Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Yellowknife Women's Society commissioned a report regarding the overpolicing of Indigenous women and a lot of the if you read the report carefully I'm sure the Minister of Justice has read it, you know, cover to cover as they say. But one of the things they underscore is the fact that, you know, the women feel they're overpoliced, and statistics probably prove that to some degree. Mr. Speaker, but the problem is there's no other reply or response to stepping up to the need when they're called because the RCMP cannot ignore that phone call.
So, Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister of Justice, who is probably familiar with the overall context of the problem is, is what other options are there for to redirect the need when you run into a problem if someone's intoxicated or under some types of drugs or influence other than sending the RCMP to continue care of the individual until they sober up or deal with whatever they're dealing with?
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Justice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, you know, the idea that women in Yellowknife, and generally people in the NWT, are overpoliced, there could be some validity to that given that we have more RCMP per capita than anywhere else in Canada, twice as many as the Canadian average. So there definitely is a lot of policing. The RCMP also receive many, many, many calls from the shelters. If one of their clients is violating one of their policies, they will often call the RCMP to come and deal with that. So the RCMP do get those types of calls. They have turned into sort of the catchall for every issue that arises. And I know there's a better way to do things because the RCMP have other things to deal with other than basically, you know, addictions and public health issues. So in Yellowknife, I know there's the Street Outreach. In other communities, there's nonprofits who similarly work with people who might be experiencing issues. But I think that going forward, you know, the future in the territory is going to have to involve some other collaboration between health care professionals and the RCMP for some of these issues perhaps. Whether it's social workers, I'm not quite sure at this point. But I'm very open to exploring other avenues because having the RCMP, who are there to enforce the Criminal Code, having them deal with, you know, people who are just too drunk in the middle of the day, that's not a good use of their time and it's not the best way for those people who are being arrested, you know, to be treated either. It's not an ideal situation but, unfortunately, it's the situation that we're in here just given the way that things have evolved. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the fact that the Minister or I should say Premier has a broader sense of the problem, and I can also appreciate the fact that we all might agree that RCMP may not be the best solution for a lot of cases here, including hospitals and whatnot.
Does the Premier or sorry, is the Minister willing to look and investigate into alternative tasks force to partner with the RCMP to ensure that these people are cared for to the abilities of what and responses they require, which often isn't jail? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm happy to I don't want to say that we're going to develop some working group to look into these things, but what the Member is talking about is the way, I think, that we need to go forward. This government is integrating services. We have our homelessness strategy, which is really looking at how we can better support people who are experiencing homelessness, what sort of wraparound supports we can provide, how to better provide those supports. So that's the type of work that we are doing moving forward. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, would the Minister be willing to provide some type of response to me before the beginning of the next session in the fall? That will give the department enough time to come up with some options and ideas that we'd be able to look at as a broader picture as a response to the issue. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to sit down with the Member, maybe have a conversation, maybe get a written question, just so I know I'm clear on what we're discussing. I'd like to I wish I could just say, you know what, we got some we do have things in mind. It's a matter of resourcing and all of that in order to get into fruition, but I'm happy to have a further discussion with the Member. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Justice. Oral questions. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is for the Minister of Justice. So has the GNWT considered legislation that would increase security at the border? Can we prevent people who are on bail in other jurisdictions from entering the NWT? Thank you.
Minister of Justice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Build that wall. I'm just joking, of course. The territorial border, it is a you know, it is a border but in Canada, there are mobility rights. We can't just stop people at the border and search their vehicles. There was a time when it was easier to do that. But unfortunately, we don't have that ability. So what we do is we work with or the RCMP, I suppose, undertakes investigations. They try their best to stop drugs before they come into the territory. And I always say, we need people to bring information forward. The RCMP need credible tips to act upon. So I'd recommend that anyone with that type of information, reach out to the RCMP. If they don't feel comfortable reaching out to the RCMP, reach out to Crime Stoppers, and you can provide that information anonymously. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I want to tell the Minister to Make NWT Great Again.
Mr. Speaker, in small communities, many parents are complaining about young people on income support. The young people are not buying groceries but paying off debts to drug dealers and/or drug dealers waiting for them on income support day outside Northern stores. So I want to ask the Minister how can the GNWT support the RCMP to reduce crime associated with drug trades and, you know, that goes with harassment and vandalism and thefts. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And when I was answering the Member's questions earlier, I spoke about some of the initiatives that this government wants to undertake and provide additional tools to the RCMP. But ultimately, this starts in the community. You know, when I've heard of communities really getting past their drug issues, it's been at the grassroots level that has driven it. And so, you know, public safety is in our mandate. Dealing with this issue is in our mandate. So I look forward to working with the Indigenous governments, many of whom have a very strong interest in this area as well and I've had many conversations with, and with the Members of this House, to figure out how to tackle these issues and better support our residents. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document: The Annual Report Northwest Territories Public Utilities Board for the Year Ending December 31, 2023. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Public Utilities Board. Tabling of documents. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: Followup Letter for Oral Question 12720(1): Policies and Future of Housing Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister responsible for Housing NWT. Tabling of documents. Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a letter from the Union of Northern Workers to Members of the 20th Legislative Assembly on the Use of Agency Nurses in NWT Healthcare. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Tabling of documents. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a letter from the Northwest Territories Medical Association regarding their Submission of the NWT Medical Association in Response to the Call for Submissions for Restoring Balance: A Fiscal Sustainability Strategy for the 20th Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move or sorry, I give notice that on Thursday, May 30th, 2024, I will move the following motion:
Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that the Legislative Assembly recommend the reappointment of the following individuals to the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission:
Ms. Marion Berls of the Town of Fort Smith for the term of four years; and,
Mr. Charles Dent of the City of Yellowknife for a term of four years.
