Sandy Lee

As I stated, we are reviewing all of our agreements and it will be based on the review. Thank you.

Because, Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we are reviewing our budget for 2010-11. We are reviewing all the agreements we have with some of the NGOs. We are evaluating to see how we are spending money and what the outcome measures are. We will be renewing the contracts with those organizations and we will sit down with them. Thank you.

The Member knows we were told when we were in Aklavik in January that there is one home care worker and he’s worked off his feet just driving elders around. He definitely needs more support and we are proposing to create two additional home care workers so that three home care workers can support the elders there. There is also a need for respite care program territorial-wide model and, as the Member knows, we are reviewing that. Part of that process, this is actually a very exciting roll-out for us that would depend on a lot of resources. Right now we need to be on the ground, and home care...

Currently we are spending about $800,000 at the Joe Greenland Centre, not taking into consideration extra money that we have to spend there. The program is currently budgeted under the Beaufort-Delta for $800,000. That is serving two elders in the Joe Greenland Centre. What we propose to do is use half of that money, $350,000, back into the community.

When I was there with the Member in January, we committed to the community and the community group that we will sit down with the community and design an elders program together, and it could be recreational activities, social activities...

There’s one thing that hasn’t changed, which is that for the last 10 years, well, I guess, not 10 years, the last three years the Member asked me about problems with deficits and he always says the same thing, that nothing is changing, when a lot of things are changing. Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that, more specifically, the system deficit that we had last year was $14.685 million but we are expecting about $11 million system deficit for this year. That is a huge progress. I think credit should be given where credit is due, because our management is working very hard to make long-term...

Yes, governance model review is underway, and I’ve indicated that in Committee of the Whole. It may be that we would have to decide on whether we should have one authority or not, but that’s something that we have to have more discussions on and we have to work with the authorities and do consultation with the community-at-large.

We should be mindful of the fact that that is not necessarily a silver bullet. We are aware of other jurisdictions where they have collapsed the boards and done all kinds of things in that regard without necessarily saving, I think.

I know the Member keeps saying that...

I am aware that a lot of work has been done and is being done on that, so I will follow up to be able to confirm that to her, seeing as it’s going back to 2009.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that we are talking about... While lots of clients of the Centre for Northern Families, have to do with victims of family violence, the Centre for Northern Families is funded in a different way and they serve also different clientele.

I can assure the Member that, under the action plan, a number of things have been accomplished. We have conducted a territorial attitude survey on violence. A territorial family violence consultation was held under this action plan. We have also developed a training program called Supporting Northern Women, a Northwest Territories shelter...

Mr. Speaker, we do have an agreement here that that organization has an important function to deliver and it is an important part of the spectrum of services that we provide for the homeless and those who need our support in the community, not just for Yellowknife but for many people that come to Yellowknife. But the Member is also aware that we have had long-term structural issues with the financial situation of that organization. We have been working, the department and ECE. I just do not have the most recent update, but I will commit, once again, to follow up on that and see what our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member knows, the Department of Health has been working with Education, Culture and Employment to review the situation and come up with the options. I do not have the most recent information. I have asked the staff to look into that and I will get back to the Member. Thank you.