Monfwi

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 48)

Mr Speaker, the 18 recommendations, as I stated, we are as a department going through each and every item and highlighting which areas should be expedited or, I guess, delivered immediately. Those are areas that we can share with the standing committee. The rest, if it is a long-term strategy, then we need to highlight those as a second phase and a third phase. We will be sharing that information with the standing committee. Mahsi.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 48)

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I agree with the Member that we definitely need to do more reaching out to the communities so they’re aware of the hours that they’re entitled to and that they can access some additional hours if need be. Just additional information that is required, we’ll definitely do our part to deliver those key messages. Mahsi.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 47)

Mahsi. We do collect the information on inmates that pass through our institutional services throughout the Northwest Territories and that gives us a caption on where we should focus. If it’s going to be a reintegration model, we’ve made some changes to our reintegration model as well as the programming and we’ll continue to do that. We feel that reintegration back into the community they should be prepared to walk into a community.

So we have some information on file that we collect over time and based on that we develop programs or make changes to our programming. There is also federal...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 47)

Mr. Speaker, it is easy to say tear down the building. We currently house over a couple hundred inmates there as well. I can give you an example of how much it costs to deliver a program, on-the-land program versus North Slave Correction as an example. We have $250 per person at the North Slave Correctional Centre. It is going to cost us almost double, $415, out on-the-land program. We as a department pursued it because we felt it would be in the best interest of the communities to host on-the-land program. It does cost us extra dollars, but we believe in it, so that is what we are pursuing...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 47)

Mr. Speaker, we are doing that in other parts of the regions as well. There is a work release in place. The South Slave, Mackenzie, there are different programming that individuals go out on the land, and in Fort Smith and different institutions. They take out the inmates to cut wood for the community. Those are the ongoing initiatives that we continue to support so it keeps the members active in their community or in a community. If it happens to be their community, they are contributing to that community as well.

Mr. Speaker, this is a program that we continue to support in the communities...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 47)

Mr. Speaker, the specific review, again, I have to get that information for the Member. What were the highlights of the review and what needs to be changed, if there needs to be changes, that is the information that I was referring to that I would provide to the Members. Mahsi.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 47)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. That specific information I need to get for the Member. I don’t have that detailed information in front of me right now.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 47)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents entitled GNWT Response to Committee Report 4-16(5), Report on the Review of the 2008-2009 Annual Report of the Languages Commissioner; and GNWT Response to Committee Report 6-16(5), Report on the Review of the Auditor General on Education in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following documents entitled GNWT Response to Committee Report 5-16(5), Report on the Review of the 2008-2009 Annual Report of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.

Also, Mr. Speaker, further to my Return to Written Question 17-16...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 47)

We did have some review of the Yukon within their act and there are some implications in there or some areas that we can definitely look at within our existing act, if we could change or make some amendments that reflect on what the Yukon has. But there are some areas that they do not have, such as imposed penalties for noncompliance or other areas that may not be in the best interests of the Northwest Territories. But definitely, those are some of the key areas and indicators that we need to take into consideration. If we need to make amendments to our act, then this will be before the...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 47)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My department has been working on this particular file on the reservists. Under the current act and other legislation that may be before us, individuals serving as reservists may be protected by other legislation or collective agreements providing greater benefits than our act. Those are the areas we are currently exploring.

Not only that but we haven’t to date received any inquiries on this particular matter. There are, from the information that we have, approximately 26 current members of the Yellowknife reservists. We’re fully aware of that and we want to work with that...