This is page numbers 5365 - 5412 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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 women. View the webstream of the day's session.

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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Now, you can see the problem. The pot of money that supports parenting programs is no longer going to support parenting programs. That is the only pot of money that there is. I understand the reasons why they want to re-profile this money; there are other areas that also need money. This is a proven program that needs to be supported. Right now, the way I understand it, going forward, only licensed childcare providers will be eligible for this pot of money.

Understanding that maybe there needs to be some tweaks to the Growing Together program so it fits in here a little better, can I get some assurance from the Minister that this funding won't be limited only to licensed daycare centres? Because there are some programs that just can't, by their very nature, fall into that system. Can I get some confirmation that, going forward, unlicensed programs like Growing Together will also be eligible for this funding?

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

It is not acceptable that we would limit this funding to only licensed daycare centres. If we had licensed daycare centres throughout the Northwest Territories, I might be more willing to go that route. However, we don't. We need to provide as much parenting support as possible. Within that funding, though, I do want to say that the funding stream isn't going to be open for everything. We do have some agencies that are using it for operational, et cetera, and not actually providing support to parents. The funding will be for one-on-one support or one-to-multiple-children, group support for parenting. It will also be the support training. It will also be for parent-and-tot education programing. Those would be the parameters around it.

Basically, it is going to be for parenting supports, training, or support one-on-one for children, because there may be other organizations that don't do the parenting. We need to make sure that parenting supports are there in each community, as many as possible. I can give my commitment in the House today that parenting supports, as long as they are having parenting for parents, will be supported.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister is giving me all the right answers today, and I appreciate it. This is the $1-million question. Well, it is not a $1-million question. I think this is probably a $50,000-a-year question. Can I assure the people over at Growing Together and all the parents and the children who rely on this service that, come April 1st, there won't be a reduction in their funding and that their programming can continue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

I want to thank the Member for clarifying because, if it was a $1-million question, I couldn't support that, of course, because I don't have $1 million to give to one parenting program. I will give a commitment that, although we may be changing the program, any program that is currently providing parenting support will actually be either getting the full amount through the Healthy Children Initiative or they will be supported in applying for the application for the new program called the Supporting Child Inclusion and Participation. Anyone that is providing parenting support to community members will have their funding as is. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Previously in other sittings I have had questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding the boarding home in Yellowknife. Can the Minister advise the House: is that contract renewed every year, annually, or is it an RFP process? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The process has actually gone through an RFP in the past. I can't tell you exactly how the last one was, whether it was an extension to a contract or whether it was an RFP. I would have to check and get that information, but it does go through an RFP. The current contract that is in place now actually expires on December 31, 2019, and within the contract that we have with them, we do have the ability to extend until December 31, 2024. The contract is not renewed. The authority would follow up through the normal RFP process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I have heard a number of concerns from my constituents, most recently about not being able to shower because there are no towels in there. First of all, is the department aware of this situation, and do they tell the patients who are coming there what type of toiletry items they need to bring in?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Like any travel, people should usually take their own basic toiletries and personal grooming items. All of the boarding homes that we contract with do provide bed sheets and pillows and towels. Our 2017 medical travel guide, which has been shared with Members, is available to medical travel patients, and inside that document it actually provides tips on the types of things that individuals should bring with them when they travel. I would encourage anybody going to medical travel to look at that toolkit and make sure that they are bringing along items that they may need.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I have heard a number of concerns from residents about staying at the boarding home. They tried to follow a process of bringing their concerns to staff and management, and nothing seems to change. How does the department investigate the concerns brought to them? Do they actually do an investigation or rely on the contractor to give them feedback?

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Complaints are always taken very seriously and are dealt with in a variety of ways, actually, depending on the actual nature of the complaints. As always, the authority attempts to work with our clients and also our partners at the boarding homes themselves to resolve any issues that may arise. If a client does experience an issue, depending on the nature of that issue, obviously, we would encourage them to reach out to the manager of the boarding home that they happen to be staying at, at the time of the incident and when it first occurs, so that it can be addressed immediately.

I can also advise that the Yellowknife boarding home has recently created a position within the boarding home itself with the sole function of improving client services. They have put this position in so that individuals who have concerns can go directly to that position to resolve them real-time and make sure that those types of issues don't arise with other people in the future. If these tools don't work, if these processes don't work, or if it doesn't resolve the issue, the travelling client can get in touch with Medical Travel to express their concerns there and follow the normal quality assurance process so that we can find out what is happening and make sure that it doesn't happen again. In the meantime, I encourage them to work with the boarding homes.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the answers from the Minister. I am looking forward to, hopefully, him sharing who that new person is so that we can then share it with our constituents out there who have those concerns. I guess my last question in regard to this here is: will the Minister have his staff reach out to patients for the past six months to see what their concerns are and how they can be addressed in the future, so that we provide a better service for our residents? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Once again, the position that I was referencing is actually an employee of the Vital Abel Boarding Home; they are not actually a GNWT employee, and patients would certainly be aware of that individual once they have actually attended, but we will get the information and share it with the Member so that he can share it with others.

As far as myself and the department reaching out, I won't be reaching out to the constituents who have travelled who may have concerns, but I would strongly encourage anybody who does have concerns to follow up with Yellowknife Medical Travel Office and the manager of the Medical Travel Program, who can start looking into these issues. If we have a number of reoccurring similar issues, we can work to address those. For those who don't feel comfortable contacting them directly, I encourage the Member to provide me with the names and consent forms for the individuals, and I am happy to look into the issues. 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. Following up on my statement here to the Premier, my first question relates to the Deline Got'ine Government arrangement or agreement. What is the status of the bilateral MOU between the GNWT and the Deline Got'ine Government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories and Deline Got'ine Government officials have been working closely and are currently finalizing a draft MOU. Officials will be meeting this month to conclude that draft agreement with the Deline Got'ine Government, and we will forward it to the leaders for review. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thanks to the Premier for that information. My next question is: when will the parties meet and sign the MOU?

Question 682-18(3): Deline Got'ine Self-Government
Oral Questions

March 12th, 2019

Page 5377

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

A date will be set for a first meeting as soon as the leaders have reviewed and approved the draft agreement. I am very optimistic that we can have that first meeting during the life of this government.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thanks to the Premier for that information. That gives us some scheduling and timelines in the remaining term of this government to take advantage of setting this milestone by the community. My third question here, Mr. Speaker, is: how will this MOU change the relationship between the GNWT and the Deline Got'ine Government?

Bob McLeod

Bob McLeod Yellowknife South

This MOU will formalize our government-to-government relationship and provide an opportunity for the Government of the Northwest Territories and Deline Got'ine Government leadership to meet and discuss issues of mutual concern and interests. We have found that this is an excellent forum to do so. There is, however, ongoing work with Deline Got'ine that is occurring.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.