knowledge about regional and community-based early childhood development intervention service delivery models. Each of these three unique pilot projects was designed to address the needs of its region and the results will be applied to improve early childhood development intervention across the Northwest Territories.
To ensure effective pilot projects, the Department of Health and Social Services worked directly with three regions and two Aboriginal governments to create these pilots. Today I would like to acknowledge the partnerships and the milestones reached with each of these pilots.
Our first pilot is a partnership with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. This pilot trains day care workers, family and child support workers, families and others working with or around children in early childhood development support techniques, starting with language and speech development strategies. The second project through the Tlicho Community
Services Agency is the Speech Language Pathologist Plan. It involves working with children and staff at the day cares and with children and guardians in one-on-one sessions. The third pilot project, in the Deh Cho Region, is an Early Childhood Development Intervention Plan. An early childhood intervention coordinator will be trained to link children and families to services and programs, ensuring through follow up that they are receiving services and programs.
I'm confident that each of these three pilot projects will further the goal of achieving the best possible developmental outcomes for children in our smaller communities, providing them with the same advantages as those living in larger centres. By investing in early childhood development, the GNWT is investing in a future where people are productive and contributing members of family, community and society. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Homelessness.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, homelessness in our communities is a critical issue that we need to address together. Homelessness is complex and affected by many factors. People who are homeless often have traumatic past and current lives, most struggle with mental health issues, behavioural concerns, and/or addictions that need to be addressed. Because homelessness is complex, approaches that don’t include collaboration, or that are not sustainable don’t work.
Collaboration begins with those with lived experience, it extends to all sectors of government, and to each of us as individuals. As Minister responsible for Addressing Homelessness, the first priority was to listen to those currently homeless and agencies providing support to homeless people. This was the objective of the Yellowknife Homelessness Forum conducted in April 2016. Recommendations were gathered and two working groups were formed in collaboration with other Government of the Northwest Territories departments, non-government organizations, Yellowknife Dene First Nation and the City of Yellowknife.
The first working group comprised of non-government organizations, and government officials reviewed Government of the Northwest Territories policies and provided a listing of policies that impacted people’s ability to obtain and retain housing. A Government of the Northwest Territories interdepartmental working group is utilizing this information to begin working on improving policy integration and better co-ordination of services, as part of the mandate commitment to review homeless supports and improve policy and program consistency between departments.
The working group is examining ways to address service gaps, duplications, and barriers contributing to homelessness. This group will also consider issues such as housing instability, mental health, addictions, poverty, domestic violence, child intervention and justice-system involvement. The policy review conducted through the Yellowknife Homelessness Forum will also be included in a full review of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation policies to begin in January, 2017, once all feedback from our engagement survey are received and compiled.
The second working group from the Homelessness Forum was headed by the mayor of the City of Yellowknife and included a cross section of homelessness stakeholders including the Government of the Northwest Territories. This group was responsible for compiling the forum recommendations, examining and prioritizing these suggestions. This work has concluded and the group’s top recommendations include continued support for Housing First, creating semi-independent units in unused shelter space, extension of overnight shelter hours, a street outreach program and development of a 10- year homelessness plan. Although the work of this group has concluded, the Government of the Northwest Territories will continue to work with the City of Yellowknife and other stakeholders to address the priorities identified within this report as per the mandate commitment to work in partnership with other orders of government to address affordable housing requirements.
Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has already begun implementing some of the priorities identified. The Government of the Northwest Territories made a commitment in its mandate to develop program approaches such as Housing First. Housing First is an approach used in other jurisdictions that involves collaborative service delivery and avoids an organization-by-organization approach. The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation supports this approach and will be providing $150,000 to support the Yellowknife Women’s Society in implementing Housing First in Yellowknife. There is also $600,000 budgeted to create new semi-independent units for chronically homeless individuals within overnight emergency shelters. Due to space limitations within the shelters, we are only able to provide 15 individual units at this time. It is important to note that these units will also follow a Housing First model in that they are for chronically homeless individuals, they are not transitional, and services will be offered as per the need and desire of the tenant.
