Caroline Wawzonek

I want to start by acknowledging that that is going to be ongoing work and that it has to be ongoing work, and there are still quite a number of the calls to action that, quite frankly, are still outstanding. Number one that comes to mind with me is the over-representation of Indigenous people in the correctional system. That continues to be a challenge, and it's one that I've certainly spoken about many times, both in my past life as well as in this House.

There is progress happening, though, Mr. Speaker. For instance, in terms of that particular call to action, number 30, of eliminating over...

If what is sought is simply a "yes," then I'm happy to simply give a "yes," Mr. Speaker. I gather that perhaps slightly more may be in order, which is to say that there are a lot of ways of communicating, and I want to ensure that I commit to certainly informing Members before there are changes, where I can. On this particular instance, we certainly did have some correspondence on this particular issue, on liquor regulation amendments. I had a lot of conflicting comments about liquor regulation amendments, some people seeking complete prohibition, others saying, "Please don't do that." This...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The situation of alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse certainly isn't new, as a result of the pandemic. It has, sadly, roots that extend long before the pandemic, and sadly will likely continue after, but the pandemic has certainly given us an opportunity to have quite a number of conversations about alcohol abuse and its causes and the troubles that abuse then causes, as well.

Unfortunately, the Emergency Measures Act doesn't give any special powers over any other piece of legislation. I shouldn't say, "unfortunately." It simply is the fact. It doesn't give special...

It certainly is nice outside, so I can imagine a lot of people would enjoy a four-day work week right about now, or anything less than the work week many of us have. Some of that work has actually been done in the past; it has been looked into, and I certainly would commit to looking into it myself and seeing what's available. It may well be that some sort of flexibility can be found, but all I can say for now is that I've also been alive to the news reports that are coming around right now in the pandemic and looking for some more flexible options. At the very least, I'll certainly commit to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the interest of brevity, Mr. Speaker, I will simply say the work is already under way, and we will certainly continue. Thank you.

I have already been in touch with my colleague from ECE. Obviously, this does, as the Member has already identified, fall within the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, my colleague was just on his feet, being asked if he was going to start a pilot for universal basic income. Some choices have to be made sometimes. We certainly can't have every single program that moves forward under COVID move forward forever. There will not be sufficient money to do that.

That said, Mr. Speaker, two things: the minimum wage committee is already underway for this year for this two...

Yes, I was able to marshal a bit of information here for the Member. As of May 26, that is, as of yesterday, there have been 31 business applications to the wage top-up. The application has to come through the employer in order to top up the employee. Twenty-eight have already been processed, but three, we requested additional information. In total, this will benefit 242 employees, at least for the month of April. We are processing them retroactively. For April, that would be $65,000 going out into the hands of employees in the Northwest Territories.

At this point, processing takes...

Mr. Speaker, I certainly am pleased to be able to say that the Tlicho region will be getting two further officers under the First Nations policing program, so, to the extent that there is a need for greater enforcement by the RCMP, with more manpower in the Tlicho region, that is at least one piece of good news I can give to the Member at this point.

Beyond that, Mr. Speaker, I can also say I have now had several hours of conversation with some of the Indigenous leaders, including some of the chiefs from the Tlicho region, and certainly intend to continue to do so as or when necessary...

We don't necessarily keep detailed track at the Department of Justice about all of the actions of the RCMP. I can certainly commit, for one, to just follow up with the RCMP and determine exactly what statistics they might maintain so that we can ensure that they are provided. Certainly, they do provide reports to every community on a regular basis, but on this specific discussion, we will follow up with them. I can indicate, Mr. Speaker, that between May 19th and 25th, Behchoko RCMP did make five seizures of alcohol within the prohibition boundaries.

When the Legislative Assembly shut down in March due to the COVID health state of emergency, the Government of the Northwest Territories was well into its annual budgeting process. As we continue that discussion, we are also moving forward to other financial matters to be discussed during this sitting of the Legislative Assembly.

The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic do not change the Government’s need to continue providing programs and services. At the same time, we have been responding to the immediate needs of the Northwest Territories economy, communities, businesses, and...