Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

AND FURTHER, that the Department of Health and Social Services ensure that a mechanism is in place for monitoring and evaluating the Medical Travel Program;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the government produce a response to these recommended actions for consideration by the House by February 2016.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a motion. WHEREAS the Office of the Auditor General, in its 2011 report to the Government of the Northwest Territories, clearly indicated that the Medical Travel Policy is inconsistently applied;

AND WHEREAS the Office of the Auditor General, in its 2011 report to the Government of the Northwest Territories, clearly indicated that there is no sound mechanism in place for monitoring and evaluating the Medical Travel Policy;

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories has had more than four years to respond to the Auditor General’s report;

AND WHEREAS there are communication gaps between regional health centres and Stanton Territorial Hospital;

AND WHEREAS residents of small communities have, from time to time, experienced difficulty accessing the Medical Travel Program;

AND WHEREAS patients with impaired mobility or cognitive ability, life-threatening conditions, such as cancer, or language barriers, should generally have access to non-medical escorts;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services immediately introduce a policy change to ensure access to non-medical escorts for patients with impaired mobility or cognitive ability, life-threatening conditions, such as cancer, or language barriers;

AND FURTHER, that the Department of Health and Social Services ensure that the Medical Travel Program is consistently applied across all regions of the Northwest Territories;

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to table a CBC News report on the Province of Manitoba lowering food prices in remote northern Manitoba communities.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the Report of the Special Committee on Transition Matters, “Passing the Mace: Recommendations to the 18th Legislative Assembly,” dated October 2015.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Moses.

Aboriginal Culture and the Role of Elders

In an eloquent statement at the public meeting in Fort Providence, Chief Joachim Bonnetrouge said, “The Mental Health Act should be written for the people it serves.” The committee wholeheartedly agreed and made a point of incorporating provisions on Aboriginal culture and the role that elders play in promoting mental and emotional wellness.

The preamble to the current act, which was not carried over into Bill 55, recognizes the many cultures of the peoples of the Northwest Territories and stipulates that an elder must be consulted when an assessment is being made about the mental state of an Aboriginal person. The committee asked why the preamble had been removed, and the department responded by citing concerns that it might be used to interpret the legislation in outdated or unintended ways. The committee disagreed with this logic, asserting that respect for culture is never out of date. The department also noted that the Official Languages Act, which came into force after the current Mental Health Act, carries obligations to provide interpretation services and deliver services in a culturally sensitive manner. Accordingly, the department argued that any mention of culture in the new Mental Health Act is unnecessary. Once again, the committee strongly disagreed. Sidestepping the problem of the preamble’s ambiguous legal status, the committee sought instead to incorporate a number of legally binding principles, including the principle of respecting people’s culture, language and religious upbringing. Another culturally relevant addition to Bill 55 is the requirement that the chair of the review board appoint an elder as a cultural advisor if an applicant requests it.

Principles of the Act

As mentioned, the committee introduced a motion to incorporate legally binding principles that will assist in the interpretation and administration of the act. These principles respond to a wide range of stakeholder concerns. The first asserts that there are to be no unreasonable delays in making or carrying out decisions affecting a person under the act. The second asserts that decisions under the act should respect a person’s cultural, linguistic and religious upbringing. The third states that least restrictive measures should be used, taking into consideration the safety of the patient and other people. The fourth speaks to the importance of family and community involvement in the care of people with mental health issues. The fifth speaks to the matter of mental competence, asserting that patients should be supported in making their own decisions for as long possible. The sixth and final principle pertains to personal privacy, underscoring the fact that information about a person’s mental health is, whether we like it or not, fraught with stigma and should be handled with the utmost respect for privacy. At the clause-by-clause review, the Minister concurred with this motion and confirmed that these principles are consistent with the intent of the legislation.

Failures and Gaps in Mental Health Services

Over the course of the review, dozens of people described their lack of trust in the government’s provision of mental health services. Fighting back tears, one community advocate bravely asserted, “Silence means approval, so I can’t be silent.” In another troubling case, a young man who suffered a brain injury following a motor vehicle accident has been placed in the North Slave Correctional Facility because there is no suitable care facility in his home community. The man’s father is overwrought with frustration because service gaps have effectively led to his son’s criminalization rather than his rehabilitation.

Accounts like these line up with the data the committee received on the Community Counselling Program. Over the past five years, roughly 30 percent of its front-line positions have been vacant for 12 months or longer. Three of these so-called permanent positions in Wekweeti, Aklavik and Fort Resolution respectively, have been vacant for five consecutive years. With such inconsistent coverage, the number of resulting service failures is virtually incalculable. All too often, residents have no one to approach for guidance, counselling or after-care. All too often, referrals for other mental health services simply do not happen. This is unacceptable. The department must renew its efforts to recruit and retain qualified workers.

The proposed legislation, like the currentact, does not give patients the right to receive services. Rather, it allows for the provision of voluntary services on a discretionary basis. The committee identified serious concerns in this area. A tragic illustration is the case of a teenager who died of self-inflicted injuries in April 2015 shortly after being discharged from Stanton Territorial Hospital. He had repeatedly sought mental health services, but his symptoms were dismissed and he was sent away without a plan for follow-up treatment. A second illustration is the case of a young woman who attempted suicide and was brought to a nearby hospital. She was treated and admitted overnight, only to be released the next day with no apparent plan for follow-up care or counselling. These cases point not only to gaps in the provision of community-based mental health services but also to possible deficiencies in clinical practice standards.

On a positive note, community-based services, when available, can make a significant difference. One resident described going through a bad patch of depression and anxiety attacks. "I went to the doctor and got pills, even though I’m not much of a pill-popper. But there was a mental health worker and for three years I got counselling. She really helped me a lot.” The committee is therefore calling for substantial enhancements to the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, as indicated in the following recommended actions.

Mr. Speaker, I will now turn the report over to Madam Groenewegen to continue reading.

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Committee Report 24-17(5), be received and adopted by this Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a report by the Special Committee on Transition Matters – Passing the Mace: Recommendations to the 18th Legislative Assembly.

Executive Summary

Introduction

Transition is when one group of people willfully hands over political power to another group of people.

This year the Northwest Territories (NWT) will transition from the 17th Legislative Assembly to the 18th Legislative Assembly. This process will begin with the dissolution of the 17th Assembly on October 25th, followed by polling day for the General Election on November 23rd and the appointment of a new government soon thereafter.

The purpose of this joint committee – the first of its kind – was to improve the transition process by providing the best advice of one Assembly to the next Assembly.

The committee was mandated to describe the fiscal and decision-making context for the next Assembly, to make recommendations on how the transition process and the practice of consensus government could be improved, and to recommend priority policy issues for the next Assembly.

The recommendations of this committee are not binding, but are for the consideration of members of the 18th Assembly.

State of the Economy

This chapter provides background information about the NWT economic outlook and the implications for GNWT revenues, including:

• a discussion of the NWT economy in a Canadian and global context and NWT linkages with the domestic and international economies;

• a summary of the current state of the NWT economy and prospects for future economic growth; and

• a description of how government revenues are affected by economic growth.

The NWT economy was severely affected by the global economic and financial crisis in 2008 and not all aspects of the economy have returned to pre-recession levels.

The NWT economic outlook over the next five years is mixed at best. Although some regions are benefitting from resource projects, economic activity in other areas has either slowed considerably or declined.

Over the next five to 15 years, the data suggests a protracted decline in resource production. Existing diamond mines are maturing and identified potential mining operations will not replace the economic activity of current operations. Resource exploration, which is necessary for further development, is also slowing down.

Growing the NWT economy requires transformational investments such as the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Optic Link, the Mackenzie Valley Highway and addressing our energy cost and supply challenges. These strategic investments and other initiatives to lower costs for residents and businesses are vital for the long-term growth and sustainability of the NWT economy.

Finalizing remaining land claims would provide greater certainty on land ownership, clarify the terms of engagement among stakeholders for land access, and potentially make more land available for regional and community economic development.

The slow-growing economy produces a flat revenue outlook, which in turn means less fiscal resources to sustain programs and services at current levels.

Decision-Making Environment

This chapter describes major changes in the decision-making environment that may affect the consideration of future priorities by the 18th Legislative Assembly, including:

•the roles and responsibilities of public decision-makers in the NWT other than the territorial government;

•how the territorial government makes decisions; and

•some emerging trends in citizen expectations of government.

Territorial government is not the only policy-maker in the NWT. Other major public decision-makers include the Government of Canada, regional Aboriginal governments, community governments, co-management boards and territorial boards; and courts of law are significant independent decision-makers in their own right. It is also important to continue to think about how all of these decision-makers fit together in governing the NWT.

Recognizing that there are other important public policy-makers in the NWT, the territorial government has the broadest mandate for policy-making within our borders. Our consensus government uses processes similar to those found in provincial capitals or in Ottawa, but without political parties or majority governments. The Executive Council is in place to provide leadership on policy initiatives and direct the civil service, while Regular Members are expected to help guide policy direction and hold the executive to account. It is the Executive Council that prepares and proposes budgets, but the Legislative Assembly ultimately approves spending in law.

Modern technology and increased connectivity throughout the territory has resulted in numerous approaches to public participation in policy-making. For many, information is delivered with the speed of Google, goods delivered with the choice and efficiency of Amazon, and messages responded to instantly through Twitter or Facebook. As for government, it has a public duty to check that the information it sends is accurate, the goods it delivers are safe and accessible, and dialogue with the public is fair and inclusive. At the same time, increasingly, citizens expect government to work in cooperation with other groups and associations to develop public policy.

Recommendations on the Transition Process and Consensus Government

Term Length

The committee recommends that the incoming 18th Assembly retain the current four-year fixed date election schedule.

Territorial Leadership Selection

The committee recommends that the incoming 18th Assembly continue to elect members of the Executive Council.

Regional Balance on Cabinet

The committee supports having regional balance on Cabinet, but does not make any recommendation on the way the 18th Assembly should arrive at regional balance on Cabinet.

Mid-Term Review

The committee recommends that the outgoing 17th Legislative Assembly establish a process convention on priority setting and reporting and that the incoming 18th Assembly endorse this convention.

Priority Setting

The committee recommends that the outgoing 17th Assembly establish a process convention on priority setting and reporting and that the incoming 18th Assembly endorse this convention.

Business Planning Process

The committee recommends that the incoming 18th Assembly conduct concurrent reviews of departmental business plans as well as amend sitting hours and the Orders of the Day during the budget session.

Transition Staging

The committee recommends that the 18th Assembly also establish a Special Committee on Transition Matters during the last year of its legislative term.

Recommendations on Priorities for the 18th Legislative Assembly

Because of the long-term nature of our work, many of the priorities of the 18th Assembly will be similar to those of the 17th and earlier Assemblies. This committee wishes to highlight five key areas that Members of the 18th Assembly should consider when discussing priorities.

They are not intended to be an inventory of everything government does, nor a catalogue of specific projects that individual Members are passionate about. Not all members of this committee agree on the relative importance of each priority, and they are presented in no particular order. Not everyone will agree that these should be the priorities of the 18th Assembly. This is a good thing.

•Reverse the social ills that hold our people down, particularly low education levels, addictions and poor mental health.

•Strengthen and diversify our economy in anticipation of impending diamond mine closures.

•Complete devolution of land and resources and implement a regulatory system that reflects the values of our residents and partner governments.

•Rein in the increasing cost of living, particularly energy, housing and food.

•Plan for and adapt to a changing climate in the North.

I am honoured to stand here today to congratulate and recognize Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred and Lucy Jackson. Mrs. Lucy Jackson was the recipient of the first Order of the Northwest Territories, and accompanying her is her good, full-time, wonderful husband, Wilfred Jackson. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can I seek unanimous consent of yourself and the Members to return to item 5?

---Unanimous consent granted