Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I -- to get into the detail, the way that funding goes for -- so detox would be in hospital and those would be funded positions that would be added -- allocated to -- and I believe it is the -- like, Stanton, and I think in Beaufort Delta -- or Hay River, yes.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, if I can get the ADM can explain that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the question. You know, my very first job after high school was a health care card registration specialist, and one of the things my colleague taught me was is that we have very -- we have a lot of people that we're doing, we have to be doing investigations on that are outside of the territory. So that probably speaks to the time when the Member was in the House, that we started to change the way that we provide health care cards. And now they actually have an expiry date. So when you renew your health care card, you have to have an NWT...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to get the ADM Mathison to explain that section. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So because the decision and everything happened partway through the year, I think there is -- the numbers in here, it's more of an accounting thing. The initial reduction was, I believe, around $900,000, and that included 3.75 midwives, plus the position -- the specialist position in the department and the position of the territorial manager in NTHSSA. Those two positions were kept -- or negotiated back and came through a supplementary appropriation. So the money and for the remainder of the positions that are showing that are going down are just -- the funding was in...

Thank you, Madam Chair. So the changes in this line here are because of the sunset of the cost share agreements. There are the northern wellness agreement funding. So with that funding, because of the timing of the negotiating of that agreement, it wasn't done in time for these mains but there are -- there are increases in those areas. But for this budget, it shows a decrease because of the sunsetting. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. As I mentioned, I would follow up back with NTHSSA, and I will follow up to see what their engagement is with the staff and how that's taking place. And I have no problem sharing that with Members, and I think it's an important piece. Like, we've heard it many, many times on the floor of this House is that our staff need to be heard, and so we'll make sure there is some kind of documentation on how that is being done, and so we can share that with Members. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we do provide community counsellors and wellness workers within most regions in the Northwest Territories but what we also -- you know, and I've mentioned this in this House, what we -- the direction that has come from Indigenous governments is that they want to have a fund to be able to access funds to be able to provide those types of programs in their own way in their own regions, and so what we do have is the community wellness and recovery -- or wellness and addictions recovery fund. And I know that most of the regions access this -- Indigenous...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to add with -- just further information -- and I know that as we're live here, I'm just pulling up more information on the wastewater. There currently is new funding, third-party funding, that will be continuing parts -- I think a part of this program ongoing. Where those communities are, I'll just pass it over to the deputy minister and she can speak to the communities that that's happening in right now currently. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I wanted to also mention as part of that labour market supplement there were eligible positions that were increased for retention in that labour market supplement. But as for what the department is doing or what -- within NTHSSA is there is the recruitment strategy that the department is working along with. And I can turn that over to the deputy minister to go through some of the things that are going on. And the thing to be reminded is these are things that cannot be monetary, so in cash or the -- as the labour market supplement is, and so it's ways to try...