Louis Sebert

Territorial inmates can participate in many programs, both inside the corrections facilities and outside. Territorial inmates can participate in the addictions programs at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre, which is facilitated by a traditional addictions counsellor with the support of elders and community resources. There are also other programs that they can participate in. Also, through the courts, there are manners of dealing with these types of problems, either through wellness courts or DVTO court.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The wording change proposed by the committee is more concise and improves on the original text of the draft. The only issue of concern to the GNWT is the use of the word “expand” in reference to access to energy conservation and efficiency programs. The GNWT currently funds very generous energy efficiency and conservation programs, including the Energy Efficiency Incentive Program, the Commercial Energy Efficiency Program and the Alternative Energy Technologies Program. The Energy Efficiency Incentive Program provides incentives for products we use every day, including...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled “Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, 2015-2017 Strategic Plan.” I note also that it's in four languages.

Yes, of course, we will make a commitment. We are looking very much for the involvement in the public in this new area. This government has embarked on this program, which, I think is fairly unique in government in Canada, so we are looking not only for the Members' input, but also input from the general public to guide us.

Certainly, this is a new department and I'm a new Minister in it; however, I am consulting with my colleagues and we are looking at options for a more open and transparent government. In fact, the very discussions that we've had over the last week or two involving the mandate and other matters are an example of how we are moving forward with more open and transparent government. Once I receive my mandate letter from the Premier, I'll be able to give more detail about how we will be proceeding in this area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, I believe there are programs at the North Slave Correctional Centre that do have an Aboriginal component. The department currently offers a six-week national substance abuse program to federal and territorial inmates at the North Slave Correctional Centre, and I believe this has a wellness component involving programs for Aboriginal inmates, and hopefully, through programs such as this we can reduce the number of Aboriginal inmates, which is currently approximately 87 per cent of the population.

Mr. Speaker, the Member raised certain issues in his speech, and certainly, the department is aware of the overrepresentation of Aboriginal persons in the corrections system. We are trying to address this by a series of programs. The department continues to improve the link between programs delivered to inmates in custody and community-based programs involving probation services, community justice and other departments and agencies such as Health and Social Services. We are also attempting to look at the underlying root causes and hopefully reduce the numbers referred to by the Member opposite...

I think I can make that commitment. I will be in touch with the RCMP, and certainly if there are any changes in the issues of recruitment, we will be discussing those with them, and perhaps there will be tweaking of this policy. But they are fairly certain that this will not affect retention or recruitment.

“G” Division continues, as I mentioned, to receive a large number of applications, and they don't expect that this change of housing policy will affect that. As I say, it is mainly an internal duty of the RCMP to look into this, and they are doing so. They will be consulting with us, but ultimately it's their decision.

The Power Corporation is always looking at alternatives to diesel. We, of course, want to reduce our consumption of diesel energy and so others such as solar and wind are being looked as supplement, so that in the future if there are again low water levels, which is likely in the long term, that that issue can be dealt with not by using more diesel but by using solar, biomass, and other alternative energy sources.