Katrina Nokleby

Thank you, Madam Chair. Does the department have any idea or indication: do we think that this is going to rise and that we would be looking to put more money there? I am looking: here, it's another $100,000 over last year's estimates. However, would it not make more sense to put more money there now in the event that they do need it as it is something that I don't think we would just not fund? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate hearing that, and I want to actually pass along a quote that I do have in my notes here that Ms. Doolittle was awesome to talk to when the report was being done. I just wanted to pass that along to the Minister. Maybe just to further that or to get a little bit stronger wording around it, I think some of the issue, though, is that the after-care of Indigenous recruitment is that it's not so much always getting those people in the door and working but supporting them afterwards in the fact that, a lot of times, this is their family. These are people that...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a comment that, yes, I think that's great. Perhaps it's just my own ignorance of how the Department of Justice works, but I think, in this area, when I was with the YWCA as a director, it just felt like this was one area where we could always be communicating more and more and really -- again, I am going to use my geology analogy -- mine them for their data and maybe being proactive to look at where trends are going. I think that they would be a good source for that. More of a comment. I'm done. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. As I am listening to the national dialogue and the Status of Women, there seems to be an increase or we are expecting an increase in family violence, intimate partner violence, domestic violence as COVID continues. Knowing that the YWCA is the provider of the EPO function for the RCMP, do we anticipate that we are going to have to increase funding here to ensure that the YWCA can continue to provide that service? As well, how do we then ensure that the EPOs can be done in communities where the YWCA does not have staff? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It's good to hear that the numbers are improving and wait times are improving. I just am really concerned, or I just want to maybe make a comment to emphasize, and perhaps this isn't quite the right spot for it, but the Minister and just looking at ways to help our constituents. I'm concerned that we're sort of a few months out from a little bit more of a pandemic or housing issue, with people being evicted, with our larger landlords being REITs that aren't necessarily invested in the North. I've been hearing that real estate trusts have almost a bragging thing in their...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am looking at the line item on 276, the gun and gang strategy, and noting that it is a new program that has started. I'm assuming that's why there are no actuals for 2019-2020. Given the conditions in our jail, we have been hearing over the last while that this is leading to increased gang activity in the Northwest Territories, as southerners are in our jails with northern people and are using that almost as a recruitment location. Could the Minister speak a bit to whether this is enough money? I notice we do have a $150,000 increase this year. Do we see this as...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for that. Again, the one time I was in the rental office with my constituent, they were very lovely and helpful. Maybe the Minister could speak to what is the percentage of clients that are public housing clients at the rental office?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One of the ways that I get my opinions into those types of policies, reviews, et cetera, is to bring them up here in the House. This one is a little bit more on the philosophical plane, but we often hear that increasing the population of the Northwest Territories is a great way for us to increase our revenues by upping the number of transfer payments that we get from the federal government. However, our priority is to increase our local employment and hiring and keeping with northern businesses, et cetera. My question is: does the Minister find that these two goals are...

Thank you, Madam Chair. That's one instance where being a small territory actually benefits us. I have no further questions. Thank you, Madam Chair.

All great news I am glad to hear. I just hope things go more quickly rather than dragging out. In our current Affirmative Action Policy, Indigenous Aboriginal men are not designated as a distinct priority group under that policy. Will the Minister commit to including this as part of the upcoming review of the Affirmative Action Policy, including the Indigenous retention and recruitment framework, and ensure that this should lead to ensuring that there is an increased representation within the GNWT itself for Indigenous Aboriginal men?