Masi. Tabling of documents. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have two items to table. The first is an article entitled "Death rates higher in for-profit nursing homes, report says," and the other is the report itself: "Hospitalization and Mortality Rates in Long-Term Care Facilities: Does For-Profit Status Matter?" Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Member for Frame Lake.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table the letter dated June 20, 2016, to the Minister of Justice from Austin Marshall of Marshall & Company expressing concerns about the closure of the NWT court library. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Tabling of documents. Pursuant to Section 5 of the Legislative Assembly Executive Council Act, I wish to table the "Summary of Member's Absences for the period February 18, 2016 to May 30, 2016." Masi.
Thank you, committee. I call the Committee of the Whole to order. Mr. Beaulieu, what is the wish of the committee?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 50-18(2): "NWT Main Estimates 2016-2017." We would like to continue the Department of Justice, Lands, Transportation, Public Works, Municipal and Community Affairs, Legislative Assembly, and Finance. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. We will continue after a short recess. Thank you.
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We'll begin consideration of the Department of Justice. Minister, would you like to bring in witnesses to the Chamber?
Yes, I would, Mr. Chair.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Thank you, Minister Sebert. Please introduce your witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Kim Schofield to my left, director of finance; Sylvia Haener, deputy minister, to my right.
Thank you, Minister. Committee, we'll begin on page 271. Justice, court services, operation expenditure summary, total activity, $13,928,000. Are we agreed? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think where we ended off on Friday was I was asking the department some questions about the court library. I understand that the Law Society of the Northwest Territories and the Northwest Territories Law Foundation have made significant contributions towards the operation of the library over a number of years and so it's quite an investment on their part. Would the Minister be prepared to meet with the Law Society and the Law Foundation to talk about the future of the facility? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Sebert.
Yes, Mr. Chair, the situation we're envisaging for the future is to have a resource centre. Certainly, when we are discussing such a project, we would be discussing that with the Law Foundation, Law Society and the local bar. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Any further questions, Mr. O'Reilly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the commitment from the Minister to meet with the Law Society and the Law Foundation about the court library and its future. Would the Minister also commit to bring forward a plan or maybe a transition plan for the court library into this resource centre, and would he be prepared to bring that plan forward to the Standing Committee on Social Development? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Sebert.
Mr. Chair, once we decided that it was advisable to close the current facility, we're looking at, of course, a resource centre as part of our legal outreach. There's many issues that have to be determined; the type of centre that would be, where it would be located, and so on. We will of course consult with those parties when we are deciding what kind of facility would be most suitable. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Any further questions? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Again, I appreciate the commitment of the Minister to meet with these interested investors in the court library. Would he be prepared to bring forward a plan to the standing committee on Social Development on how the court library is going to transition into this research centre? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Sebert.
We would be prepared to do that, Mr. Chair, because we're always interested -- those are important investors, as was mentioned, in the resource centre, so we would be prepared to appear before Standing Committee to discuss the resource centre. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Any further questions? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the commitment of the Minister to appear before Standing Committee with this plan. Would that plan also include what is going to happen to the books and the resources that are actually in the court library? The reason why I mention this is that it's my understanding that there are some volumes and some information, some documents, books in there that are the only known copy on this planet, and they are of a great historical value for people that would want to do research on the history of the Northwest Territories, our legislation and so on. And I know that our library here at the Legislative Assembly already has a bunch of stuff in storage underneath the post office. And I'm not sure that there's been a real plan for what's going to happen with the resources of the court library. So in coming forward to standing committee, would the Minister also include a plan for what's going to happen with the resources that are currently in the court library? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Sebert.
Yes, Mr. Chair, those elements of the collection that are deemed to be of historical value would be identified and retained with the department's legal division or considered for transfer to the archives or the Legislative Assembly Library. The remaining collection would be offered for donation to other NWT libraries or disposed of by gift to law firms or possibly by destruction. It is expected the bulk of the collection will likely be offered to the resident lawyers on a first come first served basis. I understand that is what took place when the library was downsized to its current size, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Any further questions? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Look, I'm not trying to push this too hard, but can the Minister commit to talking about that plan with the standing committee when he brings forward information about how the court library is going to transition into the research centre? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Sebert.
Yes, I can commit to do that, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Any further questions, Mr. O'Reilly?
No. Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the commitments made by the Minister, but I do need to go on record as opposing this cut to an important public service. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Any further questions on page 271? Are we agreed? Court services, operation expenditure summary, total activity, $13,928,000. Are we agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you. That brings us to page 274, legal aid services, operation expenditure summary, total activity $6,252,000. Any questions? Also go to page 275, legal aid services, active positions, information item. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In regards to the Deh Cho position, the individual has retired. When is the department looking at filling this position? It is very important to the residents in the riding. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Sebert.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That very important position will be filled. We don't have an exact date on that, but it will be in the near future. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Any further questions, Mr. Thompson?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I'm a little concerned that the individual who was in the position informed the department a long time ago when she was going to be retiring, and the department didn't take that opportunity to try to find somebody she could train in there. So when he says in the near future, is it going to be done in this fiscal year? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Sebert.
Yes, Mr. Chair, it will be done in this fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Sebert. Mr. Thompson.
