Mr. Speaker, today I'm speaking about a difficult thing, and I urge listeners to take care of yourselves and seek support when you need it.
Family violence is one of those things that we seldom talk about inside or outside of this building, yet it is so pervasive that it affects every aspect of northern life, people's health, their ability to work, our economy, the ability of communities to function. It impacts people of every culture, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, of every education level and every income bracket.
The rates of intimate partner violence in the NWT are astronomical - 12 times the national average. One of this Assembly's priorities is to prevent, interrupt, and address the effects of trauma, but every day in our communities the cycle of trauma and violence is repeating itself.
It would be so much easier if it was just a matter of law and order, just punishing the bad guys, keeping them away forever from the helpless victims. But our family and community webs are too interconnected to separate the good guys and the bad guys like that. And survivors are not helpless. We may get frustrated when they go back, sometimes again and again, to abusive situations, but people's choices are complicated and the only way out is for survivors to be able to take their power back, to gain more realistic options and to make their own choices.
Over the past 25 years, the NWT has had family violence action plans, research studies, calls to action, and in 2023 a new strategic framework was published, yet this government continues to miss opportunities to make fundamental changes.
I say no more strategies, reports, hand-wringing, until we've taken action on the main recommendations that keep being raised over and over. Survivors need safe housing options. We don't yet have safe homes even in every region, and the ones that exist, for example the safe homes run by the YWCA with partners in Fort Simpson and Fort Good Hope, are constantly in danger of losing funding and shutting down. We need more transitional housing options because people cannot stay in a shelter long term. We need better ways of enforcing emergency protection orders and ways to make EPOs more responsive to changing needs. We need a justice system that is accessible, that doesn't re-traumatize people, and that has options for reconciliation and healing. Survivors need better access to legal aid. Abusers need supportive housing too and opportunities to heal and unlearn violent behaviours. These are big, expensive changes, Mr. Speaker, but the cost of the status quo is much, much more. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Colleagues, family violence is a challenging topic, and if anybody's listening needs support or assistance, please contact the RCMP, health centres, or visit the government website to find resources available to you.
Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
