The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Mr. Speaker, we sit on this side of the House when we go through budgets and we ask these questions about what budget do you need in order to operate a housing corporation? What budgets do you need in order to be able to do the minor and major repairs of public housing so that you can deliver safe housing to northern residents? So I'm perplexed as to why the Minister cannot tell me how much she is underfunded in order to be responsible to her mandate. And it's frustrating to me because on this side of the House, we keep saying to Housing, what do you need; what do you need? And so I'm still asking, what do you need? If I can't get the question here today, what I would like to ask, Mr. Speaker, is the current Housing NWT annual report does not give an adequate snapshot of Housing NWT assets, their condition, and asset maintenance costs. In 2008 -- so many, many years ago, Mr. Speaker, 15 years ago -- the Auditor General recommended that the corporation regularly report on the condition of its public housing portfolio.

So will the Minister ensure -- because she cannot answer the question here today -- that the corporation's full list of assets by community, their condition, and required asset maintenance costs be included in Housing NWT's next annual report? Thank you.

Paulie Chinna Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. And I don't feel that I'm not able to answer the question adequately. We are in a housing crisis. We have lobbied with the federal government as well. You can see construction happening throughout the Northwest Territories. We've enhanced those opportunities at the local community level. We've engaged with the stakeholders throughout the territory as well to address adequate housing throughout the Northwest Territories but also trying to find solutions on how to address housing throughout the territory. And looking at putting a number on it, we're looking at millions of trying to address housing needs throughout the Northwest Territories. And right now, working with Indigenous groups is key, is how -- you know, we have the same lobbying efforts as they do as well too. We need to get more housing into the smaller communities. We need to have adequate programming. But we just do not have the funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to start by saying the CYCC program has a steering committee, and the Tlicho Community Services Agency sits on that steering committee. So it's not like there's a big huge gap between the Tlicho Community Services Agency and the program itself.

That said, there is antiracism and cultural safety training offered, 14 different sessions between February of this year and March of next year. Of course, the Living Well Together curriculum is mandatory for all GNWT staff. So there are several important ways that we impress on new hires the importance of cultural safety and antiracism.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, drug addiction, especially crack cocaine, is a major issue in my region. And even now with the all-season road open to Whati, they are seeing the impact, the social problems. So can the Minister explain what is being done to educate students on the negative impacts of using drugs and how we can make sure the CYCC staff can direct students to the supports they need to avoid or overcome addictions? Thank you.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the CYCCs are available to talk about a broad range of issues that youth encounter, whether that is drug use and abuse, family violence, negative social interactions, and so on. They are there to support the students and talk to them about the issues that are of concern to them, and that would include drug use. So we have various media campaigns that dissuade or attempt to dissuade people from using drugs, and those would be available to the people in the Tlicho region as they are every other part of the NWT. Thank you.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we need to ensure the Indigenous government are working with the schools and the Government of the Northwest Territories to make CYCC positions as effective as possible. How is the Government of the Northwest Territories working with the Tlicho government and other Indigenous government to share best practices and information on supporting students in being drug free and directing them to support where they are available? Thank you.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, the CYCC program has a steering committee that includes all of the health authorities, including the Tlicho Community Services Agency. So I certainly think that there would be a possibility for Tlicho -- the Tlicho Community Services Agency to raise issues in that forum. There's also a board of the TCSA who could be involved in this area of advocating for services for its students. So I think there are a number of ways.

There are big ways too, like the bilaterals, which I attend and answer questions directly to the Tlicho government. There's the NWT Council of Leaders. So I have to say that the CYCC program issues seem to resonate most in the Tlicho region. I'm aware of that. The evaluation is underway. It's being expedited so that changes are going to be in place for the next school year, in the fall of this year. So we are trying to take into account people's concerns and to address them. Thank you.

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Okay, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since this program is, you know, going under review, I would like to ask the Minister what is the new equivalency going to be of the program once the review is completed? Thank you.

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think I missed a word in the Member's question, but I think she wants to know what's going to happen after the program is finished -- the evaluation of the program is finished.

We can't know that at this point. We need to collect more information from the people who use the program, teachers, parents, students, community members, and we need to hear what the strengths are in the program, what the issues are, and what ideas, hopefully, they have to address those issues. So once that work is complete, we'll have a better idea of the future of it. Thank you.