Caroline Wawzonek

The Member raises quite an exhaustive list of items that are being requested, some of which, to the extent that they are involving other governments, may not be items that I can directly disclose. What I would suggest is that I certainly will arrange for a technical briefing in conference with the appropriate standing committee and ensure that I work with the Member so that as much information meets with the requests that are being made here in order to prepare for that briefing.

Mr. Speaker, as Minister of Justice one of my responsibilities is to set the objectives, priorities, and goals of the Territorial Police Service. While the GNWT respects the operational independence of the RCMP, the intention of setting these objectives is to establish a broad strategic direction for the delivery of policing services in the Northwest Territories that incorporates the unique needs of our communities. Through past priority-setting exercises, the RCMP have been asked to place a focus on increasing public trust in policing services, working with partners to improve responses to...

Yes. As I've said, the economic impacts of COVID-19 will be determined depending on what happens with the actual virus and as it evolves, as impacts may not be uniform across the country and they might not be uniform across the Northwest Territories. A lot of the governments across Canada right now are introducing budgets right now or are about to do so, so in some ways, it's good timing. We're at the early stage of our fiscal year; we have a lot of flexibility. We have the flexibility to respond, and we will be able to do that. We will be able to keep this House and all the Members appraised...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, this is an evolving issue, but I can certainly assure this House and assure the people of the Northwest Territories that the Department of Finance has been looking both at our finances and looking at the impact on the economy here, and has been involved on national calls with the federal Minister of Finance and my colleagues across the country. It's an issue that is being looked at both here and nationally. We've been involved, and I am confident that, as the federal packages are being rolled out, they are being rolled out knowing what the potential situation...

More information doesn't hurt. More information is better, and certainly, we do need to ensure that the reasons that bring people before courts are fully understood. I have personally seen the difference that that can make in the course of a court proceeding. Yes, I will certainly assure that consideration is given to whether or not full Gladue reports can or should be included and whether resources should be directed in that vein.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we have given thought, and I have personally given thought, to whether or not we can fund that. As the Member is aware, Gladue report-writing's purpose is to provide better information to the courts so that they can make better decisions in a way that respect somebody's Indigenous heritage but also respects, sometimes, the systemic issues that impact an individual when they come before the courts. The ultimate purpose of that, Mr. Speaker, is to reduce the over-incarceration of Indigenous people in Canadian prisons, particularly in Northwest Territories prisons...

Again, as I have said, I will certainly be raising with my counterpart at the RCMP, with my colleague at the RCMP, the concerns being raised on behalf of Thebacha. I know that going into the communities and going into the schools is a significant part of the work that the RCMP does. They spend a lot of time and a lot of effort making sure that they are continuing to be engaged in exactly that fashion. I am confident that they will continue to do that. I can also say that, on the part of community justice, which is within the Department of Justice, that we can look, too, to what is happening...

Mr. Speaker, absolutely. As I quite coincidentally was speaking about policing priorities, one of the roles that I have is to develop policing priorities that guide the unfolding of policing services across the Northwest Territories. I certainly heard that today and do intend, as I said earlier, to take that into account when developing those priorities. Yes. Absolutely, I will reach out to the commander of the detachment. We have regular meetings, but I will also engage with the Member more to ensure that there is input about these concerns when I am developing those priorities. Thank you, Mr...

I anticipate that that application was made by Infrastructure, so I will certainly be in contact with the responsible Minister and ensure that we work together to put to the House what is disclosable and appropriate so that we can ensure that we are being transparent and that we continue to move forward in applying for whatever funding is available for all of the many infrastructure projects that are still necessary, including the Frank Channel Bridge that the Member is speaking to specifically.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are any number of projects that are constantly being evaluated across the Northwest Territories, and it's not that one takes precedence over another. There are a number of factors that go into evaluating these projects and a number of factors that go into evaluating which projects are supported. Ultimately, this particular project, I understand that money was sought from the National Trade Corridors Fund, and that kind of funding would support and assist in moving this project forward. As far as any specific reason why that project might have been denied or put...