Louis Sebert

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2015, the Auditor General of Canada completed an audit on the NWT Corrections Service that focused on the North Slave Correctional Centre here in Yellowknife and the Fort Smith Correctional Complex male unit, of course in Fort Smith. The Department of Justice responded by accepting all of the recommendations in the report, and I understand to this point 95 per cent of the recommendations have been completed. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as a government we have committed in our mandate to improve access to justice by making family law duty counsel services available to assist people representing themselves in court. Today, I would like to provide an update on how this government is meeting and exceeding that commitment with an initiative to assist residents involved in civil or family justice matters. As Members are aware, the Legal Aid Commission piloted an initiative to provide basic legal advice on civil matters. The outreach lawyer held weekly clinics in Yellowknife and delivered service clinics in 19...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Coroner's Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. I'd be happy to make that commitment.

I certainly concur that privacy would be an issue and a problem and I certainly would be willing to meet with the RCMP to discuss solutions to that problem.

Mr. Speaker, I'd certainly be pleased to meet with the Member opposite on an individual basis. I don't know whether a full briefing is really required at this stage. The Auditor General's report is now more than two years old; 95 per cent of the recommendations have been completed. I would be certainly pleased to meet personally with the Member opposite to discuss those items that are still outstanding. I can advise that even those outstanding have not been neglected in any way. They simply have not been fully completed.

I'm not entirely sure what programs of Corrections the Member opposite is referring to. We are always trying to improve in all areas. As I mentioned, 95 per cent of the recommendations have been completed. That means there's still 5 per cent to be completed. The items that he has referenced today, however, are not those as I understand it which were included in the Auditor General's report. Obviously, issues of sentencing and rehabilitation are always ongoing concerns of the department and Corrections.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are very fortunate to have one of our longest serving victim service workers with us in the gallery today. Marie Speakman has been providing a valuable service to victims in Yellowknife with the Native Woman's Association for 17 years, and I'd like us to take this opportunity to recognize her service here today.

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Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Residential Tenancies Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "2017-2018 Corporate Plan NWT Hydro Corporation and Northwest Territories Power Corporation." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.