Louis Sebert

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can advise that we have been having sessions with the public; we've had one in Fort Smith, and several days ago one in Hay River. So we're waiting to hear from the public as to what their concerns are and ideas are, and once we've accumulated that information we will be bringing forward a policy. Thank you.

Yes, certainly going back to the mandate of this government, we do want to move ahead with all these types of negotiations. I can advise that a senior member of the government, the ADM of Environment and Natural Resources, is working very hard on this file.

There have certainly been delays. There are serious outstanding issues that the parties need to negotiate, implementation, for one; zoning around communities, pipelines, and so on. So, we are attempting to move ahead with this, but there are complicated outstanding issues.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I can advise that there will be additional training provided to investigators. As recently as January there was some additional training provided. So the police are very aware of this issue. Additional training will be provided, and hopefully the rather shocking figure that has been mentioned by the Member opposite will decrease. I can advise the police are treating this matter very seriously.

I simply wanted to give some background before I entered into a discussion with the Member opposite about what the RCMP here are doing. I'm pleased to advise that, in my meeting with the commanding officer, he advised me that all sexual assault files from the period 2010 to 2014 were being reviewed. As I mentioned, it was found in The Globe and Mail study approximately 36 per cent of the cases were dismissed or found to be unfounded.

Now, this is at the investigatory stage, not at the court stage. A closer examination of the figures, that figure of 36 per cent, the RCMP found that 21 per cent...

Well, all of the progress on all of these types of files, it takes two to tango and sometimes three or four to tango, so progress is not solely determined by us. We clearly want to make progress on all of these files. However, progress sometimes can be slow and painstaking, so I can't make any guarantees as to date.

As all Members know, it is a commitment of this government to move all of these land use plans and negotiations generally with Aboriginal governments and other stakeholders ahead. We believe we do have the people in place, and we are looking forward to progress.

All communities do have, of course, policing priorities and action plans with the RCMP; however, specifically dealing with the protocol, the protocol establishes in writing a trusting and reciprocal relationship between the IRC and the RCMP. These relationships of course already exist; however, the signing of the agreement helps to support the relationships that currently exist and hopefully build on them.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. I think we were all encouraged to hear about the protocol referred to by the Member opposite between the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the RCMP. I can advise that in 2013 there was an agreement signed between the RCMP and the Dene Nation; a public safety protocol was signed. So hopefully these two types of protocols and agreements can be a template for other organizations and regions. Thank you.

Hopefully not.