Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Madam Chair. For many of the IT programs that are being supported within the GNWT, we are part of the IT whole system, supported by the TSC, our general, sort of, normal programs. The programs where we’re not supported by them in the same way would be our courts program and our correction programs. Those are specific, similar to many programs that exist in Education and similar to many programs that exist in Health and Social Services that are administered by the department. We do the same with our court program and our corrections program.

Thank you, Madam Chair. On my right is Ms. Sheila Bassi-Kellett, the deputy minister of Human Resources; and on my left is Michelle Beard, who is the director of strategy and policy. Thank you.

We haven’t done necessarily a cost-benefit analysis, but the department has a mandate to keep its offenders in the Northwest Territories close to their homes and close to their family, close to their culture where their family can get to them and visit them. There are other things that we have to factor in, as well, as in will other jurisdictions take our offenders.

Most jurisdictions are faced with exactly the same challenges we’re faced with, which is overcrowding. For us to try to go to other jurisdictions and stick some of our offenders there can prove to be quite complicated. But the main...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We understand the sentiment of this motion. The department itself has expressed some concerns with Bill C-10 and the cost that will be downloaded to the Government of the Northwest Territories once Bill C-10 becomes a reality. To that end I have set up a meeting with the federal Minister of Justice for this Monday. I’m going to be bringing forward the concerns of the department and the Legislature at that meeting and we will be working to try and find some opportunities to mitigate some of these costs here in the Northwest Territories. In addition, I will be meeting...

Thank you, Madam Chair. We have one female youth in custody in the North at the youth facility here in Yellowknife. We have 11 female adults in custody as well. With respect to the cost for Nunavut to house somebody in one of our facilities, I’m going to go to Ms. Watters for that.

As per the briefings in the 16th Assembly, we’ve moved the youth female offenders to the North Slave Young Offenders Facility. Currently, there’s only one in there, at the North Slave Young Offenders Facility. One female; sorry. With respect to the future facility in Fort Smith, it will be for both women and female youth.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’m not aware of whether or not the department has had many consultations with the Department of Health or any other buildings on how we can achieve economies of scale in our construction. We do know that we have specialized buildings, just like Health has very specialized buildings. As far as utilities, there may be options to do something like that and that might be a better question for Public Works and Services.

With respect to the building in Fort Smith, we are trying to achieve some economies of scale by tying into some of the heating and utilities systems that...

A planning study has been completed for the proposed territorial women and girls correctional centre in Fort Smith. Land has been selected and I think we're close. We need money. Basically the plan is done, and the land is selected and we’re working with the department now to find out how to get it done, get the facility built.

When I became the Minister of Justice I asked the department to do a bit of an analysis and start an analysis on what we think the implications of Bill C-10 will be, and some of those implications could conceivably be increased capacity requirements in our different facilities, a new pod possibly, the adult facility here in Yellowknife, but also the facility in Fort Smith which is already designed to be a little bit larger than the facility that is there now, as well as the old female facility in Inuvik.

As far as the costs of the facilities, Mr. Bromley, anything we toss out now will be kind...

Thank you, Madam Chair. With me today are Bronwyn Watters on my left, the deputy minister of Justice; and on my right, Kim Schofield, who is the director of finance.