Debates of March 3, 2022 (day 101)

Thank you. So the RCMP pay their members, and so they've been paying them they pay them the retro active pay and they haven't billed us for it yet, so. For some information on this, I can hand it to the...

Thank you. Mr. Bancroft.

Speaker: MR. BANCROFT

Madam Chair, so the inyear pay increases for members below the rank of inspector have already been actioned. They began the retroactive portion of those payments on January 25th pay for officers who are affected by this agreement. That's anticipated to be completed by the end of March. The federal government has indicated that we will be likely seeing a some sort of bill for that next fiscal year. To the extent of the details on that, we are not sure.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think we're all the eagerly awaiting to see the size of that bill.

There's $809,000 here for increased housing costs for RCMP members. Can I just get an explanation of whether that's money that then goes to the Housing Corp because they built those RCMP units, or is this a different housing cost? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Justice.

Thank you. I believe that's going to the Housing Corp but Mr. Bancroft can provide some detail. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Bancroft.

Speaker: MR. BANCROFT

Yes, the Member is correct. It is going directly towards the Housing Corporation. They building 45 new housing units, 15 already complete and occupied. So the funds flow to the Housing Corp as revenue and we expense it at a 70 percent rate through the TPSA. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So I kind of get the math here. It makes sense for the Housing Corp to build RCMP units because then we get the 70 percent rate covered under the agreement thus giving the Housing Corp a little revenue. Is this $809,000 our portion or is this then under the 70/30 split? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Justice.

Thank you. Mr. Bancroft, please.

Thank you. Mr. Bancroft.

Speaker: MR. BANCROFT

Thank you, Madam Chair. The 809 represents the Department of Justice's costs at that 70 percent. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Can I get a bit of an explanation as to what the internet child exploitation unit is? I see there's $390,000. Are those officers that would be located in the Northwest Territories, or is this a contribution a federal kind of level? Thank you.

Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Madam Chair. No, I believe they're located in the Northwest Territories. That unit unfortunately, it does what it sounds like it does. There's a growing issue with child exploitation on the internet, the type of exploitation that can lead to human trafficking. And so this unit works focuses on the Northwest Territories and works with RCMP across Canada. And they could be working with law enforcement around the world actually, to address some of the these issues. Thank you.

Thank you. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Are there any advancements or talks about increased RCMP presence in Tsiigehtchic?

Thank you. Minister of Justice.

Thank you. That has not been brought forward. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any further questions on policing? Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Thebacha

So on 296, I mean, three lines and we're spending $50 million there, and we have the added costs of $3.5 million for policing for the extra whatever, and then you have the $8 million. It's just well over $60 million. What does biology case work cover for $183,000?

Thank you. Minister of Justice.

Thank you. That is the cost of the lab work for forensic files.

Thank you. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Thebacha

Okay. So the ratio between First Nation policing and the policing agreement, that's a like a $49 million difference. You know, and most of the enforcement is with the you know, with Indigenous people. And, you know, every time I look at this and see what's happening in the communities, it's you know, I've carried this file for this is my 17th year, ever since I got elected as Chief of Salt River. I just don't think you know, you talked about two meetings a year with Justice. That's what they have. That isn't that isn't a lot. Is there dialogue with municipal governments and community governments and Indigenous governments about how things should be done in the community?

They're going to say yes. You're going to say yes to me, I know that, because they come with a form and it's the same form that everybody signs every month. Finally, I told them not to come to the door anymore when I was Chief. It's the same form, same thing, for 14 years. And you wonder why I question what's happening.

Everybody knows who's the drug dealers in the community. Everybody knows who does all the things wrong. And then there's no they never there hasn't been a drug bust in the community of Fort Smith now for over 25 years, a major drug bust.

This is part of the whole situation with addictions. If the enforcement is not there, yeah, the other day you said oh, they're going to replace them with another drug dealer. Does that mean they don't have to do anything then? It's very confusing for me, because the protection and safety of the young people that are going to high school, and even younger, and they and, you know, without proper enforcement and visibility in the communities and dialogue with the Indigenous governments and municipal governments they go there once a month to a meeting. What does that mean? You know, there's no visibility within the community.

And $60 million, they don't even clean their own snow when it snows outside. I didn't know that. But now that there's one of the new duplexes across the road from my office, all they have to do is jump in the car and drive around. And it's very puzzling to me that we have no accountability and no transparency with this file. And yet we're dishing out $60 million without no accountability and no transparency. And no oversight. And that's why I I'm not going to give up on this file until some of those things are corrected for the community.

And I have a lot of people complaining about you know, even I went myself before Christmas to the detachment. I waited outside there for an hour and a half. No one answered the door, because I had a complaint. And then I go back down the road to my office and the guy's in uniform hanging up the lights on his Christmas lights on his building in uniform. Very, very you know, we've got to have more accountability and transparency with this file, especially when we're disbursing that amount of money.

And I'm not going to say anymore because I'll stay on this file, and I'll keep on asking questions. And, you know, I know you went through the whole and they're not serving every community yet. You my colleague just asked if there was an RCMP in Tsiigehtchic, and there isn't. So the big empire is here again and, you know, the communities have got to be served to the fullness with their duties.

And when the person at the RCMP station finally arrived and I went in there, so what do you want here and I told her oh, I I told her the situation that I came for. And she says well, what do you want me to do with that? That was her answer. And that's an RCMP officer. I said oh, just forget it, I'll just go. So I left. I never identified myself or anything. I just went there for a concern. And if this is what's happening to myself, what is happening to the rest of the people in the community? And that's that's a big question.

I know you can't do anything about it today, Mr. Minister, and but I want you to think of some of these things because accountability and transparency for that amount of money has got to take place. It's your duty as the Minister of Justice, and I will continue on this file as long as I know that whenever I'm here because I think that it has to take place.

Leadership plays a big role in that. If you have the right commander, you would you would you know, the guy nobody knows who he is. I know who he is. But, you know, if they're going to reach out to the communities and reach out to the things taking a photo op with the Dene Nation is not serving the communities. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister, did you have my comments? No? Okay.

Are there any further questions, comments to policing? Member for Monfwi.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Monfwi

Yeah, thank you. Okay, when I asked about the active position, so I heard the Minister say they add more police services in the communities. Okay, police are to keep peace and order, we know that. And to make residents feel safe. But I just want to ask the Minister, I would like to know what is the Department of Justice is doing to reduce crime rate in the community because it's okay. Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

Few minutes I guess I move that the chair rise and report progress, and I'll answer the question tomorrow. Thank you.

There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and nondebatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

Carried

Report of Committee of the Whole

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

May I please have the Report of Committee of the Whole. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.