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

Transition Issues

Anti-Poverty Strategy

In the spring of 2010 following a formal formation in the House, the government agreed to begin working on an Anti-Poverty Strategy. A workshop entitled No Place for Poverty was hosted by Alternatives North and the YWCA in 2010. A discussion paper was due in spring 2011, with actions to be considered by the 17th Assembly, but

it is not available to the committee and it is now due in September for inclusion in transition materials. A summary of public input on the issue, “what we

heard from Northerners about poverty,“ was provided to the Standing Committee on Social Programs during the August sitting of the Legislative Assembly. Housing must be an important component of the Anti-Poverty Strategy. The NWT Housing Corporation Shelter Policy review is due to be completed and ready for review on the arrival of Members of the 17th Assembly.

Legislation

Various legislation that would be referred to the Standing Committee on Social Programs has been discussed or proposed to the 16th Assembly. Most

notable are the inclusion of naturopaths and massage therapists in the Health Professions Act and amendments to the Legal Aid Act.

Community-based Programs and Services

The committee is concerned that many programs and services are difficult to assess in the smaller communities. The reason for this is often the lack of presence on the ground. For example, no local police officer, social worker, nurse, mental health worker, addictions counsellor, et cetera. This represents a very serious challenge to the effectiveness of many departmental programs. The one-window approach to accessing government services has been piloted by the Executive department in several communities. An update on the results may be useful to committee members early in the first months of the 17th Assembly.

Family Violence

A great deal of work has been done in recent years by both the GNWT and non-government organizations to reduce family violence in the Northwest Territories. Within government the departments of Health and Social Services; Education, Culture and Employment; Justice; and the NWT Housing Corporation have all had a role in phase II of the NWT Family Violence Action Plan, which comes to an end on March 31, 2012. The NWT Coalition Against Family Violence has completed its final report, which makes 19 recommendations for work to be done in phase III of the action plan. These recommendations warrant the committee’s attention in the 17th Assembly.

I’ll now pass over continued reading to my colleague Ms. Bisaro. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.