Mahsi. Through various school boards, they deliver their own projects outside of their business planning budget that they usually receive. Again, thanking them for being innovative and creative. We are working closely with that. There are different projects on the go. E-learning is just one example. There are other school boards that are doing quite well in other projects, as well, that we are closely monitoring. Again, this will be a part of their business planning cycle. If there’s going to be an increase in funding, then that will be considered through the process itself. So at the end of the day, we will be going through this with our department and all of the school boards with all these different initiatives such as e-learning, a prime example. Mahsi.

Thank you. This program itself is very unique and the Inuvik Education Authority has taken this on themselves, have run with it and they’ve shown success. They’ve given us

presentations on high success rates within the school system, an increase in their school averages, academic averages. If the Inuvik Education Authority is spending their money on this successful program when they could be using it other ways that other educational authorities are using their dollars, would the department be looking to fund this as a different project rather than having the Inuvik Education Authority use their dollars on this unique program that’s making waves in the small communities? Would the department look at funding it as a project on its own out of Inuvik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, these are just some of the projects that we are seriously looking at. We have done pilot projects in the past. We continue to do so. This could be part of the project that has been delivered through the Beaufort-Delta and along with other communities, so we could deliver that in the mains. Again, we need to sit down and work with the Beaufort-Delta and other school boards, if we can deliver a similar model, and as part of the business planning cycle as well. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a very unique project. The staff have said to me, speaking with some of the staff and people who have known the program, they do need more dollars to run this program successfully, even in the two communities they’re working with now.

Would the Minister also, doing this model, look at southern institutions that might be able to offer programs from the South through Inuvik to the communities? It’s very unique. It’s a great opportunity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the Member that we are unique. We are very much different than other jurisdictions. I did receive a letter from the chair of the Beaufort-Delta. We are seriously looking at this particular project. If it’s going to be funded from the department with the school board, those are just some of the recommendations brought to my attention, so I need to work with that. It wasn’t too long ago that we received the letter, but I will keep the Member posted as we move forward on these particular projects. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the new Minister of Health and Social Services, with my congratulations, and it

follows up on my Member’s statement on the need for a treatment centre or not within the Northwest Territories.

Does the Minister agree that the need for a drug and alcohol treatment centre in the NWT, which means the allocation of substantial funding and efforts, versus focusing on other programs and accessing southern institutions, remains unclear and needs attention and focus to be resolved? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Abernethy.

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that dealing with mental health and addictions in the Northwest Territories is a priority of this government as well as Members. There are many ways to provide services. It may be a treatment centre; it may be on-the-land programming. This is a discussion that we need to continue to have with committee and I’m willing to continue to have with committee. We do have a Shared Path Towards Wellness, the 2012-2015 report on mental health and addictions. This is an action plan and we all need to work together. I hear the Member’s point, but I’m not sure the government committee need new bricks and mortar as the direction to go. There are lots of buildings around which we may be able to utilize for treatment centres but there is also on-the-land programming, so there are multiple approaches we need to consider. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister. That is exactly my point. We have not resolved this question for decades. We halfway supported our institutions. We have allowed them to fail because we haven’t had the commitment to either make them work or focus somewhere else. Currently, it’s totally buried in the fine print of the strategy.

Will he bring the focus needed to resolve this question? Bring it to the House and let us know the timeline and how he is going to go about this. I would like to hear him commit to that during this session. The day has come. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I listened intently yesterday during the mental health and addictions theme day and I heard the Member talking. I also heard all of the Members talking. What I will commit to right now is that I will sit down with committee. We will talk about these issues. The reviews and the research have been done; it’s time for action. I agree, and I will work with committee to move forward on this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks for that commitment. Thanks to the Minister. Unfortunately, and I agree with most of what he said, but towards the end, we have not done the research. That is what I’m

saying. Let’s do the research. Let’s commit ourselves fully. Do the research. What are the programs? What are the success rates of the different models? What is our situation? How would it work, jibe with on-the-land programs and so on? Let’s put the effort and the commitment to resolve this once and for all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I heard the Member say that we need a thorough and informed debate to examine the pros and cons leading to a clear evidence-based decision and a commitment to act. I also heard Members say we are plagued with study after study after study. I’ve heard other Members say we have talked about the reports that have been shelved. I heard another Member say study after study after study keeps telling us the same thing. I also heard that we have to think outside the box and that we have to work together.

I and my colleagues are here to work with Members on that side of the House to find real solutions and we’re willing to think outside the box. We don’t need more studies. The research is done. Let’s get something done. We need to work with the Members and we will work with the Members to solve these solutions.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister has captured it here. There is a lot of confusion, which is what I said. There is a lot of opposing information. That’s exactly what I’m looking for, is a timeline. Right now, as I said, this is buried in the fine print of the so-called action plan. I’m looking for a commitment to get this done within all the details that the Minister has mentioned, various programs that are out there, the conflicting information. We need leadership to penetrate this haze and come up with a clear, informed decision. That is what I’m asking for. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I’m pretty sure that’s what I just said as well. As far as a timeline, I’m not going to stand here on my first day and give you a timeline. I’m going to work with the Members. We are going to work on a timeline. We are going to come forward with action in the life of this Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Time for oral questions has expired. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to the committee report I gave earlier today, I wish to table the Pembina Report, titled Responsible Extraction: An Analysis of the Northwest Territories Mineral Development Strategy Panel Report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled Education Renewal Innovation Framework: Directions for Change, 2013. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Miltenberger.