R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So as this committee has not even been struck yet, we don't have a process for setting agendas. But I would love to hear from youth and know what they want to talk about. I don't want to tell them what they're going to talk about; I'd like to hear from them. We will be putting forward items obviously, but I would love it if the youth would put forward some agenda items themselves. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So one of the major things that has happened in the past or just over a year I guess a year and two days ago was the new Corrections Act came into force, and that act restructures our correctional system with more of a focus on rehabilitation as opposed to punishment. We are still, you know, in the process of implementing that Act. It has only been a year, and much of that was COVID times so we haven't quite gotten to the point where I think we want to. But there's a recognition that doing the same old thing doesn't work, and so we are trying to move in a direction...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So obviously the staff are the people who are in direct contact with inmates in correctional facilities and staff are they receive training in applied suicide intervention skills, so the assist training that's been discussed in this House before. They also receive mental health first aid training, and this year they've moved to the mental health first aid northern peoples edition training. The intake process at corrections includes screening for suicide and mental health issues. There are psychologists, counsellors, and traditional counsellors in the correctional...

Madam Speaker, I give notice that on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2022, I will present Bill 68, An Act to Amend the Child Daycare Act, be read for the first time. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. As this motion contains recommendations to the government, we will be abstaining. We don't make recommendations to ourselves and we don't want to stand in the way of this motion either. So we look forward to providing a full response within 120 days. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think that's a great suggestion, and I'm happy to have that conversation with the youth advisory committee. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So earlier we talked about the Ministers youth advisory committee that we are putting together, and that's going to be the perfect avenue to have these discussions. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So this is still as I said, we have not even struck the committee yet. So I think it will evolve into something that well, my hope is that it will evolve into something that provides the Minister of the day with information so that when they're making decisions, they have that perspective. And so in that way, that very direct way, youth will be able to drive policy change at the departmental level. I can't speak to the education body level because this is a Ministers advisory committee. But I will be sharing those recommendations with all of the different education...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. So the youth advisory committee is something that I was hoping to establish early on in the life of this government. That was derailed by COVID. So we have reestablished it or we are in the process of reestablishing it. Hopefully there will be a meeting in this calendar year. And the purpose of this youth advisory committee is so that I can hear directly from youth. I have lots of discussions with staff, I have discussions with members of the general public, with MLAs, but I don't have a lot of discussions with actual students in the actual education system, let...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents: Northwest Territories Law Foundation 39th Annual Report for the Period Ending June 30, 2021; and, Territorial Police Service Agreement RCMP Annual Report 20212022. Thank you, Madam Speaker.