Charles Dent

Mr. Speaker, without having some names to address, it’s a difficult one to have some comments on. I guess I should point out though that the Member makes it sound like there are no aboriginal employees in corrections. In fact, our department is ranked third in government, in the last report on affirmative action, at 34.2 percent of its employees being aboriginal. Corrections services, since that time, has increased the number of aboriginal managers by 35 percent. So of the current 46 manager and supervisor positions, 57 percent are staffed by aboriginal persons and an additional 21 percent...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the intention is to be able to deliver the services at the facility, and we do currently have two nurses on staff to be able to provide services. I am advised by the Department of Health and Social Services that there has been no appreciable increase or noticeable increase in the patients from YCC to date. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, May 31, 2004, I will move that Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been advised that there is one vacant position in the Fort Simpson detachment that the RCMP is not planning to fill at this time. I have been told that this is based on the workload that they currently have in the detachment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member knows, this assembly has to approve the funds for a capital plan, but it will certainly be my intention to move the funding forward for that school replacement as expected and shown in the infrastructure plan for the next few years.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The total staff complement for the RCMP would not be reduced. The contract that we have with them pays for a certain number of personnel, but the RCMP often make decisions about where to place staff and as demand changes, the location of staff will change. So if the need increases in Fort Simpson, I would expect that the RCMP would make sure that that position was then filled in that community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In a few weeks, I will be travelling to the Sahtu with the Member. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with the community and discuss what needs to happen in that project to replace the school. We can certainly have that discussion with the community when we get there.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will certainly commit to the Member that I will discuss the staffing issues with the RCMP the next time I meet with the chief superintendent, but I will remind Members that it’s always an RCMP decision as to where staff are located and they make their decisions based on the volume of work. There is no intent for us to reduce the total staff complement with the RCMP. In fact, I am hoping that we will, over the next two years, be able to increase the level of staffing in our contract with them to respond to the request that they have submitted to this government....

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and honourable Members. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Mr. Jim Beaver who is with the aboriginal policing directorate. He's in the gallery today. He was attending the opening of the North Slave Correctional Centre earlier today. With him is MJ Patterson who is with the Department of Justice, the corrections policy officer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes.