Bob Bromley

When did we learn about these dollars? Did I hear that this was not a contract, that in fact they’re expecting staff we already have on board to do this work?

Thank you to the Minister for that clarification. How is it that we’re putting out contracts when we have affected employees in this very area of concern with expertise and that could easily assume these responsibilities and save the costs associated with contract administration, et cetera? Where is the staff retention policy on this? I know this is not a question for this Minister, but it is certainly a question for this government.

There are two tracks here, and they’re completely missing each other. Why did the Minister not put this together, connect these dots, and avoid the trauma of these...

Mr. Chair, I’m assuming that means the remaining staff will shoulder the workload of the two staff that are being cut, the two staff that currently deliver these sex offender programs. I highly suspect that other staff that already — I would assume — have lots of other responsibilities won't be able to efficiently deliver these programs — efficiently and effectively. Again, it’s clear that the people of the Northwest Territories — and, certainly, people on this side of the House — believe that more programming is needed rather than less.

I’d like to know how the department has concluded that...

Mr. Speaker, government’s commitment to building a new dementia centre is a good thing, but our government must recognize that forced-growth costs accumulate for non-government organizations just as much as they do for government. We’ve seen very significant forced-growth figures for government operations in the budget before us today. Putting these same costs on the backs of non-government organizations is hardly fair.

If this government can wipe out over $11 million in over-expenditures for one institution in Yellowknife — albeit not lightly done — surely they can look after this modest...

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the Department Summary for the Department of Justice, Operations Expenditure Summary at this time.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have to back up those comments and just say that my door is open. I’m sure all of my colleagues’ doors are open for communication on items such as this. So just to reconfirm: my perspective is that of Mr. Ramsay on the last motion, and Mr. McLeod. We need some better communication.

Unfortunately, this also takes a toll on people, and I hope, in this situation, the toll is less than in the last couple of things we’ve discussed. There could have been an avoidance of a lot of this sort of kerfuffle.

I just want to note again that the general pattern that I see in this budget...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’d like to propose a motion.

Mr. Chair, I move that this committee strongly recommend that the government take immediate action to reinstate funding in the amount of $85,000 for the proposed reduction and contributions to communities for Community Justice activities under the Department of Justice and under the Community Justice and Corrections Activity.

Mr. Chair, just a question on that, then: are these yet again new federal dollars, but we’ve developed this budget assuming that there would be no new federal dollars? Are these dollars that were not expected?

Mr. Chair, I’m afraid I’m not comfortable putting a lot of weight to the Minister’s remarks. I’m aware that there is a request for proposal out currently by the department, closing on the 20th of June, for the delivery of healing and learning programs in Corrections. This is clear evidence that there is a recognition, at some level, for the need for more effective programming, and healing programming specifically, which is what we’re talking about here. Can the Minister explain this incongruity to me?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My questions are about the elimination of the Sex Offender Relapse Prevention Program and the Family Violence Prevention Program at the North Slave Correctional Centre, programs delivered to men who have been convicted of these offences.

I think it’s common knowledge to most of us that the incidence of sex offences in the Northwest Territories is extremely high, second only to Nunavut. Our rate is averaging well over five times the rate in Canada. In fact, we had 156 offences in 2006, which on a rate per 1,000 people is extremely, extremely high.

This program is a vital...