R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Testart. There is a motion to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm just going to forgo the rest of my questions. I know the Minister can't offer opinions, but, you know what, it's the government, maybe there's a policy about it. What would it take for the department to realize that there is a problem? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

People always say to me, "We voted for change. What happened?" I'm tired of saying, "We're working on it." I'm starting to say, "Let's wait another year and a half," because answers like this are ridiculous. Mr. Speaker, I mention the disrespect shown to small businesses by the government. I've seen some of the correspondence sent by the representatives of the GNWT to businesses regarding procurement, and I've heard stories from business owners. Businesses are treated like children and subordinates. The government acts like business exists to serve them, not the other way around. So will this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to recognize a couple of the Pages from Hay River North who have been here with us this week, Ms. Madison Beck and Mr. Ricther Ignacio. Thank you.

I guess when they are identified as having gang affiliation in remand, are they separated from the general population, or are they left with people who are in there, maybe just because they have addiction issues?

Maybe I will look for some more details in a minute, but I'd like to know: does the department do anything to basically get the gang members out of the territory? Maybe send them back to their home jurisdiction, or to a correctional facility that might be better able to handle them?

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. There is a motion to report progress. The motion is in order and non-debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am interested in this topic because I think we are at a point where we can stop this from getting worse like we have seen elsewhere. I would ask the Minister: would he be able to share the department's policy with me so I can have a look at what they are doing to deal with this gang issue? Thank you.

I read the news. I see a lot of these people who are arrested from the South. They are on probation. They have other charges. If they are importing pounds of cocaine and firearms, they are looking at significant time.

What they do is they try and do as much time as they can at North Slave because it's easier time than doing it at Bowden or something. What has the department done to look into sending them back? I know he says we can't send them out of the jurisdiction, but have they tried? Have they tried anything?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if you pay attention to the news, it seems like major drug busts have become common place in the NWT. Despite the hard work of the RCMP, the market here is so robust that there appears to be no shortage of money to be made. In addition to the social problems that the drug trade brings, it also brings a lot of Southerners, many of whom have ties to gangs and organized crime. What happens to these people? When they are arrested, they are put into the North Slave Correctional Complex in remand along with the general population. What I am concerned about is...