Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, with me today on my right is Debbie DeLancey, the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, and on my left Jeannie Mathison, the director of Finance.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. I believe we finished yesterday on page 185, community health programs, grants, contributions, and transfers. Were there any further questions or comments on this page? Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I wanted to highlight the Disabilities Fund. For three consecutive years, it's been fairly consistent at $335,000. I'm just trying to understand and realizing from the first-hand knowledge of people that live with disabilities, namely people that have autism or else have severe brain injuries or else spina bifida, those services are very lacking, and I'm just trying to understand whether the $335,000 is intended as a program funding, just to get some clarification. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. You're referring to the disabilities fund on page 184? Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, these are funds that we have been providing to groups like the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities, and the NWT Disabilities Council to support programs that they are providing.

This also, I think the Member's question goes to the fact that, in the mandate, we have been directed to develop a comprehensive disabilities action plan. We're going to be working with stakeholders that will help inform how we move forward with disabilities. We may have to have some future discussions about funding levels if the action plan shows that we need to invest some additional money. Until that work is done, we aren't in a position to insert new money until we know where we need to be spending it.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Minister had stated that the NWT Disability Action Plan was the development of the initiative to ensure that various initiatives, perhaps maybe with programs or services that could be directed to disabled persons.

The question that I wanted to ask is: if, indeed, we're going to go down that path, how do the department plans respecting persons with disabilities reflect the discussion and commitments made through Motion 13-18(2) in the previous Assembly, the Northwest Territories Disability Action Plan? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was making, actually, exact reference to the work that has been directed to us through the mandate and the motion. This is the work that we're doing. We will be preparing the terms of reference. We'll be partnering with organizations like the NWT Disabilities Council, and we will be developing that document.

We are relying on some of the work that's already been done by groups like the NWT Disabilities Council, who have actually identified a number of pillars they would like us to be working on. We are going to move forward in partnership with groups like them to develop an action plan for the Northwest Territories in direct response to the motion and the mandate.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, understanding that, of the $335,000, would that cover ongoing program initiatives for disabled persons to access this funding? Over and above that, it's going to cover the costs of the development of the NWT disability action plan? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, once again, the $335,000 is money that we provide to those organizations for their programming and services. There are a significant number of programs and services that the Government of the Northwest Territories is providing, whether it's through Education, Culture and Employment, Health and Social Services, or any of our other departments, like Housing, to support individuals with disabilities.

Housing Corp has a number of programs designed to help people modify or customize their homes. Education has income support; they've got the employability work that they're doing. We have services that we provide through Health and Social Services, money for things like respite, respite that we're providing in some of our health facilities.

So there's a wide range of services that are currently provided. The $335,000 is not affected in this budget, and those aren't dollars we're using for the development of the plan. The plan, the action plan, will be developed using internal resources.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Mr. Nadli.

My final question, Mr. Chair, the Minister states that the government has very significant resources and programs directed to meet the needs of disabled persons. Can the Minister outline, perhaps as an example, how those services can be met with a person that has autism? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. I'd like to ask the Minister when he's finished his statement, if he could, just indicate, say, "Thank you, Mr. Chair," just for the benefit of the audio guys. Thank you. Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As part of the development of the action plan, we're actually developing a comprehensive inventory of what we provide to date so we know where we're starting from. We haven't completed all that work. The complete inventory isn't complete. But, as soon as we get that inventory done, I'm happy to share that with the Member and committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Perhaps the follow-up question is: okay, well, if a person is afflicted with autism, again, what are the services to meet their needs? What are the services the government provides currently, right now? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister Abernethy.

I would have to say that some of the services available for children with autism are limited in the Northwest Territories. I think that's one of the areas that we certainly need to have some additional conversation. I have had an opportunity to meet and have some discussions with the National Autism Society, and we talked about ways that we might be able to work together moving forward. I know that there's a representative here, in the Northwest Territories, on that committee, on that association.

Much of what we provide is case-by-case, dependent on the needs of an individual, and we would work with families to develop plans that worked for them. So more needs to be done, Mr. Chair. We know that. That's one of the reasons we're moving forward with this action plan. And autism is an area where we have, I would say, not provided as many services as some people would like us to. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Mr. Nadli.

Nothing further.

I would just like to remind all the Members -- I'm not just picking on Minister Abernethy, but -- if they could all indicate when they're finished talking, it just makes things run a little smoother. Ms. Green.