N.W.T. MLAs ask for health minister's resignation following child and family services audit

Regular MLAs want to know whetherNorthwest Territories Health Minister Glen Abernethy will resign or be fired in the wake of a damning audit report on the territory's Child and Family Services division.

Though they didn't take concrete steps to oust Abernethy from cabinet, MLAs expressed their frustration with his leadership for the second straight day in the legislature Friday.

It's part of lingering fallout from Tuesday's report that found the department continues to not meet its obligations to children in care.

Kieron Testart asked Abernethy whether he'd resign, whileR.J. Simpson called the audit "concrete evidence of a significant and unacceptable failure." Simpsonpressed Premier Bob McLeod to demand Abernethy's resignation in addition to other questions from MLAson the report.

Will the minister be taking responsibility and resign?- KieronTestart, Kam Lake MLA

"We're faced with a situation where a lack of action means a lack of accountability," Simpson said. "I will have questions for the premier over whether he will keep his ministers accountable of if we will have to do it for him."

Testart'sline of questioning was also blunt, blaming Abernethy for the department's failing grade in the audit.

"He's had plenty of time to start making progress on this and things are worse than they were before," Testart said. "Will the minister be taking responsibility and resign?"

In response, Abernethy did not directly answer the question with a yes or no,instead restatinghis commitment to following through with the plans the government currently has in place.

"We are making the changes that are necessary and I believe we are on the right path," Abernethy said, promising that department officials will satisfy MLAs' concerns during a Dec. 12 review of the auditor general's report.

"They will be walking through our action planthat just doesn't demonstrate work we want to do, but it also articulates work that we have done."

Tuesday's report from the auditor general showed a bureaucracy overburdened by administrative changes and failing to meet key requirements on monitoring children in care following a comprehensive audit of the department in 2014.

In many cases, issues flagged in that 2014 report got worse, according to the report.

In nine out of ten cases, officers with the government did not maintain the required contact with children placed in foster care. In 2014, that number was six out of ten, the report found.

Listen to Health Minister Glen Abernethyaddress the audit report during Friday's edition ofTrailbreaker:

Premier 'satisfied' Abernethy's taking the issue seriously

"This house has made clear it will not tolerate an acceptance of the failure outlined in the auditor general's report," Simpson said during question period, asking McLeodhow he will hold his cabinet to account.

In response, McLeod said understands the seriousness of the report, but that every jurisdiction in Canada has problems delivering services for children in care.

McLeod said he stands behind Abernethy, though he acknowledged his ability to strip Abernethy's portfolio or order him removed from cabinet.He suggested that issues MLAshave with Abernethyor other ministers may beresolved through private discussions he called "fireside chats."

"It's a very serioussituation," he said. "But I believe that, and am satisfied that the minister [Abernethy] has taken this issue seriously."

McLeod also said he still wants more information about how the report came up with its results and will speak with Auditor General Michael Ferguson when he is in Yellowknife in December.

"I understood we dealt with the 2014 audit in good faith where we put in a foundation," he said. "For the report to come back and say: 'you're worse off than you were before,' I wonder what happened to the previous audit.

"I need more information. I know this is a very serious concern and we're not going to take it lightly."

RegularMLAscan remove a cabinet minister by passing a non-confidence motion in the Legislative Assembly.Last October, Justice Minister Louis Sebert survived a non-confidence motion after the 18th Assembly's midterm review.