David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize one of my favourite constituents, Ms. Joy Watt, who’s in the audience this afternoon. As well, I’d like to recognize the former Commissioner, former Member for Kam Lake as well, Mr. Tony Whitford. As well, of course, the Auditor General, Ms. Sheila Fraser, and her staff as well. I’d like to welcome them and everyone that’s in the gallery today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to entertain the Department of Finance’s main estimates.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In some correspondence I received from the Department of Justice it would indicate that Members were provided copies of that report in May 2009 and I’m not a member of the Social Programs committee. I’ve had our research staff looking for it. I’m not sure if the department actually gave it to us, or maybe that’s an error in the correspondence. I’d like to ask the Minister, were Members provided copies of that report in May of 2009. Thank you.

Thank you. In the absence of any meaningful statistics or data, I’d like to ask the Minister how it is that the Department of Justice measures the success or failure of the current programming that they have in place in their correctional system and specifically at North Slave Correctional Centre. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak again today about our justice system and in particular recidivism, which, plainly put, is reoffending after having prior contact with the justice system. You’ve heard me talk about violent offenders with outlandish amounts of previous convictions who are not only getting off with light sentences, but the level of rehabilitation and help they get behind bars has got to be thoroughly questioned.

Sadly, Mr. Speaker, in researching the subject of repeat offenders in our Territory, there are no statistics kept on recidivism, not only here in the Northwest...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That we report progress.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure has reviewed Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Dog Act. The committee wishes to report that Bill 16 is ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted. Thank you.

Thank you. In response to some of the questions I’ve had and correspondence I’ve received from the Department of Justice, it would seem that a cursory review was done on the programs at North Slave Correctional Centre in 2008. I’d like to ask the Minister who he has shared those recommendations with and what work has been done to address those 18 recommendations the he and the department speak of. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Justice, getting back to my statement and a topic that I’ve brought up in the House numerous times during this sitting of the House and in previous years. When you look at recidivism -- and that is the amount of times a person comes into contact with the justice system -- and you realize that in the Northwest Territories we don’t keep statistics on the level of recidivism, and if you look at some of these high profile cases that have just happened where you see an individual convicted the 16th or 17th time for a violent offence...

Obviously I think the planning dollars are going to be important to getting the government’s commitment to building a stand-alone college campus here in Yellowknife. Yesterday we found out there’s $900,000 in planning for Stanton. I’m thinking that’s coming from the capital plan that’s being developed by the government. If one Minister can say there is money, why can’t the other Minister say that there’s going to be some money? Where is the commitment in the capital plan that’s coming this fall to get planning dollars for the Aurora College stand-alone campus here in Yellowknife? We need a...