Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Minister of Justice for his statement today on the Corrections Northern Recruit Training Program and I’m happy to see this happening in Hay River for the next intake.
With the new justice bill in Ottawa, Bill C-10, that will increase the number of mandatory sentences, incarcerations. I could have sworn on the radio this morning I heard the Justice Minister say that if this came about, they would have to build an addition on to the North Slave Correctional Centre. We’re talking here about disparity in the distribution of wealth. I want to talk about the disparity in the distribution of government resources, jobs and programs.
I’d like to ask the Minister of Justice, is there a plan at this time anywhere on this government’s books to put an addition on to the North Slave Correctional Centre. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Abernethy.
---Interjection
Minister of Justice, could you repeat that again, that’s not on the record.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No. No, there isn’t.
That’s indeed welcome news. If there is a need for additional correctional spaces in the Northwest Territories as a result of this new federal legislation, will other communities other than Yellowknife be considered for expansion of a facility? For example, the South Slave Correctional Centre in Hay River. Thank you.
I believe there are already plans in the works to put a new facility in Fort Smith. As far as a male facility, there are no plans at this time and we would be open to discussion. But North Slave Correctional Facility was designed to have a pod added on to it, so it may prove to be the most cost-effective place to add on to male facilities in the Northwest Territories.
I’m aware of the construction of the North Slave Correctional Centre and the anticipation that there may be a need for expanded services in the future and the ability to add on a pod. However, may I suggest, in Hay River there is lots of land, lots of affordable land, lots of affordable construction prices per square foot and I would like the Minister to confirm that all potential locations in the event of more spaces being required will be analyzed very carefully and that Hay River would be in the running for such an expansion. Thank you.
That would be the financially prudent and responsible thing to do, so that’s what we would be doing. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you. We’re always happy to hear about financially prudent decisions. We’re also very interested in politically prudent decisions and one of those areas has got to be in looking for opportunities to distribute the wealth of this government into regions, communities outside of Yellowknife. So hopefully there would be some political consideration brought to bear along with the financial consideration.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
