R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Madam Chair. That is a variance due to the drug-impaired driving funding initiative sunsetting the forced-growth submission for three RCMP constables. It's a combination of those two things. Essentially, it's three new RCMP officers. I think it's the first increase in RCMP officers since 2005 in Yellowknife. Thank you.

Thank you. No, but the Government of the Northwest Territories does provide options for housing through either Income Assistance, which pays market rent, or the Housing Corporation. Justice doesn't do everything, but the government as a whole does a lot of things. Where one department doesn't do it, there are other departments to help out. Thank you.

Thank you. The Member is correct.

Thank you. I can ask Ms. Bolstad for a breakdown because I believe it is 70-30. Thank you.

Thank you. I'll ask Ms. Bolstad if she has that information on hand. If not, I guess we can. Thank you.

Thank you. I don't think it's a secret to anyone that there's a rental crunch in places like Yellowknife and places like Hay River, and there's limited housing. Everyone is alive to the effects of the pandemic. The rental offices are definitely keenly aware of what's going on, and we watch the trends. If there is a need for additional support, it's something that I'm in favour of supporting because I've seen what happens when you really do have those backlogs and how it can negatively affect people. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member brings up a good point. This, the A New Day program, has been in Justice for, I believe, it's about seven years now, and we have had a couple of reviews of the two different iterations of the program, and neither of them showed that we are doing exceptionally well. I think that part of that is due to the fact that it's not really a program that Justice traditionally delivers. It is more of a community wellness program, and that is not necessarily Justice's forte. They do many things very well, but these types of programs, they require some sort of clinical...

Thank you. The report is expected at the end of this month, I believe. It's a third party, and it is doing everything the Member has asked in the past, looking at not just whether the budget is adequate to operate as is, but considering what's going on in the territory and what a future budget should look like. Thank you.

Thank you. Corrections takes an ongoing improvement approach to the programming, so there is always a thought to what is happening, what we can do better, what needs to be done. In the not-too-distant past, there has been a significant amount of work done on programs for offenders. Perhaps the deputy minister can expand. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The most recent numbers I have, which are a few years old now, it was around 60 percent of the cases involved public housing, but that is going back early in the last Assembly. I am not sure if we have more recent stats. I don't think it would be a stretch to say it's probably the majority, but I will see if the deputy minister might have some information. Thank you.