Alfred Moses

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its public review of Bill 63, An Act to Amend the Victims of Crime Act, on September 15, 2015. A clause-by-clause review was conducted the same day. The committee thanks the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill.

Bill 63 amends the Victims of Crime Act with respect to surcharges imposed and paid into the Victims Assistance Fund. The bill allows the surcharge amounts to be set by regulation and allows an offender to complete a work option program under the Fine Option Act as an alternative to incarceration for...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Standing Committee on Social Programs conducted its review of Bill 59, Estate Administration Law Amendment Act, on September 15, 2015. A clause-by-clause review was conducted the same day. The committee would like to thank the Minister and his staff for presenting the bill.

Bill 59 is an omnibus bill that amends four separate statutes related to estate administration: the Children’s Law Act, the Guardianship and Trusteeship Act, the Intestate Succession Act and the Public Trustee Act.

A primary intent of the proposed amendments is to coordinate provisions of these...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I have questions for the Minister of Justice in regard to some of the campaigns and the work they’re doing around how we’re kind of getting rid of the bootleggers and the drug dealers in the community. I guess my first question is the Not Us! campaign. I know it’s been successful in some of the communities in the past. Hay River and Yellowknife have had successful programs. Inuvik did have a very successful program at one time.

I just want to ask the Minister, how much funding is allocated for this program and is it being utilized in the Northwest Territories and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the course of this Assembly I have stood up on many occasions to speak to a very serious issue throughout the Northwest Territories. That is dealing in our small communities, specifically in the areas of bootlegging and the drug deals that continue to plague our residents of the Northwest Territories and continue to target our youth and our most vulnerable in our small communities. Obviously, as a result, there are devastating effects not only on our residents but our families, our communities, and the territory as a whole.

When we hear about tragedies, whether they...

I know that in the Northwest Territories we do have communities that are accessible by road, by water, the Mackenzie River. I’m just wondering if the Minister would be working with the RCMP “G” Division to create higher awareness in those areas that are accessible by land. I know there have been concerns and issues brought forth, and as the Minister alluded to earlier, there have been a lot of seizures in the communities where a lot of booze and drugs have been taken, and we’ve seen that in the media. Would the Minister work with the RCMP “G” Division to create more public awareness around...

As I mentioned in my Member’s statement, we’ve got to create awareness and education on these programs and let our residents, especially the ones who have a certain interest in getting rid of our bootleggers and drug dealers, about such campaigns like this. I know I’ve also asked in the past in terms of prevention and promotion. I know we had one canine here, a canine unit in the Northwest Territories, and speaking to our Minister, that has been up to two.

I’m just wondering, I’m sure I asked questions about this before. I just want to get an update whether or not those canines on request would...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a few people I’d like to recognize here today. First, a young gentleman who has really come a long way and is a good role model in the community of Inuvik, Mr. Jacob Peffer, as well as all the other youth ambassadors receiving the Minister’s Culture and Heritage Circle Awards today. Obviously, that program could not have been done without great leadership. I’d like to recognize Ms. Colinda Blondin and Dawn Moses for all the work that they do. In a previous job, I know the hard work that goes into making the program successful.

I’d also like to recognize Ms...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The motion that’s here before us, over the length of this government, I think at the same time we can’t be pulling in favours from the Minister responsible. We have 19 Members in this House and it’s our responsibility to bring action items, bring concerns forward to the Legislative Assembly, and over the four years I believe this is one organization and one action plan that we didn’t give its due respect and due action to. I know it’s at the end of this Legislative Assembly now and we’re trying to figure out how to address this issue.

Back in 2012-2013 I had asked...

The Minister did allude to Crime Stoppers as being one type of avenue. Can I ask the Minister if there are any other types of phone lines or tips hotlines that the Minister can reference that would allow residents of the Northwest Territories to give an anonymous phone call to get some of these, I guess, perpetrators in the community who do the bootlegging and sell drugs, if there’s any other type of hotline in the small communities that they can call to address such a situation? As we’ve mentioned, I think there are maybe 11 communities that don’t have RCMP officers at the moment.

Just looking at some of our regional centres, does Hay River also have one and does Norman Wells have one? Do these regional centres have the staff trained to utilize these portable ultrasound machines? Thank you.