Thank you, Minister. Any further questions on policing services? Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I recognize that the RCMP control their hiring practices, and I do appreciate the Minister's commitment to continue working with "G" Division. However, I think there is a bit of a political aspect missing from this conversation. I am looking at the federal financial committee's recommendations on budget 2020, recommendation 29, thanks to our MP, Mr. McLeod. It says, "Recognize Indigenous police services as central services under the law; ensure they can obtain long, stable term funding like other police services and expand these services in the northern territories." I really would like to see our government take a strong position on Indigenous policing. Really, what has been happening in the South, where more and more reserves are taking it on, has not really evolved to the level it should in the territories. I would like a commitment from the Minister of Justice to reach out to her counterpart, the Minister of Public Safety, the federal Minister of Finance, and then have this conversation at a political level. I am wondering if she is willing to do that.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Mr. Chair, will the Member be satisfied if I simply say yes?
Thank you, Minister. We like yeses. Member for Yellowknife North.
No, I like yeses. Thank you.
Thank you. Any further questions with respect to policing services? No further questions. Please turn to page 280. Justice, policing services, operations expenditure summary, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $47,832,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will now move on to services to government, on page, it says 279, but is it 281?
Yes.
Page 281, with information item on page 284. Are there any questions? No questions?
Agreed.
Please turn to page 282. Justice, services to government, operations expenditure summary, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $12,961,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Services to the public, on page 285, with information items on pages 287 to 291. Any questions? Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Chair. I am just looking on page 286, top line, coroner's office. Actually, before at one point, it was $1.1 million, and now for these mains, it's $823,000. Does that just mean that there has been a decrease in positions, or can you explain the decrease for this office? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The actual numbers in 2018-2019 were just simply significantly higher than what had been budgeted. That can occur. It varies easily. One coroner's inquest can lead to much higher expenditures than usual. The forced growth that we are requesting here in terms of the main estimates, both in terms of the collective agreement but then also in terms of the general increase to the budget, it's one of the first times there has been an increase in some time. It hopefully will be a more accurate projection of what is expected to be the final estimates for 2020-2021. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I caught some of that. I understand there is some forced growth there with the collective agreement. Just so I am clear again, there is no change in positions here for this department? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Sorry, I think I may have actually been sort of mumbling along. I apologize. The increase that is being increased from the main estimates of 2019-2020 to 2020-2021, the increase in the mains is as a result in small part to the collective agreement increase but in more significant part is a forced growth application. The Member already pointed out the difference in the actuals, and so the increase here, and it's again, as I mentioned, the first time in some years that there has actually been an increase, is reflected in simply the increased costs. Everything from an increased cost for air and ground transportation as well as an increase to autopsy toxicology fees, body preservation, repatriation, these are all costs that have gone up over the years, and this is an effort to actually better reflect the reality of the costs that this office is facing. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a question for the Minister about maintenance enforcement. Can the Minister give us an idea of how effective maintenance enforcement is in transferring money collected to the people who are applying for it? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Mr. Chair, thank you. I had the opportunity to actually attend maintenance enforcement myself and meet with the people there who do this work. I was just looking. They provided me, when they were there, with a very significant number, and I am hesitant to say it and get it wrong. They actually do collect quite a significant amount of money for otherwise a fairly small staff, and they are then, of course, providing that to individuals. What I will perhaps do is to simply commit rather than to guess at what that number is. It was, as I say, a significant number, and they do a lot of work for the people whom they are serving. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Yes, thank you. I appreciate the commitment to provide that information. I am also interested in knowing what the ratio of money collected is to that that is ordered paid, if she could provide that information, as well, please?
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. In terms of the requests made versus actual success rates, I take it that that's, and I am getting a head nod. Yes, we will do our best. I assume that those numbers are tracked, and if they are, I think we can provide that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have one more question, and that is about recalculation efforts. We passed some legislation in the last Assembly about recalculation, making it a simpler process. Can the Minister tell us whether that is now in effect or, if not, when it will come into effect? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know that there has been some time taken, partly because it had to be approved with partners within the federal government and the administration of the federal Divorce Act. My information at present is that, indeed, this service will be launched at the end of March 2020, so I suppose the Member can hold me to that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Yes, thanks, Mr. Chair. Thank you to the Minister for that. I have a number of constituents who are looking forward to using this service, so my last question in this area is whether there will be some kind of awareness raising that this service is available, whenever it does become available, so that people can then begin to use it? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank, Mr. Chair. It certainly is my intention as a Minister to ensure that any new programs that are being offered to members of the public do receive appropriate media or other types of communications. I would just note for the Member that, at this point, when I say the end of March, that will be when the applications are going to be accepted. I don't want to create a false expectation on the part of the public that they would then turn around and immediately have recalculations done with finality. I think perhaps, with respect to when the communication goes out in a formal fashion, it might depend on exactly what stage of the role that we're at. If it's just at the stage of receiving applications, that might not be the time when we actually use our communications facilities, but perhaps what I'll do is follow up with the Member and see if we can determine what the best timing is to, in fact, provide this information to the public so that they can best use the service in a timely fashion. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Nothing further.
Thank you. Anything further? Member for Kam Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just noticed I missed something on page 284 and I'm wondering if we can turn back.
It's up to me, so yes, we can.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm just looking here at page 284, which indicates that there are three additional positions going into headquarters. I'm wondering if the Minister can explain to me what the positions are. Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. At this time, the Department of Justice was anticipating and is anticipating addressing unauthorized land occupancy happening in the Department of Lands, and that, to support that undertaking, the Department of Justice was estimating that they would require three additional positions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. What would be the cost of these three positions? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe it is $500,000; $505,000 for three positions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
