This is page numbers 25 - 51 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 7th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was communities.

Return To Question 21-12(7): Provisions Of Updates On Zero Tolerance For Violence Strategy
Question 21-12(7): Provision Of Updates On Zero Tolerance For Violence Strategy
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ningark.

Supplementary To Question 21-12(7): Provisions Of Updates On Zero Tolerance For Violence Strategy
Question 21-12(7): Provision Of Updates On Zero Tolerance For Violence Strategy
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Ningark Natilikmiot

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the document that will be coming out in April, will it just be another status report or will it be the final report? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 21-12(7): Provisions Of Updates On Zero Tolerance For Violence Strategy
Question 21-12(7): Provision Of Updates On Zero Tolerance For Violence Strategy
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you, Minister of Justice, Mr. Kakfwi.

Further Return To Question 21-12(7): Provisions Of Updates On Zero Tolerance For Violence Strategy
Question 21-12(7): Provision Of Updates On Zero Tolerance For Violence Strategy
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Madam Speaker, we expect there will be some more meetings between now and the end of March with these different groups. It's our view that this will not be a status report as such but rather, in fact, a strategy that will tell this government, the public, and the communities, what approach we have to take in order to make best use of existing resources, how we can best tackle the many problems that we have in the north, and what kind of flexibility and principles we need to commit ourselves to in order to recognize it's a community development approach. It's a community controlled approach, community priorizing approach that will lead us to arrest and perhaps diminish the level of violence that is plaguing our people right across the north at this time. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 21-12(7): Provisions Of Updates On Zero Tolerance For Violence Strategy
Question 21-12(7): Provision Of Updates On Zero Tolerance For Violence Strategy
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.

Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Madam Speaker, the Standing Committee on Finance recommended that resources be allocated in the 1995-96 operations and maintenance budget for the zero tolerance to violence strategy. Those departments have been working on those budgets already and we've just heard today the Minister of Finance mention that he thinks it's going to be difficult to find the extra resources that he thinks may be needed. My question for the Premier is, were departments specifically directed to attempt to try and find resources to address this issue in their budgets?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier, Minister of Health and Social Services.

Return To Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I had thought that I had answered that question already.

Madam Speaker, in everything we do now at the community level, the communities are asking us to deal with issues in a holistic approach. I think that a lot of work has been done. Right now, I believe that this government should not be apologetic about how we've gone about attempting to use past resources to bring a certain degree of comfort when people want to talk about the problems they're having, the issues that concern them, where they want to go as individuals and as a community.

Out of this support system that we have provided in the past, we have been able to give enough support to women so they can feel strong enough, so they can put forth their own concerns and aggressively pursue options on how they're going to handle some of the things that are happening in the community. The whole evolution of people being more aggressive in talking about alcoholism, talking about health issues in the community, talking about publicly explaining and bringing to the public awareness and the need to address these problems in a more holistic manner has been very successful. Now, what we have to do is to try to provide the resources to communities so that they can further find solutions to these problems.

As I've stated, and I'll state again, we are trying to look at a wellness strategy in a holistic approach at the community level by redirecting resources, by redirecting intelligence in the communities so they can be more able to do the work that's necessary. There are these movements going around, for example, in the centralization of the suicide specialists who we put in the regions. At one time they used to be here in Yellowknife, now they're in the regions working with health boards trying to find how best to handle those problems at a community level. The more we do that, I think the more we're able to respond to the new active way people are expressing themselves, Madam Speaker.

So, yes, there has been a very conscious attempt to try to revisit how we're providing programs and services and personnel at the community level to address all these issues that are an everyday component of community living. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Return To Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Dent.

Supplementary To Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Supplementary, Madam Speaker, to the Premier. I'm pleased to hear that the approach is going to be community-based. I think I'm on record as saying that a holistic approach is the best way to deal with social problems. But this government has to provide leadership, and to provide that leadership we have to provide it at the departmental level. My question specifically is, have departments been given specific instructions to look for ways to reallocate funds in the budget coming out? In the O and M budget for 1995-96, have they been told to look for ways to reallocate funds to deal with the zero tolerance for violence strategy?

Supplementary To Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services, Madam Premier.

