Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this Assembly has made public safety a priority, and I am pleased to see that we have made progress in several areas in this but, of course, it doesn't matter if our constituent don't feel safe. So I am asking today will the Minister of Justice commit to leading a whole of government crime reduction strategy that is costed, time bound, and will increase community policing presence in all NWT communities, take proactive measures for northern youth to prevent crime and addictions, advocate for bail reform at the federal level to ensure violent and repeat...

Thank you. So if you wanted -- if the government or this Assembly, indeed, wanted to expand legal aid service provision, how would we go about doing that? Because I understand that the commission is arm's length and independent in the services it provides and is overseen by an independent board but, obviously, if we make a political decision to provide that service and appropriate funding for it, the commission logically would have to provide it. But the details would be helpful, I guess, because I am not sure what we're supposed to do here if, indeed, we are making recommendations for...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is good news, of course. But I would imagine that the outreach that's being provided is a set number of hours to clients who attend clinics, but I will allow the witnesses to correct me if I am wrong. This is not representation at rental hearings rather this is advice provided through clinics. Is that accurate? Thank you.

Not on this topic, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Well, the community, including many people who are serving on town council and in the community wellness committee, were very clear that this was a gap in the community. And when I think of my experience with the sheriff's office, I know we were -- we had an officer down there when I was a sheriff, and it was very useful to the operations of the sheriff's office because it allowed the office to more effectively complete the role of the sheriff's office in the community, whether it was evictions, vehicle seizures, property seizures, process serving, court services. It was...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The youth aspect of the drug trade is very concerning. We heard stories about it last night. Although this is not really in the Minister's mandate, it is definitely related to the drug trade and definitely related to the RCMP. So can the Minister work with the RCMP to do more youth outreach and education to ensure the risks of the drug trade are well understood by young people and they are making more positive choices. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's been -- well, the crime reduction unit in the RCMP that this Assembly put in place has now finally -- or is now fully implemented and off to work. We know that one of our biggest challenges here is the flow of illicit drugs into the Northwest Territories from the south. Can the Minister of Justice tell us how this -- how the crime reduction unit is making a difference in fighting the drug trade. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I have thoughts on how we govern but, Mr. Speaker, I mean, I could put this into a motion and then the government will respond to it. I don't think that's going to get us any farther.

Mr. Speaker, we started this conversation at a town hall. Would the Minister commit to hosting town halls across the Northwest Territories with his department, with the RCMP, and hear firsthand the stories people are going through. Because it's not pretty out there. He needs to hear these stories, not just from us, but from firsthand accounts of people telling these stories so he can...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last night, the Member for Yellowknife Centre and I hosted a town hall on crime and public safety. Around 70 residents joined us, including parents, priests, public servants, business people, Indigenous leaders, activists, outreach workers, and people with lived experience on the streets of our capital. What we heard may not be surprising considering the recent state of our territory on crime but the deeply personal experience and insights shared were striking. In their own words, here are some of what we heard last night:

A citizen whose home was broken into said, I...

Thank you, okay. Well, it was communicated by committee through one report. I'd have to look at our review of the Legal Aid Commission. I am -- no doubt it was brought up in questioning. But, anyway, notwithstanding those points, I am just going to assume that if a decision is made, funding is appropriated, then that would be provided. It sounds like that would be the case. So I am going to leave it there. I eagerly await seeing the official response to that report, that comprehensive report. This is, I think, a key area that we've been hearing is a gap for long, long periods of time. And...