Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice, the Honourable Brendan Bell. In my Member’s statement today I talked about the decision that the government proceeded with to close the remand unit at the SMCC in Hay River. This was given a lot of dialogue in the last Assembly and the last budget session and, as the Minister knows, there was a unanimous motion passed to support this. Unfortunately, it was dealt with in a way that the closure proceeded. But that being the case, Mr. Speaker, that’s kind of history now; but I still have questions outstanding...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. The staffing of the remand unit in Hay River and the additional staff to watch them had everything to do with an internal report and a coroner's inquest into the suicidal death of an inmate in custody at SMCC. I don't believe that that report and the recommendations of the coroner were sufficiently considered when this cost-saving initiative was contrived by the former Minister.

I think it would be in the government's own interest to ensure that we have not inadvertently put ourselves in a situation where responsibility for, God forbid...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I said that I wanted to follow up on more detail about the effects of the closure of the remand unit at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre in Hay River. We knew that there would be a reduction in shifts available for casual employees. We knew that the number of indeterminate positions would be reduced by five if when they became vacant through attrition, and we knew that the projected savings of $400,000 was not realistic. What wasn’t quantified was the consequential effects that weren’t fully anticipated or wouldn’t be realized until the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I see this move as being regressive and counterproductive to what we’re trying to do, and that is to encourage people who work at the mines to live in the North, and everybody knows that the cost of living is higher here. I think that this move on the part of the company, I think they could have found other ways of compensating or increasing, enhancing the compensation of their employees other than this particular move. I’d like to ask the Minister how does he see this affecting other socioeconomic agreements that may be negotiated say for the Mackenzie gas pipeline...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, just for clarity, in my Member’s statement, I talked about the relocation and transfer of employees. Some other Members made reference to this being a move to offer employment to people who lost their jobs as a result of the Justice closure in Hay River. In fact, Bosco Homes is a private contract; there is no opportunity to transfer. It is not the intended purpose. The gap was referred to of 18 months, but was not the intended purpose to relocate to absorb the laid-off employees from the GNWT in a private contractor’s personnel group that would be considered...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Earlier today, during Member’s statements, we heard from Members about the concern raised about relocating the Territorial Treatment Centre program from Yellowknife to Hay River. The issue of access was raised. What is the government’s policy with respect to regional access to territorial programs? There must be a policy in place which addresses this, because I know I spoke to this issue about services south of the lake until I was blue in the face in the last session. How big of a part...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I devoted an extraordinary amount of air time during the budget session to the loss of Justice jobs, programs and services in Hay River. It potentially directly impacted a total of 40 jobs. It impacted the open custody young offenders' facility, our court registry and the closure of our remand unit at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre.

I am pleased to recognize that the planned closure of the court registry was reversed. The closure of the remand centre proceeded on April 15th, in spite of a unanimous motion of the Regular Members to reinstate the...

Thank you. I certainly recognize the fact that we lost approximately 20 government jobs at Dene K’onia, including permanent and casual, and that 20 new private sector jobs will go some ways towards mitigating the loss in the community. As far as Hay River goes as a community, has thought already been given to the profile of the community in terms of opportunity, education, and ways of integrating these young people in programming in the community? Has Hay River been assessed from that perspective? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the thinking that precipitated this discussion about relocating this facility and this program was related to the availability and suitability of infrastructure which the territorial government presently owns and has maintained and invested money in. I was wondering if the Minister could speak to that issue of the infrastructure to accommodate the program in Yellowknife versus Hay River at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize of Member of Parliament for the Western Arctic, the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Minister of State for Northern Development; and her spouse, Mr. Leon Andrew. Also I’d like to recognize His Worship Mayor Gordon Van Tighem, the mayor of Yellowknife.

---Applause