Further Return To Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, I don't know how many more times I have to repeat myself. The community wellness strategy did not come without a conscious effort by all the departments to try to address the issues of community wellness, which includes violence. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Further Return To Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Question 22-12(7): Allocation Of Funding For Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Finance. I fully understand the increasing pressures on the Minister of Finance, in times of decreasing resources, and on the Minister of Justice, as our society throws up more and more victims, those voices won't be stilled. But I think the Minister of Finance will agree that government itself is not the solution. We do have a wonderful resource in the non-government organizations and community-based non-government organizations that can probably do a lot of jobs better and cheaper than government. My question to the Minister of Finance, as he approaches the O and M budget in February, is would he commit that where possible instead of creating new person years in the government, that money will be given directly to community-based non-government organizations? That's my first question. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Return To Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Pollard Hay River

Madam Speaker, a difficult question to answer. Madam Speaker, there are communities across the Northwest Territories who say we want a social worker, and we would like a social worker who is a government social worker. There are all kinds of demands, and I'm not saying that the demands from all the communities are all the same. The different demands from different regions, different communities, differ. We're trying to wrestle with the problem of how to address the issue which is summed up by the Premier when she says community wellness, which includes family violence, which includes violence in general, which includes alcoholism, which includes can I get up in the morning to go to work, which includes do I have a decent place to stay and can I bathe myself and keep myself clean and healthy, can I get a balanced diet, et cetera. All those things relate to community wellness.

So we're trying to balance the whole thing across the Northwest Territories by saying that's the issue that has to be addressed, it's been brought to our attention many times in this House and by our own departments and by people across the territories. So I can't commit that in the next budget we will try as much as possible to fund agencies other than our departments to address those issues. But I will commit to Mr. Ballantyne that we will look at that, Madam Speaker, as a

suggestion. Maybe it will work in some areas and I will pass it on to the appropriate Ministers. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Return To Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary To Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

Thank you. I thank the Minister for that. My second question actually anticipated part of the Minister's response. It seems to me that the two areas that need support are community-based non-government organizations and also frontline workers in the communities, in both areas. So my question to the Minister is, would the Minister commit to seriously considering putting any new resources or any resources that are saved by reductions in management, for instance, into those two areas as a priority? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Minister of Finance, Mr. Pollard.

Further Return To Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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John Pollard Hay River

Madam Speaker, I think first of all I'll preface the answer by saying that Members should not get their hopes up that in the next budget all of these things are going to be addressed, because at the time we put the budget together we didn't have all the information that's required to address this very, very complicated issue. But, is it a concern of the government? Absolutely. Mr. Ballantyne raises the point that there are two areas that need help, the front-line workers and organizations that are doing work in this particular area in the Northwest Territories.

I can't make a commitment to the House, other than to say that I accept the items that are being put forward as being most important. I recognize the importance that the Ordinary Members attach to it. I recognize the importance that the Ministers are attaching to it, and we will do everything we can to give due consideration to this issue in the next budget, Madam Speaker. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Question 23-12(7): Reallocation Of Funding For Community-based Violence Programs
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Lewis.

Question 24-12(7): Number Of Aids Cases In The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions

November 14th, 1994

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Brian Lewis Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In 1993, the Department of Health made public a study called Northwest Territories AIDS Project Review. It was document 91-12(3) and was tabled in the Assembly on March 11, 1993. This was an evaluation of the AIDS program undertaken by the federal government and in which we participated between 1987 and 1990. On page 75 of this report, Madam Speaker, there are two references to the approaching AIDS epidemic. Could the Minister confirm whether three years after this report was written, that there is, indeed, an AIDS epidemic in the Northwest Territories, that it is still on its way, or that there is no indication of any AIDS epidemic in the Northwest Territories?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services, Madam Premier.

Return To Question 24-12(7): Number Of Aids Cases In The Nwt
Question 24-12(7): Number Of Aids Cases In The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, the Member is quite correct in referring to our report. Madam Speaker, the issue of AIDS is a very serious issue. The attempts to communicate the seriousness of the issue have been very difficult. However, we have done a number of things to try to bring that awareness to every individual in the Northwest Territories. Madam Speaker, the issue of AIDS is a very, very serious issue in the short term and the long term, but, Madam Speaker, the issue has not been determined, as the Member is indicating, as serious an issue as the Member has titled it to be.

Return To Question 24-12(7): Number Of Aids Cases In The Nwt
Question 24-12(7): Number Of Aids Cases In The Nwt
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Lewis.