Caitlin Cleveland

Has the RCMP conveyed any concerns to the Department of Justice about enforcement related matters, and if so, what is being done to assist the RCMP to better do their enforcement work?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Northwest Territories, the RCMP enforces impaired driving laws. My questions today are for the Minister of Justice. I understand that the RCMP uses a combination of practical technologies, like mouth swabs, and subjective analysis, like driver inspection by an officer trained as a drug-recognition expert, to assess a driver's level of intoxication and that concerns have been raised about the accuracy of these tests. Can the Minister describe for the House what the experience has been for drivers in the NWT with respect to the detection of drug-impaired drivers...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Michele Thoms, vice-principal of Ecole St. Patrick High School, teacher advisor to Students Against Destructive Driving, formerly Students Against Drinking and Driving, and the person who started our NWT chapter of SADD 25 years ago. With Ms. Thoms today are a number of her SADD students, including Kam Lake residents and youth activists Victoria Hamm and Jaslynn Menton. I would also like to recognize in the gallery today Kam Lake residents Sara Minogue and Sarah Kalnay-Watson. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister of Justice confirm if reducing the levels of impaired driving is still on their business plan for the Department of Justice? Thank you very much.

In August, the federal government announced funding of just under $1.5 million to improve drug-impaired testing in the NWT. How, specifically, will this money be used, and are our smaller communities included in this plan?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, an average of four Canadians will be killed and 175 injured in motor vehicle crashes caused by impaired driving. With the holiday season upon us, I want to remind everyone of the devastating consequences of impaired driving and to acknowledge the efforts of those working hard to eliminate the needless devastation it causes.

Impaired driving ruins lives and tears families apart. Unfortunately, I know this all too well because it has left an irrevocable impact on my own family. Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimate that almost 1,500 people are killed and more than...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to go to item number 4 on the orders of the day. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As an Assembly, we committed to supporting economic development in northern businesses. Many of my Kam Lake constituents report the challenges associated not only with starting a business, but also keeping it profitable. I believe that the GNWT can and must do more to support northern businesses.

According to 2019 NWT Statistics Bureau data, over 70 percent of the 3,600 NWT businesses employee four or fewer employees. Our economy and communities depend on these small northern businesses. Not only do they provide meaningful employment, they also support events, youth...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am also wondering, given the financial situation that we have found ourselves in, if the Department of Finance intends to freeze any kind of pay for performance or bonuses associated with excluded employees during this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am curious if the Minister of Finance can speak to what actions the Department has taken to avoid going through this exercise again a year from now.