Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm glad to hear we're still on track. I look forward to that. I note there is not a huge increase in the corrections budget. Can I get an update on whether we expect an increase to corrections, both with bringing in the new Corrections Act, which requires a number of changes to the system, as well as bringing online the therapeutic model? I'm just wondering how we expect to do both of those things with the same budget. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister could have just said no. I've asked the Minister of ECE multiple times, and he gives me pretty clear nos on that one. I didn't expect a different answer there, but I'm going to try again with another call to justice: 5.6(4), guaranteed access to independent legal services must be provided throughout court processes as soon as an Indigenous woman, girl, or 2SLGBTQQIA person decides to report a defense, before speaking to the police, they must have guaranteed access to legal counsel at no cost. Mr. Speaker, I don't know how you can go out and consult...

I hear what the Minister is saying, and I recognize we have to take direction from those who are closest to the plan. My biggest concern is: when I go through the plan and if I cost it in my head, it's millions and millions more dollars than we actually have to fully implement. I think this has been a systemic problem across the GNWT is that we often create great action plans but don't back them up with the dollars. Will the action plan that is presented at the new date be costed for each of the calls to justice?

Mr. Speaker, I am afraid of where our implementation of the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is heading. I am afraid it is heading down a road where far too many GNWT action plans end up, a road where some of the low-hanging fruit is picked off, but the larger systemic problems are left unaddressed, caught in an endless cycle of planning and consultation with no meaningful action. Systemic problems can't be solved with a series of minor tweaks to the systems that perpetuate the problems in the first place. Systemic racism is no different, Mr. Speaker. I question...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I wish that was higher. I think the area of priority here is not just on the typical legal aid, but that outreach clinic. I can't even imagine how difficult it is to get someone to give you family law advice in the Beau-Del. It can be difficult getting hold of a lawyer in Yellowknife for that. I would encourage the Minister and the department to put together some sort of proposal for that outreach clinic because I do believe the federal money exists and there are different funding pools. It just really needs a champion to write the proposals and put together a vision of...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think corrections is probably one of those areas that always gets thought of lost for money, but to me, it's not just the training under the Corrections Act and the work under the therapeutic model. I don't really understand how we can do that without increased money for programming. There are a number of things, I think, to truly bring the Corrections Act online in the way it was intended. Is the department currently doing any work to review its programming needs across corrections and see if we can increase some of the programming for inmates?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I just get an update on when we expect the Corrections Act to be implemented?

I'm hoping that the Minister, I'd like to get into the weeds a little. There are certain calls to justice that, no matter how much consultation or how much talk we have with people, simply costs money, and it's a yes or no. One example is calls to justice 4.5. We call upon all governments to establish a guaranteed annual living income for all Canadians, including Indigenous peoples. I've spoken numerous times about a guaranteed income in this House. Our current Income Assistance is neither guaranteed nor annual. Will we implement this calls to justice?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It seems we are going to have to bring the federal government kicking and screaming for them to actually come up with their action plan to implement the calls for justice for the Inquiry into the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. I am happy to see that the GNWT is rolling out their own action plan, but I have concerns about whether we will implement some of the most serious calls to justice in the life of this Assembly. My question for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women is: when are we going to see our action plan?

No further questions. I will celebrate the day we are all on one information management system and all of our ARCs and ORCs are sorted out. Thank you.