Charles Dent

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our standards for all programs are adjusted regularly, based on the cost of living. The cost of food is surveyed on a regular basis. The amount that is included in income support for food allowance is adjusted regularly. The same happens with the levels for the fuel subsidy. So I think that’s already being accomplished. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that our system does allow families to support seniors to a much greater extent than what you would find in other jurisdictions, but I would be happy to review the situation with the Member and take a look at his specific recommendations and consider them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member talked about the increase in payments in income support in the region. One of the things that have driven up the payments is that benefit levels have substantially increased since 1999. The amount that is paid for food, the amount that is paid for accommodation, all of those payments have gone up substantially since 1999. We have a very rich program in comparison to the rest of Canada. Is it rich to people who have to try and get by on it? No. It is a program of last resort. But, yes, the costs have gone up in some regions because the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the RCMP review their staffing needs across the Northwest Territories on a regular basis. About three or four years ago, they did a study that showed that across the Northwest Territories they needed an extra 27 members. At this point, this government has not come up yet with enough money to fill those 27 positions. I will certainly be working with my colleagues to try and finish that up in the next budget so that we can achieve that. I would expect that shortly after we have done that, since it has been a number of years, that the RCMP will again...

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question asked by Mr. Menicoche on October 13, 2004, regarding the court worker position in Fort Simpson.

Mr. Speaker, the Legal Services Board of the Northwest Territories has indicated that the court worker position in Fort Simpson will be filled before the end of this fiscal year. Since April of this year, a court worker has been sent in to Fort Simpson once a month for two days to provide assistance to clients wishing to apply for legal aid, and to cover every second Justice of the Peace Court.

A notice is posted at the court...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there has been a real growth, particularly in the southern part of the Northwest Territories, in the drug trade which has caused a need for greater resources in this region. We’ve seen a number of larger drug busts in Hay River, Yellowknife, and along the highway recently. That’s certainly lead to some of the concerns. Further north, in the Delta, because of the oil and gas activity, there’s been an increase, too, in crime. That’s led to some of the changes. The ruling that we could no longer have single-person detachments has also caused us to have to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will review the Alberta program and our program and I believe that our program is substantially better, but if it’s found wanting I’ll certainly respond back to the Member and take a look at what we can do to address any inequities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member sounds like he might be talking about a specific situation. Perhaps it would be best if we could get to the bottom of this by meeting and reviewing the circumstances around that situation. I’d be happy to commit to doing that with the Member if he would like to meet with me outside so we can discuss this specific file or family.

In terms of the program, the Member is right; it is set up so it recognizes the income that comes into the household. That’s done in order to live with the philosophy that we all must first rely on our families before we...

Mr. Speaker, that is pure speculation on the Member’s part, that that would happen here. I don’t believe that it would. I don’t think that the department or the administration now is interested in doing that. I think the interest is genuinely there to make sure that we are doing procedures properly and to identify areas if we are not so that we can strengthen the good and replace the bad. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to also say that I know there are a lot of happy workers at the North Slave Correctional Centre. It’s not as if the entire staff are unhappy. The times have changed and the change in approach has added to the issue of contentment with the workplace. Not all of the staff are pleased with the change in direction and the change in the way the facility deals with inmates. That has caused some concerns among some of the staff. However, a large number of the staff welcome the change and are satisfied with the terms of their employment there.

Now I...