Thank you, Mr. Chair. In regard to the
area of program delivery and services, I think as a government we have tried different things in the past. Some things have worked out, and other things have been problems by way of recruitment, implementation. I’ll use some examples. The midwifery
legislation that was passed — and we
were able to activate that program — seemed to be originating in one community, which is Fort Smith. But to enhance that program to other regions and other communities…. I know my colleague from Deh Cho made reference that it was something that community would like to also consider. I think that’s something communities elsewhere throughout the Territories could probably access. The legislation is there, but it’s not really being implemented to its fullest.
The same thing applies in regard to the mental health positions. We’ve implemented legislation to bring people under the public workforce whereas, before, a lot of these positions, such as alcohol and drug programs, were run out of the communities
that needed them — government employees. Yet we made it so stringent that it’s very ineffective to find people for those positions. The qualifications are so high and so stringent we are having problems attracting and recruiting and, more importantly, training our own people to take on those positions.
I think also in regard to programs we have in this government, we seem to be quick on the draw, passing legislation, establishing these particular legislative authorities to do so, but it’s the implementation side I think we’re lacking in. I think we have to find a way to have the flexibility in the legislation, to realize we’re unique and we have some unique challenges. Through the ways that individuals, either at the regional level or at the territorial level, interpret that legislation, they have to have some flexibility or basic moral understanding of the people, the communities and the regions they’re serving, and work with those NGOs and community organizations to deliver a lot of these programs and services.
I talked about the Tl’oondih
program. They had 200
and something people go through that program. It was unique because it was the first time in Canada, I think, they had a program strictly designed to deal with family issues, to deal with the children, the husbands, the wives, the grandparents and whatnot. It was unique in the sense that a lot of the problems we see in our communities and in our families you can track back decades to residential schools, going back to first contact. I think it’s important that we work with our community and aboriginal organizations to develop programs and services that meet their needs, meet their goals of trying to achieve some of these successes and not put road blocks in their place because we had so much legislative red tape in there.
I’m wondering if there is anything this government is doing by way of reviewing its policies, procedures and legislation, seeing if there are ways we can, not overhaul the system but review the procedures and policies and see if we can make it not as restrictive as it is right now.