Thank you to the Minister for that response, and I look forward to working with the honourable Minister on this issue as well. Can the Minister explain how he thinks that work is going to roll out?
This is a complex issue. It deals with regulation. It deals with taxation. It deals with health. It has significant budgetary concerns, both in generating revenue and in paying for public awareness programs. It might require amendments to territorial legislation regarding criminal matters. Is the Minister willing to accept a joint working group or a joint committee in order to properly shepherd this work? It is a lot of work. We are all willing to help out. Will he do that so we can all be part of this solution and work on this public engagement and legislation together? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Justice.
Mr. Speaker, I will be working with other members of Cabinet with respect to this matter, and I'm sure that, once this matter reaches the status of the bill, we will have a lively discussion in this House. Thank you.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a few questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, it's that time of the year again in my riding on the Mackenzie and Peel River. Rivers are clearing with ice as we have break-up there. Mr. Speaker, my constituents are eager to travel either to communities or travel to Whitehorse on the ferry system. I'd like to ask the Minister: when will the Abraham Francis and Louis Cardinal ferries be ready for operation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We don't anticipate any issues or delays. I think, going forward right now, there's some retrofit work happening on the ferries and they're proceeding as scheduled. Normal shipping season or ferry traffic usually starts the first or second week of June, and we don't anticipate anything different at this time.
Mr. Speaker, that sounds good. Actually, I just got a report this morning here, during session, that the Peel River is actually clear of ice and the Mackenzie just has a little bit of shore ice, so we're now looking forward most likely next week, Friday, I guarantee the water will drop. Would the ferry be ready for operation if the conditions were good for low water?
We may have to bring the Member onboard for the Marine Transportation System. He has guaranteed river levels. We will work diligently to do all the prep work to the site and make sure the boats are up and running safely. We will work with all Members of this House to let them know when we can get them in on a timely matter, subject to the river conditions.
Mr. Speaker, I recommend to the department that they look for someone else that has traditional knowledge up in my riding that could assist them, but, you know, already the Peel River has dropped. There is no ice there. If the conditions are right for the Peel River, would the department look at launching the Peel River ferry first?
Mr. Speaker, if the conditions are right and we get the shore work completed that allow access to the ferries, I don't see an issue with launching that ferry sooner than the other ones. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I spoke earlier today about Giant Mine Oversight Board's recent report and public meeting. I'd like to follow up with the Minister of Environment on some of those issues. For many years, Yellowknives Dene First Nation elders and others in this community have called for an apology and compensation for the impacts of the Giant Mine. The board has taken this up in recommending a federal response to the calls for an apology and compensation. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to know from the Minister what is the position of our government on the issue of an apology and compensation, and has this been raised with the federal government? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the legacy arising from the history of Giant Mine is complex and that it's very emotional. We understand that the Giant Mine regional offices have met with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation to hear concerns directly in order to develop a formal response. The Member is right. There was some that was recommended by the Giant Mine or by the report, and, as a Legislative Assembly, we should have our internal discussion to come up with a formal position. To the Member's question, that, in my understanding, has not been raised with the federal government yet, but we are having FPTs this summer, and I will use that opportunity to raise the issue with my federal counterpart.
I'd like to thank the Minister for his response, and I would welcome the opportunity to have this House work with Regular MLAs to develop a position on an apology and compensation and, I think, a motion on it. But I'd like to know whether our government has a position on the replacement of lapsed funds from the first two years of operation of the board. That money should have gone into the Giant Mine Oversight Board's research program, so can our Minister tell us what our position is on the replacement of funds and whether he has formally raised it with the federal Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs?
Mr. Speaker, first of all we are supportive of the surplus funds going to research programs. I'm not sure if there was a mechanism in the agreement that had allowed for that, and I will raise that again. We do have some FPTs that are coming up this summer. We have the Finance Ministers' FPT, as well as the Ministers of the Environment. It is our understanding, though, that INAC is actively working on a solution to address the concerns that were raised, but, again, at the earliest opportunity, I will raise these issues with my federal counterparts.
Again, I thank the Minister for his strong words there, and I'm happy to work with him on that. We've just got to make sure that, as the federal government moves forward with the federal treasury board's submissions, the replacement money is part of that.
During the meeting last week there was a lot of concern and frustration over the lack of a coordinated response to off-site arsenic contamination throughout Yellowknife and the surrounding environment. Recent media reports seem to show that our health staff do not seem to get information from Environment and Natural Resources. Can the Minister explain what our government is doing with regard to off-site arsenic contamination in the Yellowknife area and how we can have a better coordinated response from our government as a whole?
Mr. Speaker, we had a meeting recently with Health Canada and the INAC regional office, Environmental and Climate Change Canada, Department of Fisheries, and ENR and we do recognize that there may have been some, the communication was not as good as it should have been, and I think we've taken steps to address that. We're working more closely with Health and Social Services to address this and to make sure that all their information is up-to-date and correct, and we will provide them up-to-date information.
