Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Krutko following Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Mr. Miltenberger.

If I could switch focus then back to the Trail Cross Facility which is a territorial facility for child welfare clients in Fort Smith. I was wondering if the Minister could indicate what the plan is for Trail Cross. I know they signed the contract. There were a certain number of renovations planned to upgrade it and to build in separate bedrooms. It would minimize the risk for children and staff in terms of any possible complications resulting from accusations from sexual abuse or misconduct. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. For the record I am on activities summary, children's programs, operations and maintenance, total operations and maintenance, $9.691 million. I recognize Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to children's programming and a question I have raised in the House several times about the need for a child advocacy group for the Northwest Territories. This issue was also raised by Mr. Mike Ballantyne, with the previous government. I have tried to find a way to establish a child advocacy group in the Northwest Territories and to work along with other advocacy groups across Canada. In light of the conference I attended in Winnipeg with regard to the whole area of child advocacy and how it is proceeded to be given a lot more powers and abilities to ensure that there is that independence from that whole area of social services to allow it the ability be there to represent the youth, the children especially, in regard to knowing that there is a mechanism for raising grievances and also taking into account child issues when we are dealing with policies and establishing different programs and services. Children have to be always involved in any decisions we have made to ensure their well-being is protected and also that there is a group that represents them. I would like to ask the Minister, has he looked at the whole area of child advocacy in the Northwest Territories to work along with the other advocacy groups across Canada?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to other interested groups such as the Status of Women and the Native Women's Association, they have been consulting me in regard to how they feel about the whole child advocacy area. They feel very strongly that there has to be some sort of an advocacy group to represent children in the north especially the problems we see within our society, especially in relation to the Young Offenders Act. Looking at the problem we see as dropouts, also with children who are runaways, there has to be something

there for them where they feel that they are part of the overall decision-making process that seems to be always run by adults. A lot of times we forget that there is a sector of our population which makes up a large percentage of the overall population of the Northwest Territories, that is the youth and the children. I think, from what I have been hearing from them, that they feel there is a real need for such an advocacy group to be developed and established in the north to work with the Government of the Northwest Territories, especially with the different federal programs that we see coming along, where the federal government sees a real need to assist the children and the youth to develop them because they are going to be the next leaders. They will be having to deal with a lot of the problems we are dealing with today. I think it is critical we do formulate some sort of a group such as a child advocacy in the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Minister, has he been aware of the concerns of other interested groups besides myself in this particular area, especially with the Status of Women?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think there is always a concern of cost, but you have to look at the bureaucracy we have. We do have sort of an advocacy group through the language commissioner and there is the possibility of room within the department where there are areas that can take on this responsibility without any major extra costs to this government. Presently we fund the native association in the Northwest Territories native groups, especially in light of core funding. On talking to them, they feel they can take on this responsibility and deliver it on behalf of this government through the existing funds that are presently there. I think if this government had the will to consider looking at this initiative seriously, there are ways that we can implement such a program. I believe there are avenues out there where we presently have systems in place in regard to the language commissioner. I mentioned the Native Women's Association in the Northwest Territories who are presently being funded by this government to carry on responsibilities similar to an advocacy group. I would like to ask the Minister if he would consider looking at trying to work on the scenario with the different interest groups and also within the government bureaucracy we have now, if there is a way or a mechanism to implement such a needed body in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Ng.

Thank you, Mr. Ng. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I strongly believe there has to be some means and mechanism in place to allow children, especially children who find themselves in comparable situations, where they are being interrogated or being transferred from one community in Fort Smith or where they are housed in jail cells with adults. These things do occur where they are transferred from one community to another in regard to movement by air craft where they are with other criminals, yet they are classified as young offenders. I think we have to take into account that these things happen, but there is no real process of how a youth, who is in trouble with the law or what not, has an avenue where they can grieve concerns of how they have been treated. Because a lot of times, the person you are grieving to is the same department that put you there to begin with, which is social services. There has to be, that arms length, distribution of how they are being dealt with and being allowed the ability to have a mechanism that they can grieve these grievances with the government. With that, Mr. Chairman, I would like to move a motion.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. State your motion, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the committee recommends that the Minister of Health and Social Services work toward establishment of a child advocacy in the Northwest Territories before division. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. I understand your motion is being translated, so while it is being translated, we will continue on with the activity, if there are any more questions on the activity. If not, we will return to your motion or we will have a break while it is being translated. Maybe I should ask the Minister if he would like to respond first to what Mr. Krutko had to say? Mr. Minister.