This is page numbers 2895 - 2924 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was mandate.

Topics

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I think that the Minister can get that information from the department. It was obtained through access to information by media and reported this morning. One of the end results of the conversation last winter was that there would be this new audit tool which the Minister has referenced. When will the committee receive the report of Child and Family Services for the 2016-2017 fiscal year; and is there any consideration of making a summary of it public to promote confidence in Child and Family Services? Mahsi.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, the directors' report will be made public. It is a summary of activities over a year, ongoing progress and processes where we are at any given time with Child and Family Services. The summary that I am going to provide committee is not something we are prepared to make public at this time. I hear the Member, and I would like to, obviously, bring some comfort and confidence to the work that is being done in recognition of the incredible hard work that many of our staff are doing to improve Child and Family Services in recognizing that we are taking a new direction with building stronger families. Those summaries will contain some information that might identify, or certainly could be used to identify families which is something that we are not prepared to do at this point in time. I will share it with committee so that we can have discussions about moving forward in a collaborative way for the best interests of our children, but I am not prepared to make that document public and risk identifying individuals. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my question is directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services here, following up on my colleague from Nahendeh's question on the Vital Abel House boarding unit.

To improve standards by the service provider at the Vital boarding home, will the Minister review or take actions towards the continuation of the word "audit" or an "improvement inspection" to the facility? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Health and Social Services.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have contracts with a number of providers, both here, and in Yellowknife, as an example, as well as in Edmonton. These homes provide incredibly valuable services to the residents of the Northwest Territories who do need to receive care and/or assessments and diagnosis outside of their home communities. We are always monitoring how the contract is being administered. I will commit to having a conversation with the department to find out where we are now, when the last sort of review was done, and any information I get, I am certainly happy to share with Regular Members.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

I will provide a couple of examples that can be included on the checklist of the inspection. It would be wheelchair access, one of these automated buttons is not on there during my last visit; and another checklist item could be, what are the options for the overflow of people over and above what the room capacity is actually designated to have?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, I always appreciate getting some suggestions and ideas from the Members. I will certainly share that information with the department as we are looking into our current contracts with our providers. I have been to the different facilities that we do support by way of contract here in the Northwest Territories, and they are wheelchair accessible. There are spaces for people that do have limited mobility, but certainly interested in following up on the Member's suggestions.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister provide that information after gathering the inspection results to my office and to my colleague from Nahendeh, please? Thank you.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

As we’re looking into our contract, if there are any irregularities or changes coming, I’m certainly happy to share that information with Members. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I spoke about the vital role the Zhatie Koe Friendship Centre plays in Fort Providence and the uncertainty of funding commitments to the Northwest Territories friendship centres. My questions are to the Premier today. My first question is: when the Northwest Territories’ group of friendship centres sought core funding from Cabinet last spring, what was the outcome of that meeting? Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I’ll thank the Member for the question. I just want to point out that friendship centres provide a very important service to the communities, and the friendship centre movement I believe is a very unifying force in the communities. Having said that, the friendship centres are core funded by the federal government and the Government of the Northwest Territories is not privy to those fiscal arrangements.

I do know that the federal government has been looking at a broad range of fiscal arrangements with Indigenous organizations and this may include friendship centres. Our understanding from the friendship centres is that they have a concern over possible funding reductions, and just recently you’ve been made aware that they’ve reached an agreement but there are delays in the flow of funding. When we met in May, a request for core funding was not made. The only request that was made was to establish a process whereby we could work with them so that they could fundraise on a more effective basis.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

I’d like to thank the Premier for his reply. My second question is: in the absence of core funding, will Cabinet consider bridged funding for the Zhatie Koe Friendship Centre to ensure they can stay in operation until their federal funding comes through?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

As I said, the friendship centres provide a very important service. I’ve recently seen some correspondence where we’ve been asked to lobby on their behalf with regard to having the funding flow more quickly from the federal government. This is certainly one of the areas where the federal government and the friendship centres can work together to help advance and facilitate the aims of the friendship centres.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my years as MLA, I have witnessed many occasions where Cabinet has found funding for urgent projects and supplementary initiatives. This suggests to me that the funding is there and can be found if there’s a political will to find it. Will the Premier be hero for the Northwest Territories’ friendship centres and work with his Cabinet colleagues to find funding for them?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

We’re always looking at ways to become heroes,

---Laughter

but I should say that over the past three years the friendship centres have accessed funding from the territorial government. We’ve provided over $900,000 to the friendship centres for program delivery. The friendship centres provide a lot of important programs and services on our behalf, and they also are able to access, on an application basis, other funding pots that are available. As I said, I expect to be able to respond to the friendship centres with regard to trying to find a way to work with them and to improve their ability to fundraise.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Michael Nadli

Michael Nadli Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. He has indicated that he’s working with the Northwest Territories Association of Friendship Centres for a process to work together. Will the Premier commit to the Northwest Territories’ Association of Friendship Centres that he will work together with the Cabinet, along with our federal colleagues, to ensure that there’s consistent and timely transfer of funding to friendship centres.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

I think it would be a shame if friendship centres had to lay off workers and employees because funds that are supposed to flow are not flowing as quickly as they should. We’re quite prepared to work with all of the different bodies and institutions to try to find a workable arrangement so that friendship centres can continue to provide the important services that they provide to the communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.

Frederick Blake Jr.

Frederick Blake Jr. Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a follow up to my Member’s statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. I’d like to ask the Minister: what is the Department of Infrastructure’s current intention for winter services on the Louis Cardinal and the Abraham Francis Ferries. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Minister of Infrastructure.