Mr. Speaker, the RCMP is a key partner in keeping our North safe and secure because the role they play in our territory is incredibly different than how they operate in southern jurisdictions. We rely on the RCMP for many services they would not offer in any province because for most communities, they're the only police around thus they play a greater role here as first responders, search and rescue personnel, and are essential to fighting drug crime. So embedded are RCMP officers in our communities that they serve, they're always warmly welcomed and adopted as one of our own.
The pivotal role RCMP plays in our territory is longstanding because the RCMP was established specifically to operate across Canada's frontier to enforce sovereignty against encroaching American interests and the early settlers who disregarded treaty provisions and disrupted hunting and trapping practices of individual communities. In fact, the RCMP were initially designated as a Northwest Mounted Police, reflecting their responsibilities over the vast stretches of Canada's west which were once a part of the modernday NWT. Later, they turned their focus towards bootleggers and outlaws evolving from horseback to snowmobile and to familiar vehicles we see around driving on our streets today.
This week, we learned that the outgoing Prime Minister is suddenly looking to dramatically reform the RCMP away from day-to-day policing towards high-level crime such as intelligence gathering and national security. These proposed reforms could put an end to the crucial work the RCMP provide in the NWT and Canada's North by limiting their resources and scaling back the services they provide to our territory. The RCMP has indicated that if these changes go through, as service agreements expire in the coming years the NWT may have to switch to a new policing model, but it's very unclear what that will look like and how our territory will have the capacity to take on a greater policing responsibility.
I hope that the Premier is as alarmed as I am and, indeed, the RCMP is, because they don't want to pull back from the work that they've done to keep us safe. Now that we've been underfunding the RCMP for years, changing their mandate isn't going to work for the North. We need a united front to keep the RCMP in our communities, in our territories, and in Canada's North to protect our communities, ensure our sovereignty, and fight violent predators that are encroaching in our communities, Mr. Speaker. And this new mandate threatens to undo that, and I hope the Premier agrees with me that it cannot stand. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Members' statements. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Member’s Statement 607-20(1):
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the visitor of Canadian Space Agency astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen to Yellowknife and celebrate both his work to advance Canada's contribution to space exploration and his dedication to inspiring our youth, our educators, and all, indeed, northerners who dream of technology, science, and innovation.
Colonel Hansen is a highly respected astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency, will make history as the first Canadian set to participate in a lunar mission. His role is the Artemis II mission which will take humans around the moon for the first time in 50 years, demonstrates Canada leadership in space exploration. Yet, despite all his hard work, he still makes time to meet with youth across the country and all this week, I'm excited to say that he stopped by several of my communities as well.
During his visit, Colonel Hansen has visited with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and presented at the school in Dettah and N'dilo as well the high school in Yellowknife. Today he's just wrapped up a visit to Lutselk'e Dene First Nation and will conclude his tour with a public event at the Prince of Wales Heritage Centre this evening at 6 p.m.
Certainly alongside his passion for space exploration, Colonel Hansen's personal mission is to share his experience in aerospace, science, and leadership with students and educators and community members across Canada. He emphasizes the importance of STEM education as a pathway to exciting careers, including those in space exploration. I know his message to our youth will prove to them that with dedication and perseverance, even the most ambitious dreams are possible.
Mr. Speaker, our youth in the North have limited potential but they need role models and opportunities to help them reach their goals. Colonel Hansen's visit is a reminder that the sky is not the limit; it's just the beginning.
On behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories and my colleagues, I want to thank Colonel Jeremy Hansen and the Canadian Space Agency for visiting our communities and inspiring the next generation of leaders in science and exploration. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Members' statements. Member from the Sahtu.
