Julie Green

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The coronavirus pandemic is swiftly moving and unpredictable. A little more than a month ago, I spoke about the effect of coronavirus on tourism in the NWT, based on the Chinese government directive to halt group travel. Now, travel by almost everyone in the northern hemisphere to almost anywhere in the world is not advised by public health officials. Of course, that includes travel to and from the NWT from outside of Canada. New arrivals will be asked to self-quarantine for two weeks.

Mr. Speaker, visitors are listening to the call to stay home. They have cancelled...

Another question I received on the weekend was: why is it that the health department has decided that, if and when a case is confirmed, the location will not be shared with the public? Can the Minister tell us why that is the case?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to go over a few questions that I received over the weekend from constituents. The first is that a number of news releases or public advisories have gone out with phone numbers for people to call in the event that they have symptoms to report. My constituent called the Yellowknife number, which is the public health unit number, yesterday afternoon, and there was no answer. I'm concerned that, in fact, these numbers are only monitored during work hours. Can the Minister assure me that there is some kind of seven-day-a-week coverage of these phone numbers that are...

I appreciate that answer. I see that the onus is really on the federal government to come up with some kind of contingency fund to assist not only tourism operators but also sectors of the economy that are currently hurting. What kind of responsibility does the GNWT have in this circumstance other than connecting with the federal government to come up with those contingency plans?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Premier. A month is obviously a long time in the life of the coronavirus outbreak. It has now become a pandemic and there are more cases in Europe than China. Can the Minister update us now on the impact of the coronavirus health crisis on the tourism industry in the NWT? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have many seniors in my riding of Yellowknife Centre, so I would like to ask the Minister of Health what kind of precautions the department has advised for organizations, including the Department of Health, who provide long-term care for seniors. Thank you.

I appreciate the additional detail from the Minister. The Minister did mention new policies and regulations. Has the Minister considered bringing those new policies and regulations to standing committee for review?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my statement, I have questions for the Minister of Justice about the implementation of the new Corrections Act. In August of last year, the 18th Assembly passed the new Corrections Act, and I'm proud to say it incorporates the best practices for how offenders are treated while they're incarcerated as well as how they will be re-integrated into their communities. Can the Minister tell me when this act will be implemented? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In the last of the week of statements on justice issues, I want to reflect on the journey of developing the new Corrections Act. This was a journey I took with the Standing Committee on Social Development last year. Mr. Speaker, the committee was dismayed by the bill presented. It didn't reflect the many changes in approach and practice since the original Corrections Act came into force more than 40 years ago. It didn't compare well to new legislation in other jurisdictions such as Nunavut, which provided for more rehabilitation and re-integration of offenders. As well, the...

Thank you to the Minister for that. Is it the case, then, that there could be special precautions put in place to protect the people who are most at risk from this disease?