Debates of March 8, 2005 (day 51)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wasn’t going to ask any questions today, but then somebody reminded me about the courthouse, so I have to just jump on that bandwagon here for a minute. Mr. Speaker, when we perform our duties as a government and as a Legislature we take some great pride in saying that we consult with aboriginal governments, thus things like the Circle of Northern Leaders. When we talk about our capital planning process we also take some great pride in the consultation that takes place around that; protection of people, protection of assets, all those good things. Mr. Speaker, my question today to the government side is how much consultation is the government going to do prior to proceeding with spending about an entire year’s worth of capital on one project, given the devolution and self-government negotiations which are ongoing? Because it’s kind of undoable once it’s done. It’s kind of like the North Slave Correctional Centre; once it’s there in order to be utilized it’s going to attract a certain amount of jobs and programs and so on. I’d like to know what the government’s position is on that in terms of other governments in the Northwest Territories, in terms of consultation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 569-15(3): Future Of Territorial Court System

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The function of the courts is not expected to change significantly in the future. There will still be a need for courts and for their operations. The unfortunate fact is that we don’t expect that the amount they are using will go down. There isn’t much you can do about not providing the space. Right now we don’t have adequate space. One way or the other we’re going to have to provide it. So we have consulted with Public Works and Services and have been advised that there are two choices: either rent more space or build new space. The advice from Public Works and Services is that the most economic way to deal with the current shortage of space is to build space. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 569-15(3): Future Of Territorial Court System

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice makes it sound like this $41 million expenditure is not debatable and that there are no other options or alternatives to be considered. With respect to looking at the future of justice and the delivery of justice in the Northwest Territories, how much of that is there any flexibility in with respect to what will be devolved to aboriginal governments? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 569-15(3): Future Of Territorial Court System

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In a democratic system, as the Member is aware, the courts are an independent leg of the governance process. So we have the government, the Assembly and the courts. It’s a responsibility of the government to support the courts with adequate fiscal resources to conduct their business and adequate physical space to conduct their business. So we are going to follow through on that requirement. Mr. Speaker, when Public Works and Services did their assessment, they advised us that the net present value of leasing equivalent space in the Territories was in the order of $60 million and the net present value of building was in the area of $40 million. So we’re convinced this is the most economic way to provide the space that is required. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 569-15(3): Future Of Territorial Court System

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think that adequate is the operative word here and that’s the thing we need to think about is adequacy. We, as Members of the Legislature, have had information shared with us with respect to this business case that can attempt to be made on behalf of this courthouse, but there hasn’t been much communication out there in the public. So even though we’re only spending $1 million, $1 million is still a lot of money on an engineering study and I think the communications should have preceded any expenditure by this government. I’d like to know where we are at with communications. Otherwise there’s going to be a huge backlash on this project. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 569-15(3): Future Of Territorial Court System

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On all of the capital projects we have there is a similar amount of consultation, whether it’s a school or hospital or the courts. When you’re talking about building projects, we have a similar amount of consultation. We have been pressured by the courts for many years to respond to their needs and this is something that we have to do. It has been proposed by governments prior to this one. Two governments prior to this one have announced that they were going to put the money for a courthouse in the capital plan, but did not follow through on those commitments, and this government is now following through. Since 1997 we’ve been approached by Chief Justice Halifax, Justice Richard and Justice Fraser, who have directed that we need to do something about their space requirements. Mr. Speaker, we are following through on that.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 569-15(3): Future Of Territorial Court System

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m sure that Justice Richard and Justice Halifax will like to know and read Hansard today and find out that they’re responsible for the new courthouse at $41 million just like the previous Justice Ministers were all rhymed off yesterday in terms of taking responsibility for some of this. Before the $1 million is spent, what tangible consultation is going to take place? Can the Minister commit to today, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 569-15(3): Future Of Territorial Court System

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There will be the planning process that will involve the architects, typical of any capital project that’s going forward in the Northwest Territories, whether it’s a school or a hospital. Will there be a consultation process? It’s not intended to go out and consult all across the Northwest Territories for what the building will look like, no more than was done for this building. The process is one that we will try and do economically, which means we will find out from studies what space is needed and how to best accommodate that in the most economic fashion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.