Mr. Speaker, these are highlights from the priorities of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has identified, but the partnership with the Department of Health and Social Services in addressing the issues related to homelessness also needs to be mentioned. Some highlights from the Department of Health and Social Services include the agreement with the Northwest Territories Disabilities Council over the summer to expand the provision of services for the Safe Harbour Day Shelter in Yellowknife. By the end of this year, the Safe Harbour Day Shelter will be open 12-hours a day, seven-days a week.
Minister Abernethy has also directed the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority, Yellowknife region, to complete the design for a sobering centre program in Yellowknife. They are actively seeking an appropriate location, and working to identify funds from within the Government of the Northwest Territories to support this program. These actions are a first step towards responding to the road map recommendations. Other initiatives through Health and Social Services such as the Territorial Anti-Poverty Action Plan and the Mental Health and Addictions Framework will also support an integrated continuum of services which may contribute to a reduction in homelessness.
As stated earlier, the Government of the Northwest Territories is mandated to work with other orders of government to address affordable housing requirements. As such, the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation is lobbying hard within the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministerial meetings. The federal government is listening and has agreed to implement a northern pillar within the National Housing Strategy. They are also considering accessibility within this strategy. The Government of the Northwest Territories is hopeful that the roll out of the National Housing Strategy, and specifically the northern pillar, will allow us to expand on our supports to homeless people throughout the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, no one approach will get us to where we need to be. We need to provide options, we need to implement a number of actions, and we need to work together. Only by working together with our partners, including other levels of government and community organizations will we strengthen services to address homelessness and provide effective support to those in need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Honourable Premier
Mr. Speaker, the vision of a strong, healthy territory is shared by the Members of the 18th Legislative Assembly, Northwest Territories residents, non-governmental organizations across the Northwest Territories, and by our public servants. Investing in our people through organizations such as the United Way Northwest Territories brings us closer to that vision. On behalf of myself and my co-chair Todd Parsons, President of the Union of Northern Workers, I am pleased to announce this year’s staff payroll campaign kicked-off on Friday, October 21, 2016.
Mr. Speaker, United Way is committed to investing in the health and well-being of our people and our communities and building prosperity in the Northwest Territories through three areas of focus:
From poverty to possibility. Moving people out of poverty and meeting basic human needs;
Healthy people, strong communities. Improving access to social and health-related support services, supporting resident and community engagement, and supporting community integration and settlement; and
All that kids can be. Improving access to early childhood and development learning programs, helping kids do well and complete high school, and supporting the healthy transition into adulthood and post-secondary education.
Mr. Speaker, through the annual month-long GNWT Workplace Campaign, employees and Members of the Legislative Assembly can sign up for payroll deductions. Participation is voluntary and provides an easy way to give to the United Way and other registered non-profit organizations that are based in and focus on the Northwest Territories. Many of you are donors already and I thank you for your generosity. I encourage others to think about what a difference your donation, no matter how small, can make in the lives of Northerners.
This is the 14th year of the campaign, and we hope to meet our goal of 10 per cent employee participation. I understand departmental coordinators are organizing events until November 25th to promote the campaign and to raise money for United Way. I encourage all Government of the Northwest Territories employees to consider how they could help support their departmental coordinators as they raise money for this worthy cause.
The United Way has had a positive impact on the people of our territory. Over the past five years, approximately $435,000 has been distributed to various registered charities across the Northwest Territories. Last year, the United Way invested over $90,000 in 20 different projects. This year, because of an increase in donations, $155,000 was distributed to 21 organizations across the Northwest Territories.
For the first time ever, we were able to introduce a multi-year funding pilot project which provides $15,000 a year, for three years, to the Pan-Territorial NWT Breast Health/Cancer Action/Awareness Group. This multi-year agreement will allow the organization to better plan and implement programs that will have a real impact on the lives of people living in our communities.
I want to thank all the contributors and volunteers of the United Way and to chair, Tracy St. Denis of Industry, Tourism and Investment, our Government of the Northwest Territories’ Workplace Campaign departmental coordinators and all the employees that are donating and signing up for payroll deductions. Your efforts are making a difference and I am excited about the opportunity that we have to do even more. As the United Way slogan says "Change Starts Here," and we all have an opportunity to be part of the change.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [Translation] I would like to talk today about the children that are -- about the people that are giving them employment. [Translation ends] I'd like to talk about summer students. Mr. Speaker, this government and this Cabinet must step up to the plate to give our post-secondary students every opportunity for success. This means giving these students a good summer job and there are none better than a job at the GNWT. Our government must set aside money that usually goes to salaries to proactively seek our students to work for us. It will take some effort and that seems to be the main obstacle. The Minister of Human Resources has advised this House that hiring decisions for summer students, like all staffing, is the responsibility of the department and agency managers. There is nobody leading the process and there appears to be no political will to put effort forward.
Mr. Speaker, in 2015 the GNWT hired 341 summer students out of 612 who applied. For the summer of 2017 I recommend the Department of Human Resources roll out a plan to support the GNWT to hire a minimum of 400 summer students. Every Minister in the House should be held accountable for student hiring in their departments and for meeting set targets. In addition to this, I recommend that the Department of Education create a subsidy for small businesses to enable them to be competitive in hiring students; the same pool of money can be used. Mr. Speaker, I don't wish to go into the details now but a simple $4 or $5 subsidy for small businesses or one that is designated to be paid directly to the student by ECE will also work.
Our government has a public service of approximately 5,100 employees and carries a workforce vacancy of 9 to 11 per cent. This means at any given time we have 500 vacant jobs. It would only take about 100 to 120 of these vacancies to complete this very important task of showing our post-secondary students that we stand behind them as a government and that we want to help them develop skills they need to succeed and work in the NWT. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement
---Unanimous consent granted
Marci cho. Mr. Speaker, I do not want to hear all the excuses why we can't do this. The Ministers of Human Resources and ECE must do something different; something that will make a difference. Let's tell our students all the reasons why we can and will do this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak about seniors developing and maintaining physical literacy. Physical literacy is a long-time journey; however, it doesn't matter if you start when you're older. It is about a life choice that you need to make. Mr. Speaker, there are lot of different interpretations of physical literacy, but the one I like is each person's level of physical literacy partly depends on the fundamental movement skills, confidence level, degree of motivation and the ABC's of movement which is agility, balance, coordination and speed.
Mr. Speaker, people believe that the term "fundamental movement skills" is very similar as physical literacy. I believe this is a mistake. In fact, fundamental movement skills are only one important element of physical literacy. According to the Canadian Sports Centre, fundamental movement skills include basic movement such as throwing, kicking, running, jumping, hopping and catching. For most, these skills are learned as a child; it creates a solid physical ability foundation. A good way to understand these concepts is to take fundamental movement skills as building blocks of physical literacy. Although fundamental movement skills and ABCs of movement can be learned at any age, it typically takes more time and practice for older adults to develop fundamental movement skills, especially compared to their childhood or teenage years. However, in saying this, it is never too late to start.
Mr. Speaker, older adults need to have a minimum level of physical literacy to gain the health and other benefits associated with participating in physical activities such as sports, exercise, work-related activities, and daily living.
People need to recognize that over time, adult physical literacy may diminish depending on factors such as lifestyle, health status, age, participation in sport, regular physical activity, workplace demands and work environments, daily habits, and preferred interests. Mr. Speaker, a person's level of physical literacy directly impacts daily living activities. It is important to start and maintain physical literacy as it helps individuals to gain associated health benefits. As important as physical literacy is, I am not sure the government is doing enough for the older adults of our population. Today I will have questions for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak about an issue that affects everyone, either now or later. That is about aging in place, how our community responds to our seniors and elders with the passage of time. Aging in place is a concept that has a broad meaning. There is a tendency to think that it simply means putting in handrails or stair lifts or an alarm system, doing some home renovations so it is a little easier for seniors to get around. That way, they can stay in their homes for as long as possible as they get older and their needs change.
Modification and modernization of the home is certainly an important part of aging in place. Ramps, lifts, handrails are important renovations to help seniors live more safely and comfortably. But the concept of aging in place is much broader than just renovations, Mr. Speaker. It doesn't only happen in the home; it happens throughout the community. It is about how we respond to the needs of seniors and elders on many different levels. It is how we make a place for them in the daily life of our family and community. It involves how we configure public transportation services and direct transportation resources. It involves enhancing and improving accessibility to public spaces and buildings. It involves public services and recognition of specific needs for elders. It involves creative entrepreneurship, creating business services and retail opportunities designed to suit the needs of seniors. It is about health, exercise and nutrition, and the services we put in place in support of these. It is about medical services and how we tailor our health system to elders' needs. It is about communications, family and social networks, finding or creating communities of common interest and activities. Most importantly, Mr. Speaker, it is about safety and security for elders, providing resources to identify and avoid fraud and elder abuse.
We must honour our elders and seniors, Mr. Speaker. It is an important part of our identity. But to make a policy of aging in place a reality, we must evaluate and commit to some very concrete, practical solutions to some of the problems and challenges faced by our seniors in our communities. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, skin irritation, coughing, fever, shortness of breath, night asthma, and even respiratory infections, all of these can be caused by one thing: mould in the house. As Health Canada tells us, mould is the word used to describe the fungus that grows on food or damp materials, like windowsills, carpets or walls of kitchens, bathrooms or other areas where moisture is in the air. When mould grows, it releases spores into the air, and when people breathe in these spores, their health can be affected. Infants, children, and the elderly are particularly susceptible. It is elders I want to talk about today, Mr. Speaker.
In my riding, in the Hamlet of Fort Providence, residents have discovered mould in several homes belonging to community elders. Several elders moved out on September 12th after receiving a one-day notice to move out. The affected homes are part of old housing stock built in the 1970s, and their concrete basements provide the ideal damp environment for mould growth. To protect their health, affected elders have left the comfort of their homes to stay with family and friends. But after a long period of disruption, they are eager to return to their homes.
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, they are unable to do that. While contractors are working to remediate the homes that have been affected, they are working according to their own schedules. This slow pace is keeping Fort Providence elders from living in the comfort and safety of their own healthy, mould-free homes. This must be addressed properly and completely as soon as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my statement is in regards to the Nutrition North program, a federal initiative. It is, in all principles, a great program addressing the high cost of living in our small, northern, remote communities. However, with local, agricultural, home growers subsidizing the recipients of the program, it creates an advantage for larger retailers.
Mr. Speaker, currently the program is under public engagement process. Nutrition North reviews include town hall meetings, interviews, public input through the media between May and November 2016 to seek public input on suggestions for redesigning what is in place for a better system tomorrow. That invitation on input is what I will be addressing to the appropriate Minister later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Local species can teach us a lot to about the past, but also the future. More salmon are appearing in fishers' nets along the Mackenzie River system and in the Arctic Ocean and earlier in the summer than ever before. One was caught near Yellowknife this past week.
Mr. Speaker, chum salmon have always been caught in the Northwest Territories, but now they are being caught farther north and in greater numbers. People wonder what this means for species like Arctic Char. Mr. Speaker, naturally, Pacific Salmon are mostly found in the North Pacific Basin, from northern California to the northwestern margin of Alaska. But more and more salmon are showing up in the Northwest Territories overall. These changes were first noticed and reported by local subsistence fishers. Many of them have since helped with research into this change in salmon habitat.
Part of this research has involved determining how salmon eggs are able to endure Arctic winters and hatch at just the right time for young salmon to reach the Arctic Ocean. Climate change could be responsible for the warmer water that allows the eggs to survive. There are many unanswered questions about salmon and other species' new relationship with the Arctic environment.
Local fishers and traditional knowledge can help answer those questions by providing firsthand knowledge of the river, the Delta and the Beaufort Sea. They were encouraged to report salmon catches to research teams. Shifts and changes in salmon distribution and range are indicators of changes to the entire Arctic ecosystem. If these changes become permanent, it may result in the salmon changing those ecosystems more and impacting other native fish species like Arctic Char. The people of the Beaufort Delta region have relied on Arctic char for countless generations.
