Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I raised a question in terms of heart and stroke, and it being Heart Month, so my question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services. What is the department’s approach, in terms of addressing the heart and stroke disease, from diagnosis to treatment? Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time we look at heart disease along with all other chronic diseases; lung diseases, diabetes. So with the heart disease, what the department wishes to do at this time, recognizing that it is quite a cost-driver in our system, is to develop a strategy by first examining the pilot projects that we have run. We have run I do believe it’s three different pilot projects across the territory to then evaluate how the results of those pilot projects were, and from

that we’re trying to develop a chronic disease strategy. So within that disease, like I said, we would have lung disease, heart disease, diabetes and any other disease, including cancer, that is considered to be a chronic disease. Thank you.

Thank you. I know one of the priorities of the 17

th Assembly was to try to take some

preventative steps in terms of trying to address the health and social issues. So my question to the Minister is: What are some of the preventative measures that are in place to try to curb? He’s indicated that heart disease and other afflictions are cost-drivers. What are some of the measures in place to try to curb the rates of heart and stroke disease in the North? Mahsi.

Thank you. The department works with the Department of Education in healthy foods in schools and so on, hoping that this type of thing will carry on from the schools to the home. We support the anti-smoking campaigns like Don’t Be a Butthead as an example. We’re also in a federal campaign called Healthy Weights, so we deal with that as well. So these are some of the areas that we see as preventative. But just the whole nature of chronic disease management would be based on prevention that we feel is the best bang for the buck. Thank you.

Thank you. Lacking an ambulance in most small communities, what emergency measures do the health centres have in responding to heart and stroke situations? Mahsi.

Thank you. I don’t know if all of the health centres have the equipment to deal with a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have that information with me. I know that we are, in some of the larger centres, able to deal with it, we have the equipment to deal with that, but I can’t commit to saying that we have that type of equipment in all of our smaller health centres. So it would be difficult for me to answer that question.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is just in terms of the long-term horizon. I know it’s probably improbable for every community to have an ambulance, but is it within the department’s plan, in terms of long-term objectives and goals, to ensure that at least, at the very minimum, communities such as Fort Providence would have an ambulance?

Yes, the department has had some conversations with some of the key communities in strategic areas of the highway system that may benefit from having a service such as an ambulance service. We are working with an interdepartmental group, along with MACA and the Department of Transportation, to try to get the people trained. We are also looking at including one

of the people that are required for emergency measures that would work in the ambulance under the umbrella legislation that Health is now trying to bring to the House as a legislative proposal. Within there, we would have the emergency measures people who would be able to also be riding the ambulance and so on. There are a few things in play. We just don’t have the timelines here, but I’m sure we would be able to get the timelines to the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I enjoy hearing some of my colleagues today and I’m trying to be in line with some of their comments. Those like listening to our people, and we heard about listening to our kids. I’d like to build upon that.

With reference to my Member’s statement earlier today about allowing students to grade their teachers as part of the overall reform change for education effectiveness, my questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment today will be focused on what the department is doing about northern education reform. There are many barriers and factors that are impeding our students from achieving success in our school system. Can the Minister elaborate as to what are the things that are pulling us to focus on the change we require?

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would, first of all, like to thank the Member for that question. He raises several key topics and important issues. I’m glad to have the opportunity to address the NWT education renewal initiative that my department has undertaken. There are many factors. Several factors indicate that education in the NWT must change. As the Member puts it, pulling us to change. There are several types of assistance and large scale services that show our students are not achieving at anywhere near the levels that they should be. These also include Alberta Achievement Tests and functioning grade level assessments, international early development instrument and also healthy behaviours. Those are just some of the factors that we are contemplating. In summary, we are hearing from all corners, including the students, that change is needed and we are embarking on that.

I appreciate the Minister’s response to that. Can the Minister give us a recap of all the informing initiatives we have at this time and what future initiatives can we expect during the

life of this Assembly, as the Minister put it, as we prepare for this renewal?

One of our focuses is the Early Childhood Development Framework that we’ve been working on for quite some time now. It’s been over a decade and it is now before us as a result of the research that we are seeing. Those are some of the focuses that we are currently working on. That is why we are engaging into our plan to renew the Early Childhood Development Framework that’s in the process.

Just having an elders gathering, I think we had roughly 80 to 100 elders from all regions gathered for two or three days to hear their input. The following week we had over 80 stakeholders to listen to their input, ideas, suggestions how we can improve and streamline the Early Childhood Development Framework. There’s also a Safe Schools Strategy that’s before us in terms of addressing bullying in the Northwest Territories schools. Our children need to be safe whether at home, in the community, in the region. Those are some of the areas that we are tackling as we speak. The Anti-Poverty Strategy that’s before us in this House and the Minister of Health’s Addictions Strategy, those are just some of the elements that we are currently working on.

I appreciate the Minister’s recap of some of those initiatives here. We have many competing hurdles within the education system as of today. Some of them were mentioned by the Minister. From disparity of student achievement in small community schools, from poor results from Alberta Achievement Tests, to poor functional grade levels, staff development and retention issues, and some system accountability. Can the Minister elaborate how allowing students to grade teachers can fit in the overall assessment tools to help evaluate better educational outcomes?

This is a very interesting idea and suggestion. We have done some research in this area, too, and the Member provided some information on this particular subject. This is information that will be shared through engagement on the NWT educational renewal. I’m looking forward to that input from the general public and stakeholders as we move forward.

Accountability is one of the key issues that the Auditor General report specifically highlighted in her 2010 report. As we know, we need to hold students accountable for their learning and we measure through the Alberta Achievement Tests and other assessment that’s before us. One of the six pillars through the education renewal process that I presented to the standing committee is professionalism. Those are the teachers; they are our assets. We have to do what we can to support them and move them along in the process. This

particular area that the Member is alluding to will be addressed in the renewal process as well.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, again, appreciate the Minister’s response. Finally, northern education reform success or renewal success will, clearly, depend on the progress of dealing with poverty and other social factors. As we heard today, residential school impacts will also require an ongoing collaboration with the departments of Health and Social Services, Justice, NWT Housing, MACA and Human Resources. How will the Minister quarterback all these initiatives with so many departments in order to see real progress during the life of this 17

th Assembly?

It’s very important that we collaborate and form partnerships with interdepartmental discussion on this important matter because it will take more than just one department. We have to work with the Department of Health and Social Services and other departments. It has a ripple effect, as well, and we’re very positive that we want to deliver the key messages that we need to make some changes that reflect on these important areas.

This is an area that I need to work with closely with the Social Programs committee and also with my department and the other departments as well. My department and DM are working closely with other DMs as well. We all have to be on the same page when we’re talking about education renewal. We’re going to make some changes that will reflect and benefit the students in the Northwest Territories and for the betterment of a lot of people.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement today and ask questions directed to the Premier. The federal government is the resource manager and the co-signatory of the land claim agreements. Two Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada environmental audits say under-resourcing of the boards is a barrier to speedy and thorough completion of reviews.

Does the Premier agree that it is, at least currently, the responsibility of the federal government to adequately resource the boards to carry out this work?

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.