Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On November 5, 2001, I made a commitment to the Assembly and the people of the NWT to have an action plan within 90 days, mapping out the actions necessary to implement reform of the health and social services system. The Health and Social Services Action Plan 2002-2005 was publicly released on January 16, 2002. Later today, I will be tabling the action plan that we are implementing to make sure that our health and social services continue to meet the needs of all Northerners now and in the future.

The action plan is based on the principles outlined in the department's strategic plan issued in 1998 and reflects the many reports, consultations and studies done over the past eight years. The action plan draws from those studies and clearly outlines what we will do as a system to implement the changes and enhancements identified as important many times over the past decade.

The plan ensures service delivery and decision making are as close to the people being served as possible. At the same time, we clearly realize the need for coordination and cooperation through shared leadership at the territorial level.

Central to the action plan is the development of a Joint Leadership Council comprised of the chairs of each health and social services authority, the deputy minister and myself to serve as stewards of the health and social services system. In our consensus system, this type of shared leadership and planning is critical. It will enable us to provide the clearest direction to the system we are responsible for and realize economies of scale in the many critical areas of health and social services that affect us all.

The action plan has 45 actions contained within five broad strategies to address these issues and develop a sustainable and healthy system:

• • improved services to people -- which recognizes our primary obligations to provide quality service to individuals and families;
• • improved support to staff;
• • improved system-wide management;
• • improved support to trustees;
• • improved system-wide accountability.

Since the action plan was completed ahead of schedule, we have been able to begin working very aggressively to implement the actions outlined in the plan in the five weeks since the plan was released.

• • The Joint Leadership Council has met to begin to prioritize and address the issues of system-wide coordination and collaboration, with the issue of recruitment and retention of staff being identified as the number one priority.
• • Authority and departmental staff have been working together extensively to develop implementation plans for each of the actions.
• • I have continued to meet with professional organizations to get their feedback and advice as to how to proceed with the action plan and how they may be directly involved.
• • I have met with the Hay River Community Health Board staff, and a working group has been established to address their concerns and interests related to the transition to becoming GNWT employees.
• • I have met with the leadership, community members and staff in Fort Resolution and Lutselk'e, and working groups have been established to develop plans to improve support and enhance services for the residents of these two communities.

This plan, for which we will be accountable on an ongoing basis, lays out a plan of action over the next three years with aggressive implementation time lines. Through this plan, it is our intention to make the long-term sustainability of our system a reality. I am committed to report on progress to this Assembly and to the public. I plan to bring forward updates on a regular basis to ensure that we are all aware of the status and the results of each action.

Since I became Minister, I have placed a priority on meeting with health and social services authorities, community leaders and professional associations to discuss how best to proceed. I really appreciate the response from those with whom I have met. They have provided excellent advice and I have committed to continue meeting and consulting with them as we move forward to implement the plan.

I would like to thank the Joint Leadership Council for their support in the development of this plan, members of the Standing Committee on Social Programs for their feedback, and professional associations and health and social services staff for their expertise and input.

In closing, I would like to say that I believe we have learned a valuable lesson over the past eight years of studying and consulting. That lesson for me is that we have a tremendous system of health and social service delivery across the North. It needs constant care, attention and renewal on an ongoing basis. What is being proposed here today will allow us to improve our system of service delivery for the people of the North in just that way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause