This is page numbers 845 - 886 of the Hansard for the 19th 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 services.

Topics

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Member for Kam Lake.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I very much believe that child and family services is, given the changes that health and social services wants to implement, a form of preventative care because we've all seen research that says, when you invest in kids, when you invest in families, the benefits that come back to communities and the benefits that come back to your society are huge. I think my colleague from Yellowknife Centre once said, and she can tell me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure, she once said, for every dollar you invest in kids, your return is $13. I believe that was actually from UNICEF that that was pointed out. I definitely think that this is somewhere where we need to put our energy and put our money. My second question is for the family violence line that is in here, that this hasn't changed from the previous year. Does the Minister consider health and social services a lead on family violence prevention? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

May 28th, 2020

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. Earlier today we had our meeting in Cabinet where we talked about family violence and the multi-departmental approach. You're looking Department of Health and Social Services, Department of Justice, and Department of EIA. That is something that our government is looking at because we don't want to be pointing fingers at different departments. Family violence is very important here in the Northwest Territories, and everybody seems to be turning a blind eye and pointing at departments. That is not what this government wants. This government, Madam Chair, wants to be able to have a go-to at a very senior level so that they can work within the departments to be able to take some action. That is where we are at right now. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much Madam Chair. Yes, this was a conversation that the Minister of Justice and I had during our last sitting that was cut short. I have let her know that I am coming back around to finish that conversation during this sitting. I appreciate that answer, and I agree that it does need a lead. My next question is in regard to the antipoverty fund and the day shelter fund that is on the next page. Over the course of the last 10 weeks, the day shelter showed up in media quite a bit, and the conversation was around does the day shelter go back to being a day shelter because it turned into an isolation centre over the course of COVID. They supplied MLAs with some research that showed some of the great work that they were doing. My question became: how do all of these levels of care fit together, and who has the oversight of that? I'm wondering if the Department of Health and Social Services does have somebody that looks at levels of care for day shelters or transitional homes, and who has that oversight, and how does that work? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. That is a really good question. Here in the Northwest Territories, we a variety of different services that we provide to vulnerable populations, the day shelters, we also have the NWT disabilities; we have a variety of different service providers that we partner with. I think that partnership is key. We, as a department, look to help fund different NGOs here so that they can provide the services where we're not able to. I agree that partnership is ideal and is key to be able to make successful progress.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much Madam Chair. I absolutely agree that NGOs are crucial in that sense. As you mentioned the NWT Disabilities Council, they end up being the ones actually delivering the programming. My question is: who provides the oversight of all these NGOs? Because sometimes they end up administering the same programs, whereas, really, we could be working together to make sure that we're offering different levels of care throughout our system of partnerships. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. That's the key. It's the communication. Although the department does fund a portion of some of these programs, the key is the communication, to be able to get everybody together on an ongoing basis to be able to provide some communication and support is ideal. I don't want to say that department has the official oversight. For us, the key is partnership. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much Madam Chair. I'm just looking at the time, so I'm going to move on from this one a little bit. I'll come back to it with the Minister at a later time. My next question is in regard to the mental health and addictions line item in the budget. Within COVID, we've talked a lot of mental health and addictions and how the increase in need for mental health supports is huge. Does the Minister foresee that line item going up or them coming back for the need for additional monies because of COVID in relation to mental health and addiction?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. We are in a situation now of a pandemic. You look at a lot of the programs that have delayed because we don't have the one-on-one with the mental wellness. We do access a lot of the virtual care, and that is something the department will continue to do as we get through this pandemic. In terms of the mental wellness and addictions, we've been asked from a lot of residents to have more addictions here in the Territories. I can see this as something that we will have to have a look at and get back to the Member, unless, Mr. Cooper, you have anything to add?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Cooper.

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Cooper

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we certainly have implemented a significant number of new things in relation to COVID, like managed alcohol, some of the sheltering-in-place options that have happened. Some of the expansion of the use of virtual care has essentially eliminated our wait times for community counselling. There has been a cluster of things that we have done that we are taking a look at, to basically answer the question: how do we need to change going forward, and is this something we can do by reprofiling, or is this something that we're going to need to make other changes to be able to fund, or is it something we need to come back and seek funding for?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Cooper. I'm going to move on to Member for Thebacha.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just would like clarification on page 171, community clinics and health centres. That $73,936,000, an increase of probably about 2.5. I just want to see, what does that include, and then I'll ask for another line after that. Is that the health centres in all of the communities?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you. Minister.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Madam Chair. The community clinics healthcare, the majority of the budget is going towards the grants and the actual budgets. It's all going to some of the different health authorities is the majority of the community clinics and healthcare centres, so yes.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Minister. Member.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Madam Chair, I just want clarification. Community clinics and health centres is the $73,936,000. I need clarification on that. That's everything in the communities outside of Yellowknife; right? Am I correct?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Member. Minister.