Committee, to the bill as a whole, does the committee agree that Bill 41: Justice Administration Statutes Amendment Act, is now ready for third reading?

Thank you, committee. Does the committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Bill 41: Justice Administration Statutes Amendment Act?

Thank you, Minister, and thanks to your witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.

Committee, we will move on.

Committee, we have agreed to consider Committee Report 26-19(2): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Child and Family Services Act - Lifting NWT Children, Youth and Families: An All of Territory Approach to Keeping Families Together.

I will go to the chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development for any opening comments. Ms. Cleveland.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the committee's report was read into the record yesterday, Tuesday, March 29th, 2022.

For the past year, the Standing Committee on Social Development has been conducting our statutory review of the Child and Family Services Act. This has been very difficult, personal and emotional work, Mr. Chair, but it is also very important work, vital work, and work I am proud to have been a part of.

I want to thank all Members of the Standing Committee and all other Members who contributed to our work. We are stronger when we work together, and I believe we have achieved much more than any of us could have achieved working alone.

More importantly, Mr. Chair, I want to thank the residents who took the time and made the effort to share their raw-lived experience and insight with us. By listening to their stories, experiences and expertise, we, as a committee and as individuals, were able to better understand the impacts of our child and family services system on those who are most affected by it.

NWT children and youth are talented, unique, and powerful. It was important to committee that the voices of residents with lived-experience, especially children and youth, be center in this work. Their words, alongside committee recommendations, can be found throughout the final report. If, as a government, we want to do better, we must commit to hearing from and acting on behalf of those most affected by our decisions and actions.

Finally, and most importantly, Mr. Chair, I want to thank the children and youth in the territory who shared courageously with the committee. We hear you. We respect you. We value you. From you, we learn and take your lead. We hope you see your thoughts, insights, and brilliance reflected within the report and its recommendations.

Mr. Chair, when the committee began its review of the Child and Family Services Act, we focused the scope of our review on prevention strategies. This is only a small part of the overall child and family services system. And even though many of our recommendations are rooted in programs and services, we felt prevention was the strongest route for change to keep NWT families together.

The recommendations of the report, which we will have the opportunity to discuss today, focus on prevention, early intervention and targeted supports, and are informed by feedback provided to committee through our engagement process.

Mr. Chair, all children are sacred. Over 98 percent of children and youth in care in the NWT are Indigenous, even though just 57 percent of the population of children and youth are Indigenous in the territory.

The committee dedicated a significant portion of its discussions to cultural continuity and the vital role culture plays in individual and community wellness in every one of our 33 communities.

As a committee, we recognize that true change is dependent on more than one government department. So we call on champions at all levels of governments, Indigenous governments and groups, non-governmental organizations and allies, to work together to provide a broader continuum of care, including supports and resources for all children and youth across the NWT.

Individual Members may have comments on the report, and I would like to thank the committee for their intimate and passionate work on this report. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Cleveland. I will now open the floor to general comments on Committee Report 26-19(2): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Child and Family Services Act - Lifting NWT Children, Youth and Families: An All of Territory Approach to Keeping Families Together.

Ms. Nokleby.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I won't be able to express myself as eloquently as my colleague did and I appreciate her words, and I think they very much capture the spirit of the work and how we progressed.

I think for myself, when I moved to this side of the House and I joined the social development committee, it was one that I felt was outside of my wheelhouse and has definitely been my steepest learning curve on this side of the House.

As a person without children myself, it was a whole new area to me, and I also wanted to express my thanks to those that shared with me and shared their experiences. I recognize the place of privilege that I come from and that I really cannot even imagine the depths of the trauma that people have felt as their families have been ripped apart. I can touch a bit on that as not having had time with my own father growing up so I do have some understanding of that parental alienation.

And so I just wish to reiterate what the chair said, that this was very moving work, it's very important work, and that I just want to say thank you to everybody that participated from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Ms. Nokleby. Are there any further general comments? Mr. Johnson.

Thank you, Mr. Johnson. Ms. Semmler.

(Audio)

Ms. Semmler, can you hear us; we cannot hear you.

Ms. Semmler, can you hear me; we cannot hear you.

Ms. Semmler? Yes, I can hear you now.

[audio unavailable]

---SHORT RECESS

Thank you, Ms. Semmler. Are there any further general comments?

Seeing no further comments, Ms. Cleveland.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories declare the overrepresentation of Indigenous children and youth in child and family services a crisis and develop a whole of government response in partnership with Indigenous governments. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The motion is in order. To the motion?

[audio unavailable]

Committee, we'll just take a five-minute break to fix some audio problems. Thank you.

---SHORT RECESS

Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. As I understand, we're having a few technical issues so I move that the chair rise and report progress.

There is a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. I will now rise and report progress.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress. Thank you.

May I please have the Report of Committee of the Whole. Member for Hay River South.

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Bill 23, 29, 39, and 41; Committee Report 26-19(2); Tabled Document 561-19(2), and would like to report progress with one motion and that Bills 39 and 41 are ready for third reading; and that consideration of Tabled Document 561-19(20 is concluded and that the House in those estimates as amended and that an appropriation bill be based thereon and be introduced without delay.

And Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Do we have a seconder? Member for Hay River North. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Third reading of bills. Mr. Clerk, orders of the day.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Thursday, March 31st, 2022, at 1:30 p.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 5:49 p.m.