Mr. Speaker, I rise today to provide Members with an update on the Department of Health and Social Services' strategic plan, Shaping Our Future: A Strategic Plan for Health and Wellness.
During the next few years, the people of the north face historic change. Shaping Our Future provides a framework for the governments of Nunavut and the Western Territory to develop effective and sustainable health and social services systems that will meet people's needs now and well into the next century.
This plan results from the department's strategic planning activities over the past 18 months. Creating the plan involved extensive consultations by boards and the department with the public, non-profit groups, associations and other departments. Shaping Our Future identifies the challenges to improving health and well-being. It provides a framework for making improvements to the delivery and management of services. Over the next few years when two new governments are developing, the plan will provide a focus on our most pressing health and social issues.
During our consultations, we heard from people across the north about what is important to them. We heard about their expectations and needs and about how we can improve the system. We also heard that we cannot wait to make changes to improve the health of our children, youth, families and communities. Mr. Speaker, we must address health and social issues today. Many people stressed the importance of fair and equal access to services. They want to take greater ownership of personal and community issues, supported by government.
The system must be managed so that basic health and social needs can always be met. The system must place the needs of individuals and families first. Mr. Speaker, services should be coordinated and integrated so people get the services they need when they need them.
Shaping Our Future is a commitment to make improvements where they are needed and to keep the things that are working well.
The plan focuses on three areas:
1. increasing partnerships between different agencies at all levels to provide better services;
2. involving all of the government in improving health and well-being by dealing with the underlying causes of health and social problems, such as
-low income and education,
-unemployment,
-poor lifestyle choices,
-addictions,
-abuse, violence and crime,
-inadequate housing and environmental pollution; and finally
3. improving the network of programs and services.
The plan will be distributed to MLA's, boards, departments and interested agencies over the next few weeks. A summary of the plan will be available to the public at their local health and social services office or from their board. The plan will also be posted to the department's world wide web.
We will, Mr. Speaker, collaborate with our partners to move this plan into action. Some work is just beginning. For example, we are developing a Mental Health Strategy and a Health Promotion Strategy to address coordination and gaps in service delivery for these areas.
Other work is well underway. Health Suite and the Child Welfare Information System are two new information systems that will improve our management and use of the information we collect. These new systems will be installed once new computers are available in local and regional offices.
These activities highlight the department's commitment to improve health and well-being as well as our public system of programs and services. These activities show that we are prepared to act on the directions spelled out in our strategic plan.
The work that went into this plan and the work that continues will allow a stable start for the two new governments. In the future, we need to keep our commitment to the people by keeping health and social issues a government priority. Mr. Speaker, we look forward to working with the public and our partners to meet the needs of northerners with innovation, cooperation and collaboration.
Mr. Speaker, later today I will table a summary of Shaping Our Future: A Strategic Plan For Health And Wellness. For further information on the plan and related activities, I invite Members to visit the display set up in the Great Hall. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause