Floyd Roland

Mr. Speaker, we are looking at across-the-board representation to seek membership in the advisory group. We will have representation from across the field of organizations involved in the anti-poverty work that happens here in the Northwest Territories. I don’t have details to that but, again, I’m prepared to have our staff sit down and pull as much as we have together and have that presented to Members for their input. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We did do the work as highlighted by the Member and looked at the funding pieces in trying to strategize on how we could better work with the NGOs throughout the Northwest Territories. We haven’t gone to a central office because a lot of the supports that would be required we’d have to go back to the departments anyway to get a particular support. So I’d either have to build up my office staff so that they could go directly to other Ministers to get that information. We haven’t gone forward on that step. Of course, every year that we do review our business plans...

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, a committee on Rural and Remote Communities is looking at how we do business as the Government of the Northwest Territories in a whole number of areas, and again, I am sure that that committee will be happy to pull their resources together to look at these types of initiatives to see what we can do.

Let’s not forget, Mr. Speaker, for example, our capital plan, what we are doing to keep people in businesses operating in the communities of the Northwest Territories, our infrastructure program with airport expansions, renewal of many of our infrastructure habits...

Mr. Speaker, that is why the discussion paper. That would be one of the first areas that we would look into, is what the definition would be, because there are many different definitions out there used by... Even all the different jurisdictions have different levels of definition when it comes to the anti-poverty strategy that they do have in place if they do. That is one of the first pieces of work that we would have to do once we have pulled this group together. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the Member has actually highlighted another area this government has taken an initiative on. It is forming a committee, between Regular Members and Cabinet, on small and remote rural communities. I would say that would be an avenue that we could use if that group wants to seek some input as to what options they may be able to work on and present back to the Members of the Assembly. I think we have an avenue there. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated in the opening comments with this advisory group, we want to look at developing a discussion paper that would address the issues of defining and measuring the progress on poverty and also look at pulling together our current programs in developing strategic direction to reducing poverty and identify areas for further action. We are hoping to have that done within the life of this Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in February, this House passed a motion calling on the government to develop a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy for the Northwest Territories. This motion also noted the need to work with key stakeholders to develop a definition of poverty and to include measurable targets and mechanisms for cross-departmental coordination.

As Members know, addressing low income in the Northwest Territories is a complex matter that is linked to social, economic and cost of living conditions that exist in our communities.

Poverty strategy from jurisdictions in Canada often...

We do have a policy and that is why, for example, the School of Community Government went into place and was developed to help our communities in the Northwest Territories build capacity and assist them in providing the necessary supports that they need in their communities. So that’s the first thing that we have in place and it incorporates a number of the training initiatives and supports along those lines.

The one difference is because bands are under the federal legislation there’s a slightly different arrangement there, but we still extend much of the same services. I’d have to get a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The relationship we have with the band councils differs somewhat with the relationship we have with municipal councils because band councils are under federal legislation, but when it comes to the working relationship we’re trying to build with them, we’re open to helping with either transition, or, for example, we have a number of communities where the bands deliver the programs and services that municipalities would in other cases, and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs would be able to sit down with them to go through the working arrangements, the...

Mr. Speaker, the fact is, it’s the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority that issued this contract that has responded to those that have replied to that tender process. In fact, I understand six companies have put in responses. So it’s been dealt with in that matter.

The principle, I think, as the Member says, now the Department of Health and Social Services should step in and direct that this contract be pulled. Again, let’s go back to the principles of the issue. We’d have to look at what we could do if there was an obvious flaw or break in our practice and process and see if...