The salmon have a lot to teach us about our changing climate, and what species can tolerate and adapt to. Understanding these changes is key to preparing for the future of the Arctic. Mr. Speaker, that understanding is why scientific research and traditional knowledge are so important. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I was told that when it comes to eliminating programs, the departments prefer death by a thousand cuts. They take a little bit at a time, over and over again, and before you know it, there's nothing left. Well, I have to hand it to MACA. They're very efficient. They've proposed to eliminate all funding for ground ambulance and highway rescue services in only two cuts. This information was made public this morning during a briefing with Minister Cochrane. Last year the funding was $400,000. This year it's $180,000. Next year, the department proposes a budget of $0.
As I've said in this House before, no level of government is responsible for providing highway rescue services, and as a result, the communities that do provide it aren't funded accordingly. At today's briefing, we were told that the ability to provide lifesaving services to victims on the highway is a priority but not a high enough priority. Also not a high priority is addressing the fact that 27 communities in the territory completely lack any sort of ambulance services. Some communities have fire departments which can provide emergency medical services, but, according to the Auditor General's report, MACA couldn't tell you which ones.
Mr. Speaker, the line from this government has consistently been that we're broke and we have to live within our means. I agree. We have to live within our means. We also have to make sure people live, period. I hoped that at today's briefing, MACA would present a solution. I hoped that the legislation to designate authority over highway rescue was in the works or that comprehensive funding was being unveiled. Instead, we were told MACA wants to cut what little funding there is and communities will be forced to find monies from within their current budgets.
With a $40million funding shortfall for communities already, this proposed cut adds insult to injury. Even though it's inadequate, the funding is used to buy things like defibrillators and jaws of life, breathing apparatus, vehicle extraction training, and this year, in Hay River, a radio tower that allows fire fighters to communicate over hundreds of kilometres of highway.
These are essential tools needed to save lives. Mr. Speaker, this is an issue of public safety. This government can't continue to ignore its ethical and moral responsibility to protect the lives of our citizens and visitors to the territory. Mr. Speaker, I truly believe that the Minister means well, but shame on the department if they pursue this cut. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Recent proposals to transfer lottery administration to GNWT coffers have raised a number of questions regarding the future of support for sports and recreation. One critical part of this picture for me is the state of funding to better support seniors in staying active through sports. Funding for senior sports has fallen sharply in recent years.
Seniors' representatives who have been in touch with me indicate that the ability of seniors to participate in the national Canada 55+ Games has been severely curtailed. I'm told that Municipal and Community Affairs has been in touch with a seniors' sport and recreation representative and a proposal is under development to support sport and recreation activities for seniors.
The Minister has reported to me that the department is working with organizations that currently provide sport and recreation programs to seniors to ensure that they provide the same or an increased level of programming in 20172018 and beyond. This would include programming through the Elders in Motion program and the Canada 55+ Games.
However, I'm told that MACA does not have any internal programs that specifically support sport and recreation for seniors. It doesn't seem that there will be any new external sources of funds for seniors' sports. Will the transfer of lottery funds into the GNWT allow for some sort of an investment in support of seniors' sports and recreation? Finally, I'm told that MACA will also be consulting with seniors and elders to see what additional sport and recreation services might be provided through communities and sport and recreation organizations. That's good, but, without the dollars, the consultations will be less than productive. I can't think of anything more obvious than the fact that active seniors are healthy seniors, which will save us big dollars in areas like healthcare for unhealthy seniors. Seniors' sports and recreation funding is a good investment in controlling healthcare costs, so how committed are we, Mr. Speaker?
I'll have questions for the Minister and trust that the old mantra of tough fiscal times and the $150 million reduction target will not be trotted out again. Merci, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, those of us who live downtown in Yellowknife have witnessed how dramatically it's changed in the last few years. I've received numerous complaints from residents who find the downtown a more challenging place to live because of a growing population of people who are homeless and/or intoxicated. According to a City of Yellowknife report, the use of emergency shelters increased 14 per cent in just one year, 2015. The RCMP decision not to take intoxicated people into custody just because they are intoxicated has produced a 30 per cent increase in ambulance rides and swamped Stanton Hospital's emergency department.
