Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Justice. During my Member’s statement I talked about the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Obviously, it’s in place across this country. The question that I have for the Minister of Justice is whether the application of that legislation is the same here in the Northwest Territories as it would be in Alberta, Saskatchewan, or even Ontario, and whether or not there is any evidence that sentences for young offenders here in the Northwest Territories are any lighter than they are in those other jurisdictions. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The YCJA, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is federal legislation. So it is across the board and throughout Canada. We follow the same legislation through the venue of the RCMP in our jurisdiction and other jurisdictions, as well, with law enforcement. So we follow the same procedures. Mahsi.
Specific to the previous question was whether or not the YCJA was being applied the same here in the Northwest Territories as in other Canadian provinces or territories. Does the Minister have any evidence or anything related to statistics on length of sentences, what young offenders are getting for comparable crimes in Alberta, Saskatchewan that they are getting in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The legislation applies, like I said, across Canada. YCJA is focussed on the youth criminals. We’ve had a few roundtable discussions at the FTP, federal/territorial/provincial, Ministers meeting. Across Canada, each jurisdiction is different with their stats. I don’t have the stats with me right now, but I can provide that to the Member. Mahsi.
Since the YCJA was brought in to replace the Young Offenders Act in 2003, I’m just wondering if the Minister also has any statistical information on whether or not repeat young offenders is becoming an issue, and on an annual basis whether or not we’re seeing an increased level of repeat young offenders in our territory. I’d like, maybe, the Minister to commit to getting that information for the House too.
Those stats have been addressed with the federal Minister. The federal Ministers, both Justice and Public Safety, are fully aware of our concerns that the youth are involved with the criminal acts in our jurisdictions. Some jurisdictions are high, some are low. So I can definitely provide that information that we have on hand. We continue to stress to the federal government that we need to change the Youth Criminal Justice Act so it reflects on those youth that are out of control.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know our time is short here. We have six sitting days left in the life of this government. Maybe if I could, the last question, at the federal/provincial/territorial Justice Ministers table, any new proposed federal legislation dealing with crime, I’m just wondering, the Minister alluded to it a little bit in response to another question I had, but where is the federal government at in the area of getting tough on crime. Maybe the Minister could give us a bit of an update on where that legislation initiative by the federal government is at.
I can provide the information that we’ve been receiving from the federal government on the federal government’s initiative on fighting crimes. Not only that, there was Bill C-4 of the Youth Criminal Justice Act that has been discussed and that’s been with the committee. Those are the information that we need to continue pushing with the federal government. I will definitely provide the information that the Member is requesting.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
