We’re going to have a committee of social envelope Ministers, so all the Ministers that are involved with poverty will be directing the development of the Anti-Poverty Strategy. We’ll have a lead deputy minister that will coordinate the direction and make sure that we follow the direction of the Social Envelope Committee.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my last question for the Premier is: If we have a committee of Ministers and I have a question that relates to the Anti-Poverty Strategy or something that is related to that, who do I address my questions to? If it’s a department, I’m well aware, but if it’s a committee of Ministers, I would ask the Premier again who is the lead Minister that I can speak with when I have a concern? Thank you.

We communicated that information to the chair of P and P just recently and the chair of the social envelope Ministers will be Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to follow up on my Member’s statement regarding community economies. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Here in the Northwest Territories, in the Mackenzie Valley, whether we live up north, whether in the south, west or eastern part of the Northwest Territories we call this our home. We live in small, remote communities, regional centres and, of course, we live in big cities like Yellowknife.

My question is: Does Education, Culture and Employment adapt its employment programs to each community’s needs, and if so, how is that done?

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Member did talk about the income security in the communities, and part of the program is to assess those individuals that could pursue productive choices at the community level. We also have a small employment program, as well, a subsidy to the employer so they can hire community members. It’s been very successful to date and we will continue to address that. There’s also a Labour Market Agreement and Labour Market Development as well. That funding is allocated for training, skill development, self-employment, work experience and so forth, youth employment. That information I can share with the Members. Mahsi.

I would like to thank the Minister for his response. My question was whether the department would perhaps maybe modify or else customize its approach in terms of trying to create employment in communities, because not all communities are the same. We have, of course, different demographics in different regional centres in different communities. My question, once again: Does the department adapt its employment programs in circumstances of each community that is normally different? Mahsi.

Through the Department of Education, Culture and Employment we have regional representatives, regional employees at the community level, and we collaborate with other departments, as well, whether it be the superintendents working with the career development officers or PWS and ENR.

Each department has their own mandate, their own initiatives on how or where those individual positions should be based, which community or region. Within our ECE department we target each region, each community where those positions should lie, what kind of position it should be, the skills and so forth, and creating more opportunities in that area. We will continue to do that. I’ve touched on certain programs that we need to promote more of those into the communities. Mahsi.

My final question is directed in terms of some of the agreements, the labour market agreements with, say, the ASETS program, which has served the Deh Cho region for some time. I want to know what kind of efforts the department is making to ensure that those agreements are renewed and working in the best interests of the North. Mahsi.

I’m glad the Member raised that issue. It’s a very valid point. There are agreements in place with the Deh Cho and other regions as well. There are some changes through the federal government, whether it be ASEP versus ASETS and we also have the Labour Market Development Agreement and also the Labour Market Agreement that I’ve highlighted. It’s a separate entity but we continue to support those individual organizations and members.

The Member referred to an agreement that is in place. We know that there is a sunset clause but we need to coordinate together with the community. It is at a federal level and we will continue to push from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and GNWT perspective. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to return to the issue of a residential detox centre required here in the Northwest Territories. I’d like to state for the record, of course, if you really care about this issue, even from a Yellowknife perspective, I want to emphasize it doesn’t matter where the building gets established, where we provide residential treatment for people who have detox needs. I mean, the fact is if we can put it in a regional centre, I would certainly support that any moment that that issue comes forward for any type of a decision.

On that note, a residential centre is much different than what the Minister is describing as an on-the-land type of program. Can the Minister of Health and Social Services provide information to this House that defines and explains why an on-the-

land program would work in cases when someone is suffering from cocaine, crack, hallucinogen addictions, things along those lines where you’d need defined medical treatment and support? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The program that I was referring to, on-the-land, that was requested by many of the small communities. The small communities refer to on-the-land treatment as a more holistic treatment that is to address all of the issues, mental health, addictions and the whole human being. Regardless of what type of addiction the individual is struggling with, they feel that specific program would work on the land for the small communities. Thank you.

I’m not going to deny the need for spiritual connection both within one’s self and certainly with the land on a lot of people. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. We cannot shoe horn everybody into the on-the-land program and call that a solution. What facts does the Minister have at his hand or with his arsenal defined as the department that he can provide this House and say and show that an on-the-land type of program would help people who suffer from things like crack, heroine, speed and other types of problems that require medical support, not just spiritual support? Thank you.

Detox is a program, not a building. What we are saying is that the health and social services authority is spending about $6 million across the board on mental health and addictions. Detox is a part of that and can be in any location. It is a program. It is available right across the North and certainly available in Yellowknife if needed. Thank you.

I have to take issue with that particular last point which is saying detox is available across the North. I’m sorry; that is not exactly true. As we all know, the only place with any detox treatment here is at Stanton Territorial Hospital. As I repeated many times over, Stanton is not defined as a detox centre. It is a central wellness for folks. We should be putting people with addictions in an addiction treatment centre for detox.

My point here is we need bold action. This government needs to wake up from its deep slumber and take some action. Will the Minister be willing to develop a plan to develop a detox centre here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

In the past in the Northwest Territories on Franklin Avenue there was a detox centre. That was shut down for one reason or another. People needing detox at this time do

seek detoxification through various avenues. The department is there, like I indicated. Health and Social Services is spending over $6 million in the various health authorities to address that issue, mental health and addictions. Detox is a part of addictions and, yes, we as a department are more than willing and are prepared and want to be involved in helping people detox from drugs and alcohol. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

I like the last phrase the Minister said, which was he is prepared to be part of something that goes forward here. I am going to offer a quick pro quo to this particular subject. If the Minister is willing to do something, I will stop nagging about it every session. What I am asking for now is that he diverts some of that $6 million and develops a plan. Just because he shut down the detox centre, it didn’t shut down the issue. The people are suffering from these particular things. It didn’t just magically go away. The reality here is simply this: Would the Minister be willing to divert some of that focus of the $6 million he keeps talking about for drug treatment, to work on a plan to develop a detox centre here for Northerners so they can get residential treatment when we suffer from the drugs that I have talked about?

A part of that money that is being spent by the health and social services authorities is for addictions. That is for treatment. It is for detox. Yes, during the upcoming business plan we would be willing to talk to the MLAs and discuss the possibility of moving more money into detox. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.