And further, that the Speaker be authorized to communicate the effective dates of these appointments to the Commissioner. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS Tabled Document 9420(1), 20242028 Business Plans has been tabled in this House;
AND WHEREAS 20242028 Business Plans require detailed consideration.
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Tabled Document 9420(1), 20242028 Business Plans, be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? Opposed? Abstained? Motion has passed.
Carried
I now call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee? Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We wish to consider Tabled Document 9420(1), 20242028 Business Plans in Committee of the Whole. Thank you.
Thank you. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will proceed with the first item. Thank you, committee. We will take a short recess, and we'll resume with the first item. We'll take a 15minute break.
SHORT RECESS
Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 9420(1), 20242028 Business Plan. I will now open the floor to general comments on Tabled Document 9420(1), and each Member will have ten minutes to speak. I'll go to Member any hands? Any comments? Yeah, general comments on the Tabled Document 9420(1). I'm going to go to the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Sure, I will kick it off with some comments. I will be fairly brief. We have some long days coming, and I'll try not to keep Members here too late today.
Listen, the business plans are great. I mean, I don't know what else I can say. I think there's a lot of excellent work done in there. I think this is
This is the plans.
Except.
You know, could I have been a little more aggressive in some areas? Absolutely. And I guess we can all say that about our ridings and individual things that we want to see action based on the business plan and things that are in here. But, yeah, overall, it's a great document, and I appreciate the work that the departments did putting it together. It's a bit of a read, but certainly, it's yeah, so you know, I can point to specific things that I'd like to see but, Mr. Chair, I'll save those for when we go through the main estimates, as we will be going through by department by department. I will be referring, as we know, the main estimates are annual, and this is our fouryear plan, which, again, I appreciate. And, yeah, I'll speak to individual departments at such time when we go through the main estimates and talk about and refer to some of the great work that's been done in this document. So other than that, Mr. Chair, again, thank you, good document, let's get 'er done now.
I want to thank the Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Any other Members that want to make general comments on Tabled Document 9420(1)? I'm going to go to the Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Now, as a planning document, I think this is the right kind of document for what we need out of a fouryear plan and to give clear direction to government. And you get everything in here from programs that are going to be implemented to legislation that's going to roll out to policy changes that are going to be significant. So if anyone's looking for the Bible of the 20th Assembly, it's right here, at least when it comes to the affairs or the business of governing. Where the rubber meets the road is, of course, in the actual budget deliberations that are forthcoming, but and that's where we're actually going to have the opportunity to debate whether or not we think the cuts are appropriate, where we can see some changes in programs and policy. But what this is, it's not our document. It's not a document of the Assembly. It's a document of Cabinet. And in that regard, they have succeeded, and they should be commended for bringing this forward in a tangible, measurable way.
My comments yesterday about the mandate were pretty harsh, and I'm not retracting those because this is what I'd like to see, and I think we've kind of we should be moving forward in this direction. Any time we do forward planning at the start of a new Assembly, we should be as measurable, as clear and concise as possible, so people can get a sense of where we're going and what we hope to what the government hopes to achieve, and then we can course correct as we move forward through budget cycles, through deliberation, through debate, all that kind of stuff. But having a very clear vision of what to expect, that's priceless in a democracy, especially a consensus government that often struggles to have kind of a decisive vision moving forward. So kudos on the business plans. Everything else needs more work. Thank you.
I want to thank the Member from Range Lake. I'm going to go to the Member Danny McNeely from Sahtu. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I too agree with the principles of the business plan; however, there's always room for improvements. It's a fouryear document that really sets the direction for this Assembly and a everchanging climate, whether that climate is the cost of living in the small communities, the larger communities, and our territory as a whole. So realizing that, we really don't have any idea what the economic environment is going to be next year or the year after, but having the guiding principles to move forward with an updated review, certainly shows efficiency of this Assembly in moving forward and capturing and addressing the many challenge that could possibly create barriers and challenges for this Assembly. We have no idea on the water levels of next year for an example or what the prices are going to be of fuel to generate power in our smaller communities. So those are unforeseen costs that we will face.
But focusing on the principles for the next 48 months is really a challenging but a good corporate strategy to give our people the impression that, yes, we have faith in our abilities to move forward and here's our fouryear plan, and I look forward to going through the finalization. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
