Thank you, Madam Chair. I hear the Minister talk about research, and I think one thing that people get tired of every time we sit down around the table, and from my past, sitting around watching this table, is we are going to do a research project; we are going to do a scan; we are going to do this. The money that it takes to do that we could just use to pay staff. We don't have a detox place. We are not going to have an ideal detox place in the Northwest Territories because we have regional centres where usually the clients end up, and the only place that has trained professionals is in the hospital.

Would we not just write a territorial policy on how we are going to do detox in our hospitals for clients? That way, doctors are knowing that they can do this, and they can write a prescription, or they can do an admission. Nurses know that they have a standard of practice on what they need to do while they are detoxing, and they can go off to treatment if needed, instead of always doing these scans and spending money on that. I just feel like it is better for our clients to spend that money on them than to do more research. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am in agreement in that I am more action-focused than research-focused, and that comes from the NGO, where you don't have the time and the money to actually do all the research focus, and you end up just dealing with it. However, when we are talking especially around the managed alcohol programming, we haven't had any experience in that in the Northwest Territories. It would be inappropriate of us to actually take that on and just say, "We are opening it up. We are going to start giving you three ounces a day. Then, in a month, we will give you two ounces, and in a month, we will give you three ounces." We need to look on that model and to find out how that works before we implement that model. The medical detox might be a little bit easier. We have had some experience. It might just be a policy change, but the managed alcohol programming, for sure, I would say that we need to do the research on that program. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

I agree, because I know we don't have a managed alcohol. I don't know how that is going to work either in all my years, who is going to distribute that, where it is going to be distributed from, but I do feel like we are already doing detox. We just need to legitimately say, "This is what we are doing," and as it evolves, it is kind of like how I look at e-learning or Northern Distance Learning. It evolved. Let's provide this. Let's get it on the books that we are doing this. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Your time is up, so I am going to go to the Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Premier, I guess we have a lot of kids who are needing, more in my riding, help in regard to a whole number of individuals getting seen by proper healthcare. When you are talking to youth these days, they have it tough. Like Lesa said earlier today, we are having a problem with all of the new drugs that are coming into the Delta, the stuff that is happening there. We have to basically try to strengthen our community in regard to counselling services. The counsellors that we have are overworked, and they really need help. Is there any way that you are looking at or the department is looking at increasing counsellors coming into the communities, outlying communities, to talk, not only to our youth, but to our people with residential school and all of this other stuff that we have to deal with, who need help? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Absolutely. One of our mandates, if you see, is "Strengthening community counselling services," and the bullet is to "Increase support and counselling training opportunities for staff." That will go across. I do want to, again, promote the child and youth counsellors and the Pathways program, who are going into our schools. You are right; our youth are most in jeopardy. If we can catch them when they are younger, deal with their mental wellness, if we can give them alternatives, show them that there is hope out there, perhaps we will have less people. I don't believe that people, when they are young, decide one of their career choices is, "I am going to be an alcoholic or a hard drug user." I have never heard a child say that. That tells me that somewhere in between their childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, they made bad decisions, and so we need to interact then. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just on the timeline, fall 2022, is there any chance of that moving up to getting our front-line workers help into the small communities? They are overworked now, and they need help. It is not so much training; it is just maybe an extra person to give them a hand. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know that the Member didn't want training, but training is spring 2021. We are doing standardized screening and assessment tools to help people, to assess people. These timelines were defined between "be conservative because we are going to get slaughtered; we don't have enough money" and "be bold because we want to see some progress." It was kind of an in between. Some of these mandates we were already working on. Departments are already on. If we can get them done sooner, I would be the strongest advocate to get them done sooner. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Nunakput, just wait till your light goes on, and go ahead.

Thank you, Madam Chair. "Improving services for individuals of addictions." It is a big thing to send people out, and I am happy. A lot of people back home, they are taking that initiative upon themselves and trying to get help. We are pretty good with timing to get them sent out, but it is when they come back home. There is no mechanism for helping them when they come back home and when they have got to say, "No." Is there any plans to work with the communities or even with our community corporations in regards to helping our people that we have with addictions that come home, a support mechanism, either on-the-land or from the South with the four facilities, the four places that they do go? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Absolutely. In addition to the transitional housing that we are looking at because not all people can go home to their same home environment. It might not be the healthiest home environment. They might need some space. We are also looking at increasing our community-based peer support programs such as AA and Sobriety. They are not the only two models that I am attached to. We are open to seeing what the community say are models, and then the other one is working with our partners, Indigenous governments. They know best. We are open to ideas. We said over and over we cannot do this alone. We need to do this in partnership with the whole community, the whole NWT, and the federal government. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, in regards to that. Thank you, Madam Premier for that. I really like what I hear. I look forward to working with different health departments on getting some help for the people that we represent because we know everybody back home. Everybody, we know the troubles that everybody is going through. Just because somebody is smiling, it doesn't mean it is okay. Thank you for those answers. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Are there any further comments on the mandate item, "Increase the number and variety of culturally-respectful, community-based mental health and addictions programs, including aftercare?" Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Most of my life, I have been in business, so this is going to be kind of business-related. I don't hear anything in here with respect to providing support to people who have addictions but are employed and working in small business because small businesses don't have the money to provide the support that may be required, and sometimes that support is good. I guess I put myself as employer, and the people I have working for me, they felt comfortable enough to come and talk to me about their problems and their issues. Hopefully, throughout life, I have helped a few people. I guess you have got training dollars out there for the trades and whatever else, but it would be nice to see, something to assist employers to maybe bring somebody in once in a while just to have talks with employees. We have tried that before, and it seems to work.

I think that, most of the people I have had working for me have been Indigenous people. They have been from around the Northwest Territories. Like I said, I think they felt comfortable around me. I just see a benefit there, and we seem to ignore that. We look south for the answers, or we look other places, and we have tried stuff. It works sometimes. Sometimes, it doesn't work. We keep throwing money at plans and strategies and all that. Myself, I would like to see it go where it counts the most, and that is to help people. I guess the question is: do we have anything in place to assist people with addictions in the workplace? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Madam Premier.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am going to start with: do we have anything in the future? Do we have in existence? We need to be open to all ideas as we move forward. What do we have currently? Again, I am going to try to be politically correct. Not all people that have addictions are unemployed. In fact, the vast majority of them, I am guessing, may be employed. You have to have money to pay for your addictions. My father was a great weekend warrior. I don't know if people know that term. Come to me later if you don't understand the term. All of these services actually are for people, not only unemployed but employed. The community counselling that you can get from adults, the peer support programs we are talking about. AA is available for anybody. It is not a requirement you are employed or unemployed. I think Indigenous governments, what they do on the land, people might be willing to work with them, but we need to be open to ideas. I have heard you. I hear the need. We will discuss it and the idea of how we can support employers better. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Premier. Member for Hay River South.