Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak to reviewing policing outcomes. As discussed in this House many times, including our last sitting, with a motion on supporting mental health response, the NWT relies a great deal on the services of the RCMP. The NWT asks more of them than what is truly their role, Mr. Speaker, and I don't believe it's fair to treat them as social workers.
RCMP services are one of the last places we should be asking people to do more with less. I'm glad that there is some change on that front, for instance through partnerships between NGOs and multiple levels of government. Crucial services have begun to be supported, such as Street Outreach here in Yellowknife.
I believe everyone in this House is familiar with the Yellowknife Women’s Society's report Overpoliced and Underprotected. It examines the relationship between unhoused Indigenous women in the NWT and their interactions with the RCMP. A key recommendation from this report asked the Minister of Justice to support a comprehensive review of policing practices in the NWT by the federal Civilian Review and Complaints Commission. Notably, such a review must be requested by the Minister of Justice, and it would be at no cost to the GNWT. When some Members have put this recommendation forward to the Minister in correspondence, he has responded that such a review would be too narrow in scope and take too long to see results.
There has also been interest in investigations on RCMP actions and whether they can be impartial without an independent external agency review. Currently, in the NWT the RCMP investigates the RCMP, albeit it from detachments from other jurisdictions, as we have seen in a recent inquest on a death in custody. Cabin Radio recently wrote an article discussing whether it is time to consider an oversight arrangement like that of the Yukon and the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, a civilian police oversight agency allowed by the federal RCMP Act.
Mr. Speaker, I realize I'm speaking about reviews about systemic problems and serious incidents and that these will likely require different approaches and processes, and that is fine. Residents need assurance that if there are negative outcomes in our current policing structures that an impartial review is possible for both serious incidents and systemic issues. I will have questions for the Minister of Justice at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Members' statements. Member from the Sahtu.
