Mr.

Speaker, I would

repeat that the department is monitoring the situation of cellphones that he raised and also the banning of smoking in vehicles while children are present in the vehicle. The department is monitoring the situation and monitoring the reviews that are happening across Canada. The department is interested in engaging in some discussions with the MLA and the public in terms of what emergent issues need to come forward in terms of continuing on and seeing what we can do with dealing with these two issues.

I heard that very clearly this time around. Does the Minister have any suggestions as to how we’re going to get public feedback on this issue? I’m glad to hear the Ministry is….

Interruption.

We’ve got a technical problem.

Continue with your question, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, whomever.

Mr. Speaker, the issue really is: can the Minister tell me how he plans to get out there and get that

feedback? He did say his department is monitoring the situation, but how is he getting out there to get feedback from the general citizenship of the Northwest Territories?

Mr. Speaker, there are seven communities in the Northwest Territories that have cellphone coverage out of 34 communities, which are the larger centres. That’s 8,000 — in my estimate, from NorthwesTel — cellphone users in the Northwest Territories. We do not have this coverage all along our transportation infrastructure road system. We’re not at that level yet. So in that sense we are monitoring the situation. We certainly have to talk to these centres that do have cellphone coverage.

On the banning of smoking in vehicles with children in them, we understand that Nova Scotia and Yukon do have this ban. We have to, again, monitor the situation. There are lots of issues of this type that are talked about amongst the Ministers of Transportation. Alberta is into that type of discussion. When we are coming closer to the amendments of the Motor Vehicles Act, that will enhance some issues in terms of amendments to the act. I am following the issues with the department, and I’ll continue reporting to the Member as to how we’re doing with our progress.

Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. My

position is quite simple. I’d rather not be in the back seat riding along with this issue. I’d rather be in the driver’s seat on this issue.

The Minister did mention some potential amendments. All I’m calling for is some public discussion, maybe an ad in the paper or on the radio saying that we’re looking for feedback from citizens of the Northwest Territories on this issue. Let’s get control of this issue. Let’s get ahead of the bubble. Let’s grab hold of it and make sure we know what people want and put safety first. Would the Minister do that?

Mr.

Speaker, the

Member is correct in terms of the education process. I do apologize that I didn’t mention that the Department of Transportation has a campaign, a single-window approach, in terms of all drivers on the road: the Drive Alive campaign. This is one process that we will be sure the Members in the House and the public in the communities know. We will enhance our component of the Drive Alive safety program to let them know about the issue of any type of distraction in the vehicle and the dangers of second-hand smoke, especially when there are children in the vehicle. We’ll certainly work closely with our Minister of Health and Social Services to ensure that this issue does have front-

page notice and that we are in the front seat driving this issue.

The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr.

Speaker. I

appreciate the Member’s question. The million dollar increase that the Member mentioned is part of our new initiative funding in the budget which increases the rates that the foster parents receive. I could also advise the Member that in his communities of Mackenzie Delta, Aklavik, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic, there are currently, as of March ’08, 36 children in care. The vast majority of them are with either the families or with extended families under various arrangements that makes it possible, with agreement from the government and the parents and the children involved.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister give me a breakdown on the cost for the number of children who are in care and also the cost associated with the children in care in my riding?

I don’t have that level of detailed information, but I’d be happy to get the information for the Member.

In my statement I made a reference to the Auditor General’s report in assessing children who are being apprehended on reserves in southern Canada. I believe that also affects us in the Northwest Territories. Has anybody in the department looked at the recommendations of the Auditor General and at exactly what alternatives and options we can look at to try to stem the flow of children being put into foster care and find solutions to those problems?

I do agree with the Member that if it’s at all possible we should try to keep our children in our communities and with extended families. This is information the department keeps close tabs on. Currently in the Territories there are

about 620 children in care. The vast majority of them are with extended families. Back in 1999 there were only 100 children who were with the parents or guardians or extended families. This year, as of March 31, 264 children are with parents retaining guardianship, and 316 children are with extended families. Many of them are in their communities. I think we could make a very strong case that we are improving, but obviously, it’s an area we continue to work on.

It’s good to see numbers going down, but I think there are a lot of children who have fallen through the cracks, who have now ended up in institutions such as our jail systems, our young offenders facilities. I’d like to ask the Minister: do you track the children who are in care, and exactly where do they progress? What happens to these children after the age of 18?

I don’t have the information as to what happens to children after 18, but I could see if I could get that information. For the children who are under 18, there are currently 18 children in care outside of the Territories: two children, because they have a specialized medical condition; four children moved out to be with extended family; two moved south with their extended family; and ten children have moved to go with a formal foster family, because it was thought to be in the best interest of the children that they stay in the family they know for now. But in terms of the numbers, this is quite small in comparison to over 600 children who are in care.

Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Again, Mr. Speaker, 600 children are too many children to be in care. I think that, if anything, it is the trend that started off with residential schools, where children were taken away at a young age, put into residential schools and came into that cycle. I’d just like to remind the Minister that we have to do everything we can to get out of this cycle. I know there was the Plan of Care established under legislation. I fought long and hard to get that in my constituency. I’d just like to ask the Minister: what are we doing to ensure that all elements of the Child and Family Services Act are being implemented, especially in the area of the Plan of Care committees in communities.

I agree with the Member that we need to do more work on that. I appreciate the work the Member did on that Plan of Care provision of the Act that we amended. I supported that as a member of the committee. Regrettably, we do not have as many Plan of Care committees set up as we would like. The department is working with any committee that acts interested in it, to give them workshops and to help them set them up. That is something we need to do a lot more work on, which

I am planning on doing more rigorously as we move forward.

The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated in my Member’s statement today, we are probably the only jurisdiction in Canada that does not have legislation enabling professionals to become incorporated. I’d like to ask the Minister of Justice if this type of legislation is forthcoming in the Northwest Territories.

The Minister of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.