Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the public administrator and the CEO of the Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority have been working with the community, trying to make sure that those types of things are incorporated. Now that the legislation has been approved to move to one authority, I also am moving to re-establish wellness camps in the Deh Cho so we can continue to get input from the residents of the communities in a more effective manner. Thank you.

We will be making this information public. We will be sharing the new guidelines when they come out. A couple things around that: There is still going to be a requirement for individuals who are going to be away from the Northwest Territories for extended periods of time to let the health services office know, and I would still strongly encourage residents who are travelling outside of the Northwest Territories to get medical travel insurance to cover any extra costs while they’re in the United States or other parts of the world as well as in the southern parts of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 44, An Act to Amend the Hospital Insurance and Health and Social Services Administration Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. With me today on my right is Debbie DeLancey, who is the deputy minister of Health and Social Services. On my left is Thomas Druyan, who is the legislative counsel. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to be here to discuss Bill 47, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act.

Bill 47 is the result of four years of work by the department and would not have been possible without the interest and dedication to the Child and Family Services Act demonstrated by the people of the Northwest Territories as well as Members of the Standing Committee on Social Programs from both the 16th and 17th Legislative Assemblies.

The primary purpose of the Child and Family Services Act is to protect children and youth from harm, and the amendments proposed in this bill...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the Members’ comments and suggestions. I know that they’ve worked hard on this and I know a couple of the Members were around in the 16th Assembly when that review was done. So they’ve been involved in this, as I have, for an extended period of time.

I do agree with Member Bisaro that working together, the work we’ve done to find a way to make this bill a better bill than when we brought it forward for first and second reading has been rewarding, and I really appreciate the amount of effort and time put in by committee.

The committee and Members have talked...

Yes, I would, thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents, entitled “Northwest Territories Community Wellness Initiatives Annual Report for 2013-2014,” “NWT Health and Social Services Performance Measurement Framework” and “Public Performance Measures Report for 2015 NWT Health and Social Services System.” Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is about the departments working together for the common good, trying to improve services for youth. This isn’t an elimination of the entire program in Education, Culture and Employment but it is a recognition that by working together we’re able to support a Healthy Family Program in the Beaufort-Delta, in Tuk in particular, and this is our way of working together to float some money. We’re also partnering with the community and with the Inuvialuit to make this happen. This isn’t an elimination in any way of the education program. This is us working together to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 55, Mental Health Act, be read for the second time.

This bill replaces the Mental Health Act. It modernizes mental health legislation and includes an approach to promote the care and treatment of patients in communities where appropriate. It provides for the establishment of a review board to hear, in a timely manner, applications by patients, persons acting on behalf of patients, medical practitioners and other persons. A consequential amendment is made to the Property Assessment and Taxation Act.