Jane Groenewegen

We will do that right after we have a break. Thank you.

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…to come up with a real number on what these savings look like. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Menicoche.

Mr. Speaker, I would like the Minster’s commitment that he will not be taking 5.5 positions out of my community and adding corrections positions in Yellowknife. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I still think it’s a red herring and it’s a cheap way of making a case, to keep referring to one or two young offenders in the facility down there when it has been almost at capacity for quite some time now, to justify a $1.5 million savings and keep referring to one or two. It’s just to throw it out there in a way that creates a misconception and it’s just a red herring. In fact, that facility has been well utilized in the past year and I would like the Minister to admit that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this change in operations results in a loss of 5.5 positions in Hay River. Mr. Speaker, with the recent review of the North Slave Correctional Centre, is it not true that there is a human resource plan to look at adding more positions for corrections officers in Yellowknife while taking 5.5 out of the South Slave? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just for clarity, the Minister is not talking about one or two from Hay River. He’s talking about one or two from the entire South Slave region and going back, again, you can’t just use one day as a snapshot, he’s saying that going back historically there has only been one or two young offenders in that facility from the South Slave region. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice. Mr. Speaker, with respect to the placement of remand inmates in cells here in Yellowknife as opposed to Hay River, I would like to ask the Minister if the reason for that is because the Yellowknife correctional centre has empty beds and empty cells that need to be filled here in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t know exactly how the Minister thinks he can make these projections, except based on historic data. I am saying that I will be quiet and I will go away on this issue, Mr. Speaker, if the Minister would agree to have an independent person look at this projected savings, which I say is a supposed savings. I don’t believe it’s there. If he will agree to that today in the House, I will await the answer of an independent assessment of these projected savings. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Good statement.

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