Sandy Lee

Mr. Chairman, I have general comments to make, but I can wait until Monday. I am advised that, due to other schedules, we should report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents of Range Lake, I, too, would like to take a moment this day to pay respect to the four RCMP officers killed in the line of duty yesterday in Alberta. Mr. Speaker, this is a very sad and tragic event in Canadian history and I hope that the families and colleagues of the four officers who so bravely gave their lives and service to their country find some comfort in knowing that the whole nation shares their loss and sadness this day and we are sending along our prayers and deepest sympathies. This is certainly a reminder how...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thought I did that, so I will do it again. I move that we report progress.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee regrets the circumstances that have led to the announced closure of the Dene K’onia Young Offenders Facility in Hay River.

Changes in federal legislation have meant a significant decrease in the number of young offenders who receive custodial sentences. We simply cannot justify keeping two male young offender facilities open in the Northwest Territories. Other jurisdictions in Canada have found themselves in the same circumstances and have come to the same conclusion that facilities must be closed.

The usage of the Dene K’onia facility for young...

Thank you. I didn’t know I was up next. I’m happy to make some comments about the Northern Strategy. Certainly the documents we received, especially the Framework for a Northern Strategy, provides such a large scope of issues to discuss. It really covers everything under the sun. We’re not only just talking about the issues involving the NWT, but now we’re talking pan-territorial. I must say, I’m not conversant on various specific issues of Yukon and Nunavut to argue or make statements from that point of view. I will focus my thoughts on the Northern Strategy from the Northwest Territories'...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this, it’s just that you can never be as certain as you’d like to have it. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister indicate whether or not the budget that this House just passed included any elements there that could specifically fall into funding a facility or program money like this? I also heard that in Inuvik there is a youth group there that is having a problem with funding and I’m just wondering if the government has separate pockets of money that look after the needs of the youth in this way. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of Health and Social Services and it’s further to my Member’s statement. Earlier, Mr. Speaker, I called for some government help to have a youth shelter opened in the city and there is a group called the SideDoor who has worked to make this happen. The Minister was quite generous in his answers to my questions a couple of weeks ago and he indicated that his officials were working with the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority to make this happen. I was happy to hear this had happened, but then I’m hearing that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on February 15th I made a statement in this House about the need for a youth shelter, specifically for time after midnight when the youth centre we have now closes because I indicated in this House that the young people have literally no place to go, especially in winter months. What they do is go down the Gold Range street and see things that probably are a bad influence; we shouldn’t have a situation where we have 16 to 18-year-olds walking all night long.

The Minister indicated that his department and his officials were working with the group and looking...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that the SideDoor specifically has funding until the end of the fiscal year. Could I get the Minister to commit to provide me with correspondence that speaks to the funding arrangement for the next year, given that he’s going to work on this? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Should I take that as the Minister saying that he will use his good office to let his department officials know that creating a shelter or making it possible…Not the government doing 100 percent, but making this happen is his priority. Could I take that as his answer? Thank you.