Former MLA to take A New Day
Yellowknife Centre representative criticizes decision as 'bad faith move'
Jessica Davey-Quantick
Northern News Services
Friday, June 2, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A New Day, a men's domestic violence program that was facing an uncertain future after the territorial government announced a review last fall, is being taken over by a group headed by former MLA Robert Hawkins.
Robert hawkins: Former MLA selected to run A New Day program. - photo via Twitter |
Justice Minister Louis Sebert announced Wednesday in the legislative assembly that A New Day would carry on under the auspices of the NWT John Howard Society, an organization that advocates on behalf of people facing the justice system.
The society named Hawkins as its executive director in December following the firing of his predecessor Lydia Bardak the previous month.
Hawkins served three terms as MLA for Yellowknife Centre before his defeat at the hands of Julie Green in the 2015 territorial election.
The A New Day program, the NWT's only support program for men who have perpetrated domestic violence, is currently offered through the Tree of Peace but is scheduled to end after June.
Operation of the program under an altered mandate that emphasizes group counselling as opposed to one-on-one sessions among other changes was put out to tender twice, but no NGO in Yellowknife offered a bid. Instead, a group of 14 community advocates and NGOs signed an open letter penned by the Coalition Against Family Violence imploring the GNWT to reconsider making these changes to the program.
Hawkins told Yellowknifer his group didn't bid on the contract either.
"We were approached by the GNWT. They met with us to consider the program," said Hawkins. "We were approached because no one responded to the RFP (request for proposals)."
In his address to the legislative assembly, Sebert said there would be no interruption in service and men will be allowed to register at the John Howard Society office, located next door to the existing program space.
He added "qualified" counsellors would meet with men individually to prepare them to join weekly group sessions, which will run continuously, so men will have the flexibility to drop-in.
Hawkins stressed the new program will be "99 per cent exactly the same" as what's currently offered through the Tree of Peace, adding he was still "working through" the RFP document.
Sue Glowach, communications adviser for the Department of Justice, however, stated by e-mail that the program will be "as outlined in RFP."
She told Yellowknifer the contract is worth $575,000.
The program, originally offered in the RFP for just one year, has been extended to March 31, 2021.
"Had the department's RFP been for four years rather than one, other parties might have bid. This is a bad faith move by government with respect to the non-profit community," said Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green.
"A four-year contract is almost unheard of especially on a non-competitive basis."
Hawkins told Yellowknifer he is sure his society will be able to deliver.
"I have 100 per cent confidence in the management model that we've been sort of engaged with," he said, adding the John Howard Society Canada offers similar programs, and he's confident he'll be able to "tap into" that network for support.
