Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Pudlat.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Speaker. Supplementary to the same Minister. Given the declaration against violence adopted by this Assembly, can the Minister commit to working with the divisional boards of education to ensure programs aimed at helping children combat sexual abuse are available for all NWT primary and elementary students? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment Programs, Mr. Nerysoo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Social Services, following up on the discussion of child sexual abuse. A couple of years ago, it is my understanding that the Department of Social Services centralized the function of the child sexual abuse experts. It is my understanding that there were a couple of people in headquarters dedicated to that particular function and it was decentralized. I wonder if the Minister could tell us how many individuals now in the regions are used solely to combat child sexual abuse.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have sexual abuse specialists in each region. I think we have four or five mental health specialists in place who are also available, upon request by the communities. To my understanding, there are four sexual abuse specialists, if not five. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Supplementary, Madam Speaker. I thank the Minister for that response. Does the Department of Social Services have a comprehensive plan of action to deal with child sexual abuse in all its complexities.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In my opening remarks I made just before we dealt with our O and M budget, I indicated that we are going to get four additional PYs that will be dealing strictly with human resources and the training needs that have to be assessed in the communities. This will come into effect. I believe we are in the stage of advertising for the positions. Once that is done, then

the selection of the applicants will take place. Once they are hired, they will assess how much training is required by our front line workers by region and by community. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. That doesn't exactly answer my question. I know it's been understood by this government and by Members that this problem is very serious. It's very complex. I think we have been aware of that for a number of years, and I think we have recognized, for a number of years, that it's going to take a multi-departmental approach -- cooperation between Education, Culture and Employment, Justice and Social Services, for instance. Now, my question to the Minister, as the lead department, has the department put together a comprehensive action plan that deals with this very, very serious subject in its entirety? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Those four PYs will be dealing with that, because, to date, we do not know how many of our workers in the communities would like to take the opportunity of getting some specialized training. Because they have families, often times they do not want to leave the community to receive the kind of training they require. What we plan to do -- this is just a general principle for the framework -- in the plan we have, which is not in great detail as yet, is that we will try and bring the educators closer to home rather than pulling our resources from the communities who cannot, for some reason, leave their communities because of their families or their families' sizes. Thank you.

Item 5, oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Ballantyne.

Final supplementary. I take it then, that the department has no plan of action, so I would ask the Minister if she would provide to this House a listing of the specialists in the field of child sexual abuse, the community visits that they have had in the past two years, the training that they have received in the past two years and any reports that have been done for the department about the magnitude of this problem. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Mr. Ballantyne, your supplementary question is more appropriate under a written question asking for details. Would you like to rephrase your supplementary? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I had hoped that the reply could have just been a yes. Again, I'll leave it to your good judgment, Madam Speaker, but of my question to the honourable Minister if she would provide these

reports to the House, if that is not acceptable, I am more than prepared to do that in a written question, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Minister of Social Services, Ms. Mike.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Since my budget got passed not too long ago and these PYs I talked about can go ahead now, I will proceed with the general plans that we have in dealing with sexual abuse, including mental health. I will provide to this House the request of the MLA for Yellowknife North, hopefully, before we adjourn.

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Amittuq, Mr. Allooloo.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I stated in my Member's statement, I had disturbing news in my constituency that the weather reporting station will be closing at midnight, March 31 until April 5, when our government takes over. Is the Minister of Transportation aware of this closure of the weather stations in Cape Dorset, Clyde River and Pond Inlet?