Michael Miltenberger

I don’t think that would be an appropriate use of the skill set of the Program Review Office. This RFP is going to be asking for folks with a background that can also not only look at what’s there but look across the North and be able to offer up some knowledgeable skill-based and experience-based suggestions and options of an expansion of services across the Northwest Territories. That is definitely not the role of the Program Review Office.

As a government we have committed many millions of dollars coming up with our own program for nursing in the North to train Northerners up to the degree level. We have expanded into the nurse practitioner range. We are trying to work with nurse graduates to give them enough additional training so that they can actually go out into the communities where they may be by themselves or where they may in fact be playing a lead role like community health nurses or nurses in charge. While we still have some ways to go, we have minimized our reliance on local nurses and casual nurses and remain...

Mr. Chairman, I am here to present Bill 6, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011.

Bill 6, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2010-2011, authorizes the forgiveness of certain debts listed in the schedule of the act.

Pursuant to Section 25 of the Financial Administration Act, the forgiveness of a debt or obligation to the government exceeding $1,000 must receive Legislative Assembly approval.

When a debt is forgiven, no further collection action shall be pursued.

The forgiveness of certain debts being proposed in this act will not require a new appropriation. Allowances for doubtful accounts were charged to an...

What is being aimed for is this will be ready for the incoming 17th Assembly to consider, along with all the other work that will be laid out in the transition plan as they look at setting their priorities and doing their own business plans.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a government we are doing a number of things collectively. Health looks at all the health services with the nursing stations and with the medical side, the social services side, the child welfare piece. We have significant education presence in communities. We have Municipal and Community Affairs that is there with communities as they work on the services that lead to a better quality of life as well as on the recreation side. We have ITI there supporting business, local business and small business, to do work at the community level to help with the economy. We have...

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. There are different types of information that, yes, it is a practice across the government where the information, such as health information, or housing information, or education, or justice information of a very particular personal nature is stored and kept so that it’s managed in the appropriate way that we can have the safeguards. Other information is not quite as sensitive; it doesn’t have the same kind of requirements. Thank you.

The response to the committee’s report was in this House during the last session. There were agreements reached in terms of some additional funding to look at trying to get some of the community and family services committees set up, as well as a review and internal work that we’re going to cover from within in terms of policy review and those types of things. Those commitments will be honoured. The other recommendations will be brought forward through the business planning process and will be there on the table for the incoming Assembly of the 17th Assembly in October or November when they...

Mr. Speaker, there are rights issues based on age. There are very few cases where you can have some type of custodial disposition that will give legal authority to take somebody involuntarily into a treatment program. Those usually work through the courts, if it’s through the young offenders process or if it’s through an arrangement with the Department of Health and Social Services where there is an actual custodial disposition through the courts. But as a matter of practice for those types of situations where you’re dealing with family issues and these types of circumstances, when you’re 16...

Our engagement will be the same as what has been outlined by the Minister of Justice that was a jointly-signed letter, and it’s an approach that we think will allow us to move forward and still have involvement in an advisory capacity, and as the Minister of Justice indicated, we’re receptive to the types of suggestions made by the Member for Great Slave. Thank you.