Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Recognition of the visitors in the gallery. Member for Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to introduce today, I have got my auntie, Ms. Celine Proctor. She is a government service officer and works for the Department of Executive. I also have my cousin Ms. Tammy Proctor from Fort Good Hope, and also my brother Mr. Randy Kakfwi as well. Mahsi.

Thank you, Member for Sahtu. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to acknowledge my wife Betty who is here. I think she is very excited to be here today because she told me this morning that it's very exciting that she gets to come and watch her son R.J. today. And she asked us to be nice to him. Thank you.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to recognize respected elder from our community of Fort Resolution. I want to recognize Terry Villeneuve. I can't see her, but she's a former president of the Native Women's Association of the NWT. She also served on the Dene Nation Elder Council. She served as a chairperson on the AFN Women's Council at the national level. Ms. Villeneuve is retired and lives in Fort Resolution with her daughter Cindy Villeneuve.

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

I also have another Member from the community of the N'dilo. I want to recognize Shirley Tsetta. She served on the Yellowknives Dene First Nation for three terms. She was a YKDFN community negotiator. She's also served as a secretary-treasurer of the Native Women's Association of the NWT. She also worked with all three mines - Ekati, Diavik, De Beers - to help implement the socio-economic agreement. And she's my C.A. Please welcome Shirley Tsetta.

Thank you. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

This is, I mean March 1st, COVID free and, this is great. I just want to also recognize a translator from our community as well. She's not up there but I just want to recognize Mary Rose Sundberg from our community from Dettah. She's also a translator here, mahsi. Tom Unka, also from Fort Resolution, and he's also a translator here as well. Mahsi.

Welcome. Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Welcome, if we've anybody in the gallery today welcome to the Chamber and I hope you enjoy the proceedings. It is always nice to have an audience in the Chamber, especially after two years. Mahsi.

Replies to budget address, day 6 of 7. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Reports of standing and special committees. Returns to oral questions. Acknowledgements.

Colleagues, before we begin oral questions, our rules are generous regarding oral questions. We do not have hard time limits for questions or answers as you would see in some other jurisdictions. This allows Members to ask questions of importance to their constituents and for Ministers to provide meaningful responses.

Although we do not have time limits, our rules are clear regarding oral questions. Rule 7.2(1), oral questions must be concise and any preamble must be short. Similarly, when a Minister is answering, Rule 7.2(2) provides that the answer should be clear and concise.

Recently, I have noticed that many oral questions have included long preambles. Similarly, many responses have not been clear and concise.

Our rules permit all Regular Members to ask oral questions on each sitting day, which is not common in many other legislatures. In fact, if we use our time effectively, we can often see Members have the opportunity to ask multiple questions. However, when questions include long preambles and answers are not clear and concise, we can easily see situations where all Members may be unable to ask questions.

Colleagues, I remind you to follow our rules when asking and answering questions. This will ensure that all Members wishing to ask questions are able to do so and will help us make efficient use of our time in this House. Thank you, colleagues.

Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Health confirm what is the purpose and cost attributed to substance abuse and what does it comprise of? Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, according to a government news release from November of 2020, the NWT spends $2,329 per person on substance abuse treatment and aftercare versus the Canadian average of about half that amount.

I want to say that the total budget for facility-based treatment, aftercare, and related supports is $20 million a year, and that accommodates in the facility-based treatment a high of 270 people in the 2018-2019 year and a low of 73 people in this fiscal year, obviously lower because of COVID.

And I also just want to note in closing, there is no limit on the amount of money we'll spend on southern-based treatment. The more people apply and who are accepted into the program, the more we'll pay for. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm what aftercare supports for substance abuse are available for those returning from treatment in southern Canada? Thank you.

Yes, thank you. The process of welcoming someone home from southern-based treatment begins with a discharge plan that's created collaboratively with the person receiving treatment and with his or her supports in the NWT. So that person would be connected with community counselling for ongoing support. And there are, of course, a number of AA groups that are available in the larger centres. We have been working on aftercare support in the smaller communities by offering a peer support fund which communities can apply for specifically to assist people who are returning from treatment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister confirm if her department has considered the need for transitional housing supports to those clients returning home after receiving treatment in the South? Thank you.

Yes, thank you. Yes, indeed, we have considered that and, in December, we issued an expression of interest to Indigenous governments seeking communities who would be interested in operating a transitional housing program, which would be safe and sober housing closer to home for people who are returning from treatment. We got an uptake of four organizations who submitted an expression of interest, and the department is now working with them on the development of their applications. The budget for this fiscal year was $750,000, and for next year is just over $1 million. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm pleased to hear that. You know, it's time that we move ahead and we try and provide the support to those that are, you know, battling and fighting addictions.

So I'd ask the Minister what strategies and action plans are in place to address how this government will support those returning from treatment in the south as we go forward? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, thank you. I mentioned the peer support program. There's also an addictions aftercare fund which communities are using to hire counsellors to provide ongoing support for people who are coming back and establishing themselves in a new and sober lifestyle.

We have an app for those who have the tools and the connectivity called Wagon, which was developed by Edgewood Institution in Nanaimo, and that's another possibility for people. Of course, we have the community counselling program for which no appointment is necessary. People can access on the same day. So we have a variety of ways of reaching out to people to help them with their journey to stay sober. Clearly, Mr. Speaker, I'm aware from my own life that staying sober, having invested the 30 days or 60 days in the program, is the biggest challenge, and we're here for people who are trying to do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the Minister of Justice at all concerned with the increasing cost of policing services in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Justice.