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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier and it is in relation to his reply to the oral question asked by Mrs. Groenewegen that he made today. Could the Premier advise the House, what is the difference between the Affirmative Action Policy and employment equity?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take that question as notice. Thank you.

Thank you. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue is going to be addressed through the Addictions, Mental Health and Family Violence Strategy. It has been raised a number of times. It was raised when we reviewed the main estimates. It has been raised in relation as well to the alcohol and drug workers. There is a very clear recognition that there is a discrepancy between what is paid for NGO staff and what is currently paid to GNWT staff. We are going to try to start to address that in that strategy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these employees have been waiting over eight years to see their wages increase. I would hope that they do not wait another eight years. How soon can we see an increase in the wages of the mental health workers in our communities?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the intent is to have a strategy done by this spring and a subsequent action plan in place before summer. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe I heard the Minister state that he had hoped to have it in place by this summer. I would like to ask the Minister, will that also include such things as benefits which are presently delivered to other professions within the government?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this strategy will attempt to identify and address a host of issues as they pertain to addictions, mental health and family violence and the need for adequate resourcing, the kind of service that is currently delivered and improvements that may be required in terms of qualifications, in terms of standards, in terms of the gap, as indicated already, between NGO staff and what is paid to GNWT staff. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister commit to make it retroactive from April 1st of this fiscal year? If it is going to come to effect this summer, that he makes it retroactive from April 1st.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I commit to clearly keeping in mind the suggestion from the Member as we look at the final draft, the final work being put into this strategy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Public Works and Services, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the question is probably better addressed to my responsibilities as the Minister for Municipal and Community Affairs. MACA does not have any program in place to fund multi-purpose complexes at this time. It is still in the discussion stage at this point and it depends on what kind of direction we receive from the Assembly on this. Thank you.