Julie Green

Thank you for that response. Nothing further.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This isn't making total sense to me. Let's take the Social Work Program. It is my understanding that there is no staff left at the Social Work Program, so I am unclear why those salaries would be budgeted into the next fiscal year. It looks like the effect of this is to create a slush fund that will be sort of unplugged to actual need in the next fiscal year and, in fact, for the foreseeable future, because we don't know when or if the Social Work Program is coming back. Can the Minister provide a rationale for continuing to allocate money to salaries, when there is no...

That is good news. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to be clear that I am talking about arts organization operating funding, not NWT Arts Council funding. Are we talking about the same thing? Thank you.

Okay, yes. Thank you. I am pleased to do that, and I will have other comments, as well. I have nothing further on this section. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The government is considering amending its Employment Standards Act. A survey on the proposed changes closed about a month ago. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is promising a report on what they heard soon, and I am looking forward to hearing that the changes to the act will include leave for workers who have experienced domestic violence.

Mr. Speaker, domestic violence leave is a period of approved absence from work. Employers covered by the Employment Standards Act would make the time available to employees. Employees could use the time to seek medical...

I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that, notwithstanding rule 4, when this House adjourns on February 28, 2019, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, March 5, 2019; and further, that at any time prior to March 5, 2019, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has...

Thank you to the Minister for that answer. There were some things there that I had not heard before. When can we expect, then, a more concerted effort to take those findings and make them into a more comprehensive public awareness campaign?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My statement today was about responding to family violence, but my questions are for the Minister of Justice about preventing it. In her most recent report, the chief coroner recommended that there be a long-term sustained public awareness program on family and domestic violence available in all communities. I would like to ask the Minister: what action has been taken on the coroner's recommendation? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Thanks again to the Minister for that. Mr. Speaker, there is no increase in the Justice budget for the next fiscal year in the line " Protection Against Family Violence." I am wondering at what point this initiative the Minister has spoken of will be operationalized in terms of assigning spending to it. Thank you.

Just to clarify, the coroner's report that I am speaking about is the most recent one, dated 2017. These recommendations come from investigations into two domestic homicides that happened in the reporting period. The coroner's report stresses that public education is needed to raise awareness about the signs of abuse in communities so that people who are close to those who are at risk or who are abusive can intervene. My question again is: what action has been taken on this recommendation?