Mr. Speaker, the good news is that all orders of government have come together to provide a comprehensive and coordinated response to the needs of the street people in my riding. Instead of continuing to respond to the issues on an ad hoc basis, there is now a plan for downtown Yellowknife. I want to thank the working group that produced that road map under the leadership of Mayor Mark Heyck. They've developed a suite of short, medium, and longterm actions that give me hope that downtown will be changed for the better of all of us.
Mr. Speaker, the changes proposed in this report begin with embracing the concept of harm reduction. Instead of marginalizing people who are homeless and/or intoxicated, the road map will provide services that recognize and respond to their complex needs. Once fully implemented, we will have 15 semiindependent living units in emergency shelters and they'll be available to clients 24 hours a day; we'll have central intake for people who need help with housing, mental health, and addictions issues; we'll have a street outreach program that will identify and assist people who are intoxicated and take them to a new safe place to sober up.
These interventions will not only help the people they are intended to serve but will also take the pressure off first responders, whose services are needed by all of us, not just the street people. We've gone from being baffled by the problem to embracing it, and that's a tremendous accomplishment. Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that investment in prevention pays off. The investment required to implement the plan is relatively modest, in the order of a million dollars a year. Stack that against the social, human, and economic cost to citizens in the community and the decision to invest is simply the right thing to do. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Auditor General's audit of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs found that the department failed to adequately support community governments in their delivery of essential services, and, although the department monitored community governments' provision of some of these services, it failed to ensure that these met their basic requirements, namely the health and safety of Northerners. To put it simply Mr. Speaker, the department did not do their job.
MACA has accepted all of the recommendations and committed to updating their policies and accommodate the findings of the audit, but, Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time they have committed to improving their support for our communities. In fact, time and time again, they have made the same promises over the long history of this department, and they have, time and time again, failed to live up to these commitments. Northerners expect more than lip service this time. They want results and that this House will hold the government accountable to its citizens' expectations.
Over the years, MACA has centralized its policies, pulling away from the communities they serve. At one point local governments were asked to provide feedback on the performance of the department's regional offices, but this practice has since stopped, cutting off the department from crucial feedback to improve its operations. Since the New Deal, communities have been given more responsibilities and authority but without the necessary capacity building to successfully complete these transfers of power. The department has known about this capacity gap since 2009, so, Mr. Speaker, this concern is not something new to the department, nor is it new to the Minister.
Mr. Speaker, the New Deal should have been an initiative to empower decisionmaking in our communities. Instead, it appears to have allowed this government to download its responsibilities onto local government without the capacity to manage these crucial aspects of public government. It is unacceptable to me to see our small governments overburdened and set up for failure by a lack of preparation and support on behalf of the department. Only in the face of public scrutiny, Mr. Speaker, has the department accepted responsibility. I hope that this new Minister will now rise to the occasion and clearly correct these problems without delay, for, when it comes to the health and safety of our citizens, no excuses are acceptable and it is time for this department to make things right. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize the staff of the Status of Women Council of the NWT. They are Samantha Thomas, Lorraine Phaneuf, the executive director, and Annemieke Mulders, and I'd like to welcome them to the House today.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize Mr. Todd Parsons. I'm not sure he's still here, but he was with us earlier. He's the president of the Union of Northern Workers and one of the cosponsors of the United Way program here, in Yellowknife. I want to thank him for all the work that he does on behalf of our employees. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a Yellowknife North resident, as well the chair of the United Way for the Northwest Territories, Tracy St. Denis. I also too want to take this opportunity to recognize Lorraine, Annemieke and Samantha who are all with the Status of Women, for being here in the House today. Thank you and welcome.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize my wife, Lori Schumann, and I too would also like to recognize Tracy St. Denis for all the work with the United Way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Lorraine Phaneuf, Samantha Doucet and Annemieke Mulders who have done so much great work promoting women's equity in the Northwest Territories and good friends of mine. So thanks for being here today.
