Thank you, Madam Chair. I believe there are. I don't know them offhand. If I may, Madam Chair, if you could check with the deputy minister and see if she has that information available to her? If not, Madam Chair, then, we'll certainly commit to getting it to the Member.
Thank you, Minister. Deputy minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee appointed by the Minister of Justice recommends disbursements from the fund to support community-based projects and activities that provide services and assistances to the victims of crime, and there's no cap.
Thank you, deputy minister. Member for Frame Lake.
Thanks, Madam Chair. In no way am I'm going to suggest that these people are not doing their job. As the Minister says, I think they get together once a year or something to look at applications. Whether the issue is it's not well enough advertised, what is available there, whatever. I will probably ask these questions next year, so I hope to see more of it going out the door to help victims of crime. I think the Minister recognizes that there's an issue with a growing surplus, and she's going to find a way to make sure we get more of the money out the door. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member. I didn't hear any question in there, so I will take that as a comment. Member for Thebacha.
I just want to make a couple of comments. You're talking about the missing and murdered women. I had a previous role when I sat on the national capital commission. We have some surplus here, and I'm wondering if a monumental plaque or place would come under the Victims Assistance Fund, if the missing and murdered women in the Northwest Territories were placed on a plaque and designated to the missing and murdered women. Is that possible? Is it something that has ever been thought about?
Thank you, Member. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess the answer really is whether or not there is an organization in the territories that might bring that idea forward, because the fund isn't one to which the Department of Justice can direct. The Department of Justice, myself, we don't get to say to the committee what they should spend this money on. They are responsible for making those decisions. We have a lot of department support that we use to support the committee so that they can engage with communities, so that they can help the communities to develop programs. Indeed, Community Justice helps directly with some of the community agencies. If there is a community group or organization out there that wants to put an idea forward, then I would say, "Please go ahead and do that," and it will certainly be evaluated. As far as I know, there is no reason why that couldn't come up as being eligible, but again, it wouldn't be up to me to make the final decision.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Thebacha.
Acknowledgement by the Government of the Northwest Territories is extremely important in this file. It's a way of acknowledging the missing and murdered women, and it's a designation that would be unique. It shows us that we care. I'm not asking for it to go to a committee because I just saw the whole thing with the Victims Assistance Fund. A lot of families are still hurting from a lot of the whole events that took place, and justice hasn't been served. I want you to think about that as the Minister of Justice. I think it's extremely important that we acknowledge this. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister.
Madam Chair, I don't disagree with anything that the Member has said. It's just that I can't spend this money. I don't have the ability to spend this money, but obviously the more we say it out in this House about these ideas, the more possibility that one of the community organizations could work with the Department of Justice and put forward a plan to do exactly as the Member has suggested. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Anything further, Member for Thebacha?
Maybe it would be a good idea if the Minister did a bit of research on the way the National Capital Commission handles monuments and designations. There are certain specifications that are required, and I think it's something that you could put toward your committee. I think it should be based here in the capital because this is where the government sits, and I think that acknowledgement of the missing and murdered women on this anniversary is extremely important. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister.
Madam Chair, maybe that's a conversation that can also be had at Cabinet table, too, so the point is well taken. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Anything further, Member for Thebacha?
I have no further comments.
Thank you. Are there any further comments or questions to the information items? Thank you, Members. Please turn now to the department summary on page 259. Justice, operations expenditures, total department, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $133,617,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-Arms, you may escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Members, committee has indicated they would like to continue with the summary pages for the other departments. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Members, we can begin with Environment and Natural Resources on page 65. Environment and Natural Resources, operations expenditures, total department, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $97,085,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
We will now turn to Infrastructure on page 223. Infrastructure, operations expenditures, total department, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $275,029,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will now turn to Lands on page 297. Lands, operations expenditures, total department, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $23,364,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will now turn to Municipal and Community Affairs on page 317. Municipal and Community Affairs, operations expenditures, total department, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $116,193,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will now turn to the information item on the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation on page 359. Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, operations expenditures, total department, 2020-2021 Main Estimates, $109,216,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Committee, those are the matters that we agreed upon to review today. What is the wish of committee, Mr. Norn?
Marsi cho, Madam Chair. I move that the Chair rise and report progress.
Thank you, Mr. Norn. The motion is in order. The motion is non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Abstentions? The motion is carried.
---Carried
I will now rise and report progress.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 30-19(2), Main Estimates 2020-2021, and would like to report progress, and, Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. Do we have a seconder? Member for Sahtu. All those in favour? All those opposed?
---Carried.
Orders of the day for Thursday, June 4, 2020, at 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers' Statements
Members' Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Commissioner's Address
Petitions
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Motions
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
First Reading of Bills
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Tabled Document 30-19(2), Main Estimates 2020-2021
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Thursday, June 4, 2020, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 4:10 p.m.
