David Ramsay

Anybody that knows me knows I’m optimistic all the time. We are optimistic at DOJ that we are going to find a proponent to help us deliver this program in the Northwest Territories. We’ve got several who have expressed interest, five from the Sahtu and others. Until we get an opportunity to sit down and talk with them about our expectations, what they’re looking for, I’m sure we will find one of those groups that we will be able to work with and get this program back up and running in the NWT. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

No, not currently. Like I said, there’s the Internet and phone line. That’s the service that’s provided right now. Thank you.

I thank the Member for the question. The answer to the question is yes, absolutely we have. We’ve taken this time that we’ve had to ensure that when we go forward with an expression of interest and we get to an RFP stage that we do know exactly what we’re getting ourselves into. I don’t have that level of detail here with me, but I’d be more than happy to share the work we have done with Members of the House. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, we will give that some thought and take a look at how we can accomplish that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We made a commitment, I believe it was to Ms. Bisaro yesterday, to provide the statistics. We have some. We’re going to compile those statistics and get them to Members. Just since October 2014 the Wellness Court program has had 13 referrals. At this point there are five clients currently in the program, two clients undergoing the assessment process and three potential clients, three clients have been removed from the program. But again, there’s a lot of other statistics here. So we’re going to get that and get it to committee members. I made a commitment yesterday, by...

In my time as Minister of Justice, I’m not aware of any changes in policy. I do know that the facility in Hay River could only house six inmates at any one time and it is a minimum security facility. They don’t have the level of programming that is offered to inmates that are on remand here at the North Slave Correctional Centre. I can get the Member some further detailed information on whether or not there was a policy shift. This is going back 10 years, so I’ll ask the department about that.

The good news is that with the facility in Hay River, we have added three new positions to that...

That would be a great deal of work to put together. What I would suggest is the coroner does put together an annual report and Members avail themselves of that report and have questions from that. That’s something we can address. What the Member is asking for would take a great deal of work to put together and track and everything. We would never know exactly what the Members might want. One Member might want something and another Member might want something else. That would be a difficult task, Mr. Chairman.

Yes, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the circuit in Hay River hasn’t been growing. Meanwhile, here in Yellowknife court time is going up. The demand is here in Yellowknife, but we do take the Member’s concerns seriously. It was the individual’s decision to relocate out of the Northwest Territories from Hay River. Thank you.