I can assure the Member and members of the public that this government is working very closely within the departments to ensure that we are up-to-date and getting the information out there.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Again, I'd like to thank the Minister for recognizing that there was an issue and that there are some steps being taken to better coordinate a response. During the public meeting last week, though, people were glad to see that there is going to be a human health monitoring program for the Giant Mine remediation project, but people also want to make sure that there's going to be a look at health impacts, so I want to ask the Minister: as the lead department on the Giant Mine remediation, can the Minister tell us about what our government involvement is in the human health monitoring program and whether there will be a human health impact study? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, ENR is part of a project team that has been leading the development of the human health monitoring program, and I believe Dr. Rory Chan is working on this. An advisory committee was established, and GNWT's Health and Social Services office of the public health representative sits as a member of the advisory committee providing expert advice and direction.
The Giant Mine Remediation Project team, we're going to be putting together a socio-economic strategy. Its implementation is being designed to address socio-economic impact from the Giant Mine Project, and the upcoming study will be done by the project team who will examine indirect health impacts, as well. I think the work has already started, and we will continue to update Members of this Assembly on the work that we're doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
Just a question, not a statement, Mr. Speaker.
---Laughter
I'm not going to take advantage of the situation. I'll just ask questions. Mr. Speaker, I wasn't going to bring this topic up until next week. I ended the last sitting of this House with two statements and three sets of questions on A New Day, but I was pretty perturbed to hear the Minister today say he had no idea why no organization has bid on A New Day. Perhaps he should look at the May 10th letter that he was sent by the Coalition on Family Violence that explained why. It was signed by the NWT Disabilities Council, Status of Women Council, Tree of Peace, Yellowknife Women's Society, Alternatives North, Dene Wellness Warriors, and it goes on.
My question is, and I only have the one question; I'll let other people speak: why is it that the department believes that they can design a better program in their office tower than the people who are working in the front lines with the recipients of this program every day? Where does this notion come from? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Hear! Hear!
Masi.
There are no ivory towers in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker, and we're constantly being asked in this House, quite properly, that decisions be evidence-based. Well, here was the evidence, the report, a very expensive report, that we received in the fall of last year. As a result of that, there were some minor changes made to the program. We went out. We attempted to solicit bids. That goes on. As I mentioned earlier, I am optimistic that an NGO will step forward.
Mr. Speaker, I should have taken you up on the opportunity for a Member's statement because, if the Minister would have read the Member's statement I made last time, it explained that the program isn't based on the report. What NGOs is the department in talks with to bring this program to fruition?
Mr. Speaker, I'm afraid that information is confidential at the request of those parties.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, the Minister provided a response to my written questions on the number of cases that were found to be unfounded on sexual assault. He indicated that a reclassification had reduced the number to 18.7. My question, first of all, is whether the Minister is going to direct the RCMP to reinvestigate or follow up with those cases? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Justice.
No, I can't direct the RCMP to do that. I do know that the RCMP are treating this matter very seriously. I understand that they looked at these old files, and I think that was the satisfactory and correct response from the RCMP.
Mr. Speaker, what I'm asking is whether, in addition to establishing that there were classification errors, the RCMP, in their new number of unfounded cases, are going to re-investigate, review, follow up to determine whether in fact those cases were unfounded.
As I mentioned earlier in this House, I was informed by the RCMP that they did do an investigation of those past cases. I'm not sure of the extent of that investigation as to whether they examined the evidence. I do know that they did look at those files that were identified as unfounded in that six-year period. I'm not certain as to the exact nature of that investigation.
Mr. Speaker, could the Minister commit to getting that information for us about exactly what kind of an investigation took place into those old files, including whether the evidence was re-examined?
The RCMP, Mr. Speaker, are, of course, independent of the Department of Justice. I will ask for an expansion of the information that I have been given so that I can supply that to the Members of this House.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister reported yesterday in his long response that, of those cases that were re-examined, 42 per cent were found to be third-party complaints and were unacceptable. What about the other 58 per cent? What was the reason that they were dismissed? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Justice.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, the information provided to me by the RCMP indicated that 42 were third-party which were not proceeded with. I imagine the others were proceeded with because there was perhaps insufficient evidence or, possibly, the complaint was actually unfounded. Thank you.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, I spoke around issues in accessing housing services, and I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation: are steps being taken to renew the strategic renewal of the corporation? Are some of those going to be looking at online access to LHOs and the various programs? Are we going to look at making the Housing Corporation's programs more user-friendly for Northerners? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, definitely. The survey highlighted quite prominently that communication is an issue for the Housing Corporation, and part of communication is having people knowledgeable about the programs that we have and being accessible to be able to apply for that programming. Part of the communications plan is to deal with the accessible forms online, so, yes, we will be revising them.
