Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the 20th Assembly, this government put forward four top priorities, and the fourth priority of this government is safe residents and communities. Mr. Speaker, my community of Fort Resolution, the leadership there approached me about putting in cameras and looking at security guards and that, those issues that they brought to my attention. But in previous governments, I also raised this issue. But anyway, my question to the Minister is that is the Minister prepared to look at making a commitment to come up with a clear action plan as to how we're going to deal with this issue in Fort Resolution while moving the top four priorities? Thank you.
Which Minister are you directing your question to? Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am unclear of the issue that he's speaking of, if he can clarify that.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. The community's been asked to use their CPI dollars and operation and maintenance dollars to look at funding cameras to be put into their communities et cetera, but the money is just not there. And my question to the Minister, can we work together to come up with an action plan to help the communities put these much-needed cameras in place so that we could deter drug activities in our community? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So this doesn't really fit under municipal and community affairs. It's not really our -- in our department. We do fund communities. Our total funding allotment is about $110 million to communities for their -- to operate their communities. How they see fit to operate their communities with those funds, it's essentially up to them. I do know that some of the stuff that he's talking about, the Member is -- you know, the signage for an example, it can be -- about $10,000 of that can be used out of the CPI funding. So other than that, most of the stuff that the Member's speaking about would probably be best suited for the Department of Justice or -- yes, I'll leave it at that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Minister. The issues that I brought forward here in regards to the activity that's happening in our communities, not only just in my riding but throughout the Northwest Territories, my question would be to the Minister, in order to meet the top four priorities, is your government prepared to work with Indigenous governments as to how we can work together to fund some of these activities that's not without taking the monies out of CPI dollars and the gas taxes that was paid or operation and maintenance? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So with that, like I said we distribute the funds to the communities. You know, they -- it's not for us to tell the communities how to run their programs and services within the municipalities. At the end of the day, it's up to the communities. We are supporting safer communities. The Department of Justice, I know has done numerous things by adding, like, more officers and also another program to support the fight against organized crime essentially. So the department of MACA does not have the funds available to add to the services of, you know, fighting the drug activities and stuff in the communities. Again, our department has $110 million they distribute to 33 communities and it's up to the communities on how they want to see fit to operate. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Final supplementary, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Okay, well, then having said that, I guess my question would be is that we're already in year one of the four-year mandate we already are in as a government, but for -- to meet the commitments that is laid out in this government for safe residents and communities, is the Minister willing to commit to work with communities, Indigenous governments, and try to find new ways to get money from either Ottawa, or wherever they can get it, to meet one of the top four priorities because the issues in our community are real, and we just don't have the money to deal with that issue. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I don't disagree with the Member. You know, these are issues throughout all of the territories and all the communities. My home community is feeling the stress of illegal and drug activities. But the department of MACA, like I said, it's kind of out of our department so this may be -- I do support it. I am -- you know, my moral values tell me that these are things that we need to tackle and as a government it's something we said we're going to do. But it might be something for myself, the Member, and the Department of Justice to sit down and have discussions and try to find a direction that's positive for the communities of Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
