Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Decades ago there were RCMP officers based in Tsiigehtchic, but now we only have patchy coverage from officers based in Fort McPherson. We are puzzled by this. The population has doubled, even tripled, but the community has lost its police service.
Last Thursday I had an exchange with the Justice Minister about the issue of staff housing. He said that housing shouldn’t be a hurdle to having RCMP officers overnight in Tsiigehtchic. I am glad he agreed to follow up and I look forward to hearing the results.
The budget review in the final year of the 17th Legislative Assembly is the right time to assess the goals we stated at the outset: to have sustainable, vibrant, safe communities. Once again this budget leaves some small communities with poor basic services.
The simple fact is that police presence in Tsiigehtchic is not adequate. The officer assigned to the community is based in Fort McPherson. Police response to calls from Tsiigehtchic is slow. With better police coverage, many innocent victims of crime could be spared their anguish and expense.
I know there aren’t the capital funds for a new RCMP detachment in Tsiigehtchic, but that can’t be an excuse for lack of safety. The government does not talk enough about the positive effects and even the cost savings that come with a safer community.
At the appropriate time, once again I will be asking the Justice Minister whether he is really doing his best for the people of Tsiigehtchic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
