David Ramsay

A new detachment does come with a lofty price tag. That’s why, with the resources that we do have, we have to try to find a way of moving forward with improving the level of service. In the case of Gameti, we talked about a holding cell being provided in the community. If we get into Wrigley and Wrigley leadership identifies that as a need, that’s something we will continue to work on.

We always need to be moving the yardsticks forward, Mr. Speaker. In the case of providing service, we are going to do that.

Again, I look forward to travelling to Wrigley and I can explain that to the community...

Thank you. The RCMP have protocols, they have processes in place when it comes to search and rescue and trying to identify or find a missing person. We have to remain supportive of the RCMP’s efforts and their investigative skills. We also would ask Members and the public to be supportive of the RCMP at this time as they continue to search for this lady. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back in 2007, when it was contemplated about building detachments in Gameti and Wrigley, we were under the old policing services contract. The federal government was responsible at the time for capital costs of new detachments in the Northwest Territories. In 2012 we signed a new Police Services Agreement where the Government of the Northwest Territories was 70 percent responsible for those same capital costs. Back in May of 2012, my predecessor at the Department of Justice, Minister Abernethy, had written a letter to yourself outlining the changes in the new policing...

Thank you. The office of the oil and gas regulator here in the Northwest Territories hasn’t been overly busy. That’s not to say that we can’t take a look. We’ve only had the responsibility now for six months. I think after a year would be a good time to look back. I’m also looking forward, again, to getting in front of committee. I know we want to get in front of Regular Members with the executive director from our oil and gas regulating office, the deputy minister and myself to answer any questions that Members may have and I certainly look forward to doing that soon. Thank you.

The department and the North Slave Correctional Centre are making every effort to fill this position. Thank you.

The Minister of ITI has been designated the regulator under the Oil and Gas Operations Act, and that is legislation and that’s where I’m identified as a regulator and, again, delegated those authorities to the executive director who is also the chief conservation officer in our oil and gas regulating office. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The position has been vacant since June of 2014. We had run a competition and offered an individual the position. They subsequently turned the position down. We are in the process of looking at filling that position now on a casual basis until we can find a permanent person to fill that position. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, not to my knowledge. I don’t recall a business or a restaurant or things of that nature being seized.

I will respond to the Members concern about the proceeds that we do get. These funds that we receive under the MOU that I mentioned earlier are used to fund crime prevention activities here in the Northwest Territories. Currently, there is about $125,000 in that fund. In the past three years, the department has received the following: in ‘11-12, just over $44,000; ‘13-14, about $25,000; ‘14-15, about $55,000, so that gives us a total in the account of about $125,000.

I will mention...

Yes, if we get to that stage, we certainly will have to talk to departments that have facilities or places to store things around the territory because, of course, not all communities have secure storage facilities, not all communities have towing equipment and the ability to seize a truck, a trailer, skidoo or ATV and get it from point A to point B. That’s something that as we go forward with looking at this, these are all things that we will have to take a look at. Thank you.

Thank you. We have a film commissioner here in the Northwest Territories who works at the Department of ITI and she’s certainly very well-versed in the film industry, the advance of film production here in the Northwest Territories. Shows that have been filmed here in the Northwest Territories have a direct correlation with tourism, and she certainly is well-plugged into NWT Tourism and the tourism staff that we have at the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Thank you.