Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Madam Chair. Sorry. Yes, I was confused as to what this is. I am very supportive of this. I think that Legal Aid long needs some technology to get all its case files in order. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I will ask this question at a later time. I caution that we are sinking millions of dollars into a building that we don't own, and the lease is coming due in 2026. It doesn't seem like the best bargaining position to be in with your landlord. I am sure that the Minister is well aware of that. Can I just get an update of what the Legal Aid Information System project is, the $100,000? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Two point five million dollars to increase funding to municipal governments. One of our mandate commitments is to reduce the municipal funding gap. Can I just clarify whether this money is specifically in regards to funding for the municipal funding gap, and where this gets us in reducing that overall? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm glad to hear that. I really wish I had the power that a member of the public has. My question to the Premier is: this is largely a cultural thing. It's hard to change when to empower public servants to know when they can't talk to media, what they can and cannot say. I recognize the Akaitcho example has some nuance. I really do believe we need to redraft the language in our communications policy to be more proactive and encourage all members of the public servants to be encouraged to pick up the phone and call stakeholders, call the public, call the media. Is the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Justice. I believe there is much work to be done in reforming our criminal justice system. One of the places that is easy to start is the increasing use of alternative measures; that is, not necessarily going through the court system and sentencing people to jail sentences but using healing circles and all sorts of other alternative measures. My question for the Minister of Justice is: during this life of this Assembly, will we increase the use of alternative measures?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak to revising the Business Incentive Policy.

The GNWT spends over $260 million annually on products and services. The GNWT alone can be a primary driver of economic recovery in the NWT through purchasing power. The purpose of the Business Incentive Policy is to give preference to businesses that are owned and operated within the NWT. It is designed to promote economic growth and capacity within NWT businesses and the economy. Yet Members hear from constituents territory-wide of the challenges accessing government procurement opportunities.

Members...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess I am in a bit of a hard spot, then. I don't want to vote against this $9 million for the plant in Hay River, but I am very concerned that we actually haven't developed the fishing capacity around the lake to actually meet the demands of the plant that we are planning to build. I think we probably need a few more dollars put into remote collection stations and probably more money put into the infrastructure of individual fishers. I have talked to every single fisher, and they are just struggling to make a profit, let alone fish enough to use this plant that we...

Thank you, Madam Chair. My other understanding of this project is that I recognize we need more fish processing capacity, but by putting it in Hay River you really severely limit a fisher's ability and you end up over-fishing a part of the lake because they simply have to travel to Hay River. Where the second part of this line item comes in, the $500,000 for Great Slave Lake commercial fishery remote collection stations, and I recognize that this is largely an ITI issue and very specific, but can I get a sense of where we are expected to install remote collection stations? Thank you, Madam...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm looking at the fish processing plant in Hay River, and $9 million. I know this went out for tender and then it came significantly over budget and we're carrying it on and there are some plans to adjust. I guess my first question is: how much of this is federal money? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I see $2.4 million for Secure Image Management System upgrade. Can the Minister explain to me what that is? Thank you, Madam Chair.