Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the outgoing Prime Minister has released a white paper on RCMP reform, its significant consequences for the Northwest Territories if these changes go through, which would see the force transition to a national intelligence and security force. I know the RCMP has concerns around this. We've heard some jurisdictions have concerns around this. Yesterday we talked about sunsetting funding for community safety officer programs, the need potentially for a new Police Act. Now it sounds like we need to have our own police force. So what is the Premier's approach to solve this challenge? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Mr. Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the federal government, on March 10th, released a paper about the future of the RCMP or, at least, this existing administration's take on the future of the RCMP understanding there is a change of government happening tomorrow, so we'll see what happens. And that paper said that the federal government should be committed to working closely with the provinces to support a transition away from contract policing. Of course, here in the Northwest Territories we contract the RCMP to do our policing. But in that same paper, it said that Canada should also collaborate with territorial leaders and Indigenous partners to define a new policing model. So while the provinces -- this paper talks about transitioning the provinces away from contract policing with the RCMP, it recognizes that the territories are in a different position, and this is similar to the conversation I had with the Minister of public safety. Admittedly, it was a few public safety Ministers ago, but it was wasn't that long ago, where Minister Blair, who was public safety Minister at the time, acknowledged that there's a different relationship with the territories and that the federal government does have a responsibility for policing -- a shared responsibility for policing in the territory which is different from the provinces. So we will continue to work with the federal government on this.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for that clarity. I did note that the territories are being treated differently. But this new model of policing, this -- one of the perhaps benefits is to start the discussion on how we can change community policing in the Northwest Territories, indigenize it, and certainly make it -- make the service even more representative of the communities it serves and, of course, perhaps deal with some of the historic inequities of communities that haven't had RCMP officers or things like that.
So in the discussions the Premier's had in the past about a new policing model, could he shed some light on what new options there could be because we've heard Members on the floor here have been advocating for police officers in their small rural and remote communities for 30 years. So is there a way we can use this opportunity to bring more policing resources into the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So our current agreement with the RCMP is for another seven years. So this is a long ways out. That being said, for a new model to be developed and, you know, fleshed out, it's going to take some time. And so this white paper came out three days ago. I don't -- no one that I know was expecting it. I don't believe the RCMP were part of the development of it. And so there hasn't been a lot of discussions on this. And so I don't really have any insight into what the model could look like because those conversations haven't started. That being said, it is an opportunity to address some of the issues that have been ongoing issues in the territory in terms of, you know, the coverage of policing services and things like that. It will come with challenges, there's no doubt about that, but there's always an opportunity to improve something when we're starting fresh with it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And certainly with the -- there are always new opportunities, and perhaps this is one of them. That being said, the RCMP is saying loud and clear that they feel they've been underresourced by parliament. Will the Premier join me in calling for more resources for the RCMP so we can keep our communities safe here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So we have a contract with the RCMP and that lays out the resourcing, and it's clear of the cost share breakdown. We pay 70 percent, the federal government pays 30 percent. We have advocated for more resources, and we were successful in that advocacy by receiving more funding through the First Nation and Inuit policing program which has closer to a 50/50 cost share, and so we have been successful in that regard. But that being said, we do have a contract, we do have a requirement to pay a certain amount, and so we can't get more resources from the federal government but it would mean that we would put in our portion of those resources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
