David Ramsay

I know the Minister talked about FPT meetings and getting together with his colleagues from across the country. One of the big issues recently that’s come to light is people getting double credit for time served in remand while they’re awaiting a court date. I’d like to ask the Minister if here in the Northwest Territories has our government and the Minister of Justice taken a position on whether or not that’s a good practice to have. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to follow up on some of the questions I had earlier for the Minister of Justice. Mr. Speaker, I must start out by saying I have the utmost respect for the judicial system here in the Northwest Territories, but when there is a public outcry about light sentences handed out to violent offenders here in the Northwest Territories, the public has little recourse but to come to their elected officials and state that something is wrong if somebody is killing somebody and getting five years, or if an individual beats up their spouse and gets five months even though...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the things I alluded to in my Member’s statement was the fact that North Slave Correctional Centre is the largest corrections facility we have in the Northwest Territories. Currently it doesn’t have a clinical psychologist, Mr. Speaker. That, to me, is a gaping hole in the services that are available to violent offenders here in the Northwest Territories, and it’s little wonder our statistics are going up when we don’t have a clinical psychologist at our largest facility. I’d like to ask the Minister if there are any plans to fill the position of clinical...

Judging by the amount of repeat offenders, especially in the area of violent crime that we have here in the Northwest Territories, I’m wondering if the Minister could commit to reviewing the programs and services that are available for violent offenders at the North Slave Correctional Centre and other correctional facilities around the Northwest Territories in an effort to make sure that we are getting the best programs and services into our correctional facilities that we can. I’d suggest that the Minister look around the country, and even North America for that matter, to find out where the...

What message does this send to the victims -- these light sentences -- and to their families? Certainly we know the message that light sentences have on offenders, especially if they’re not thoroughly rehabilitated. They will get out and, sadly, most of them will reoffend. We have to do everything in our power to turn that trend around.

I appreciate the Minister’s comments. I’ll make sure that I get her a copy of the deck that she presented to the Standing Committee on Social Programs that day so that she has a copy of that. That was about 18 months ago. What I’m getting at is when the Minister talked about running an efficient and effective health care system here in the Northwest Territories, in my mind if we run enough deficits at some of our authorities to the magnitude that they currently are in, then are we managing and effectively utilizing the dollars that we have if those deficits are being allowed to build up like...

What I’d be looking for is written communication from the department to the authorities, especially the authorities that are in deficit situations. I’d like to get a better idea of what the department is telling the authorities in written communication between the department and the authorities. That’s what I’m looking for. Specific to deficits and financial management at the authority level, and that’s communication coming directly from the department to the authorities. I don’t know if I can make it much more clear than that, Mr. Chairman. That’s what I’m looking for. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to ask the Minister to what extent is the department involved in giving financial advice to the authorities and I’d like to know what shape that advice takes. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My issue is not with the Norman Wells Land Corporation acquiring the land; I guess it’s the precedent this sets. I’d like to ask the Minister: are there currently any other negotiations going on around the Territory to sell any additional Commissioner’s land? Thank you.

I’d like to ask the Minister: is there not a policy or protocol that would have the Minister, the department and/or Cabinet inform Regular Members of such a land acquisition or deal like the one in Norman Wells?