Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. A significant amount of the travel is the result, in community justice, we often wind up either bringing community justice committee chairs into their regional centres, and often sometimes into Yellowknife, and that is a significant reason for the increase in funding, increases to travel budgets. The other significant contributing factor is the Northwest Territories guns and gangs strategy involves researchers going into communities in Behchoko, Inuvik, Fort Smith, and Hay River, so there are costs, of course, associated with that travel. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I can only assume, Mr. Chair, that the Member might be referring to the fact that there are individuals who have attended the Northwest Territories from British Columbia with specialized skills, to deliver specialized training, but the Department of Justice applies, to the extent that there is a criminal code, the federal criminal code, and to the extent that it's the laws of the Northwest Territories, and indeed we have developed our own training program for corrections officers with northern components within that, and will continue to refine and deliver that program in the Northwest...

We're fortunate that we have a very positive working relationship with the RCMP. We do meet quite regularly with the commander of the "G" Division, and so I would have no difficulty making a commitment to raise the concerns on behalf of the communities of Monfwi in terms of stemming any tide of drugs reaching those communities. I would also note for the Member that the Minister does have policing priorities that are put out every year, every spring, and indeed it's my intention this year to reach out, and have begun the process of reaching out, to communities to ensure that the policing...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. One of the key areas of engagement that we have already begun as the Department of Justice within the 19th Assembly is to truly advocate to the federal government to expand the First Nations Policing Program. The First Nations Policing Program provides a different type of funding arrangement between the RCMP and the Government of the Northwest Territories and supports the increase of additional positions within Indigenous communities. Under that program, as it is, there are five additional police officers coming in, in 2021, but it's our view that that program really...

Mr. Chair, will the Member be satisfied if I simply say yes?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, I certainly can table that as a response, in terms of the specific funding to communities. We will do that. There are currently eight communities that are receiving funding for in-person services. Other communities in their respective regions can access them by telephone. I can certainly commit to considering whether or not Victim Services can and should be expanded to other in-person services in other communities; what I can't do is commit to, in fact, having that happen. It would have to look at what the report says and conduct some degree of cost benefit analysis...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The facilities that are based in Fort Smith, certainly the one that is for male individuals, is often one that receives individuals who have other, higher needs. For example, often with mental health challenges, which wouldn't necessarily be appropriate for the therapeutic model. The North Slave facility is the facility that generally houses, first of all, more remand individuals, but also often higher risk individuals. There may be a vision, and the time may come where other facilities can transition or add to their programming, but for the moment, what's happening in...

The capital planning for the project was, as I understand, $350 million, and that is indeed in the end the capital cost for construction. Now, the contract is now valued at an additional $751 million over the course of time. Every five years, there can be some adjustments made, but those adjustments are made with the partners and with all partners involved. Again, not with any surprises. I believe a very detailed and lengthy public process was offered for a technical briefing to the committee. The public was invited. That was put onto Facebook; it was made very open and accessible to the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Recruiting local people to perform local services is, I believe, something that everyone wants to see. With respect to, though, the specific recruitment efforts of the RCMP, I am hesitant to make any commitments on their behalf, but I agree with the Member. I certainly already do meet with our "G" Division commanding officer, the partners that we have in the delivery of the policing services. I will continue to do so, and I will raise with them recruitment targets. The last time we met, I recall very specifically that they took some pride in the number of recruitments...

Mr. Chair, again, I can't force the federal government to apply the GNWT's P1 status designation. What I can do is continue to meet with the "G" Division commander here to encourage him to use what efforts he can when doing the hiring for the RCMP to do so in a way that is as respectful of our communities in the North as possible and, as well, encourage as many new recruits from the North so that they have more and more individuals available to them from the depot who are from our communities and who can come back to our communities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.