R.J. Simpson

The Member is correct. She received bureaucratic responses from me, which are not common. Those are usually the ones that are sent back, but when they are answers to HR issues, I'm going to send a bureaucratic response. I don't want to get into the specifics of HR issues. That's not a Minister's role. That being said, there are times when HR issues can indicate a larger pattern, and that's when we do have to pay attention. I have read every document that the Member has shared with me from her constituents, and I am using that to help inform my understanding of the justice system.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier, in the Member's statement, she referenced comments by the Prime Minister about systemic racism, by the AFN National Chief about systemic racism, and she could have referenced the MLA for Hay River North's comments at the Black Lives Matter rally at Hay River recently because, in every western institution, there is systemic racism. There is no getting around it, and anyone who disagrees I think is willfully blind. That said, it's how we deal with it. The North, I think we do a better job than other places, but these are systems that were created in a colonial...

I can't provide a breakout. Drug enforcement is so intertwined with everything that the justice system does, whether it's an RCMP doing a drug seizure, whether it's a court hearing, a case, or whether it's someone in the prison system. It's not possible without a significant amount of time and effort to really parse that. I will go back to the department and see if we can get some more precise information, understanding that it would be impossible to get the exact numbers that you're looking for.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Northwest Territories, there are 225 RCMP positions and 42 public servants who serve the NWT as part of the territorial police service agreement and First Nations policing agreement. In addition, there are 13 federal policing positions. Specifically in Hay River, there are 16 regular members, including 12 constables, who we would see out on patrol, and three public servants. This includes two additional members who are included in the 2018-2019 budget.

To the Member's point about the resources in Hay River, I know that over the past few years there have been...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 259-19(2): Responsibility and Preservation of the Government Art" and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 317-19(2): COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Funds for Education." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I won't say much. To say any more would be gratuitous at this point, but I have to express my support for the Premier. Steps were taken to try and remedy the situation, but we have reached this point, and it is unfortunate. However, I think if there is anything positive that comes of this, it has unified the vast majority of the Members of this House, and I think going forward, that is something you can build on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the end of the 2019-2020 school year approaches, planning for how to safely reopen schools in the fall is well under way. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is working diligently with its education partners to create a supportive and effective learning environment for students in the 2020-2021 school year, and beyond.

As we emerge wisely into more relaxed public health restrictions, I want to be clear: the upcoming school year will not be a return to normal. I understand that all of us want desperately to get back into our routines and have this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will defeat the scourge of COVID-19, and when we do, we will be better prepared to attract and welcome new residents.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on the new immigration-related initiatives that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has implemented or undertaken in the past six months, including an immigration settlement and integration pilot project, development of a new immigration stream, the creation of new resources for newcomers, and a refreshed website. I am also happy to officially announce the launch of the all new online...

I know that every time we talk about universal childcare for the next four years, it's going to come back to the quote from the Premier saying, "I am all about universal childcare." I thank her for that. In the government's mandate, there is a commitment to develop a 2030 early learning and childcare strategy in consultation with stakeholders that considers the availability of childcare spaces and reduction of childcare costs. This is under the commitment to advance universal childcare. What the Member's asking is what is in the mandate.

This is what we plan to do, how can we move towards a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes.