Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’d like to start by really acknowledging the superior level of support we had in putting this report together. I’d like to start with our research staff. We had Regina Pfeifer, Robin Stewart and Lee Selleck, all of whom put their stamp into this work and went beyond the call. The Clerk’s office contributed hugely and I’d like to recognize the committee clerk, Gail Bennett, who is very professional and thorough in her support with a keen eye for the detail that’s required to do a good job here. My colleague, MLA for Great Slave, Glen Abernethy put the motion on the floor and was instrumental in getting this review underway. I want to recognize that huge contribution. I also appreciate our chair, Mr. Tom Beaulieu, and other fellow Members on the Standing Committee on Social Programs, Ms. Wendy Bisaro and Mr. David Krutko, chair. Also we had three consultants who had significant contributions: Cindy Blackstock, Bruce MacLaurin and Sharon Sutherland. Thanks to them. The Minister and her staff and many others contributed in many ways helping with arrangements and advice and so on. And to all those who contributed with the arrangements and mechanics of our consultation, travel, meetings, report generation and printing were all much appreciated.

I have to say that the highest regard goes out to those constituents and family members throughout the Northwest Territories who contributed the real material we needed to hear and learn about in putting this report together. Some of them we heard before the idea of this review and it was on their contributions from constituents that we recognized the need here. The residents of the Northwest Territories, family people throughout our jurisdictions certainly affirmed the decision of the standing committee to conduct this review. A huge thank you to those people who participated and sometimes having to speak through considerable emotion and pain but importantly sharing their vital experience.

The four key points come to me just in terms of needing to be highlighted in general comments here. I guess the most fundamental issue, one that is not a surprise, is that the health of our children, families and communities are the crux of everything we do. They’re what this review was about. They’re what so much of what we do is about. That’s the fundamental issue.

As my colleague has mentioned, the huge opportunities for prevention are out there waiting to be taken advantage of. Right now they’re hardly

being recognized in terms of the dollars and programs that we have in place.

Other things that became apparent very quickly and repeatedly are that the issues involved are intertwined with many other of our basic and serious challenges, including poverty, addictions, loss of culture and issues of literacy. Again, those are very specific things that will require cross-departmental response, government-wide response.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the ultimate answers are to be found at home, in our families, in our homes, in our communities and in our cultures. Government, indeed, has a crucial role in engaging all of these entities and providing them with the appropriate types and amounts of support to implement the solutions they know are required.

The cost of children in care is high and rising. If we are to do an effective and good job at addressing that and reversing that trend, there are opportunities for savings. As has been noted, this report calls for additional resources towards Child and Family Services Act implementation and revision. I just want to say, frankly, for the record, that I will be standing in support of these initiatives as we go forward with budgets. I’ll leave it there. Thank you for this opportunity.