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 offenders are taken off the streets, enhance in-territory addictions programs and create a resident addictions treatment centre, and provide dedicated formula funding to all communities for public safety and community policing. That would be the body of the strategy, but we need a whole-of-government approach here. It can't just be one department, and he needs to take leadership over it to ensure we have safe and secure communities. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Minister of Justice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a number of the items that the Member has risen are certainly on the agenda, and I am definitely committed to ensuring that as a government, I fulfill my mandate that's within my letter to enhance community safety across the Northwest Territories.
Making a commitment on the floor is not how this government does business. We have processes, we have procedures, we have committee. We get input from all Members to do this work, and that is a big piece of how we govern in consensus government, Mr. Speaker. So I think that that process needs to be brought before the entire House for a further discussion if that's a direction. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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 understand the seriousness of the issues and how he could help. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I held co-meetings with the commander of the RCMP in communities where they have made that request of us, and I am certainly pleased. I will obviously not speak for the commander, but I am happy to make myself available if there's a request from a community to come and have a community meeting to discuss justice. I am very happy to do that and would be happy to reach out to see what the availability is of the commander of the RCMP to attend with me as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Justice. Final supplementary. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like the Minister to commit to something more proactive than that. It's fine to wait for the communities to ask but he needs to get out there, he needs to show leadership. Will the Minister take a proactive approach and roll out community consultations on how we're doing as a government on public safety. Because how people are feeling about it -- it's not just about statistics, but it's about how people feel about safety in their communities. He needs to go out and hear those stories. Will he do it proactively? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that's the exact approach I've taken. I've visited many communities across the Northwest Territories. I've had meetings with leadership. Certainly crime, drugs, and the impacts on those communities have been top of mind in those discussions, and I continue to have those conversations at the leadership level. And when the community requests of me to come and meet with community members or attend a town hall or a community meeting, I am more than happy to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Justice. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
