Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are going to be directed to the Minister of Justice.
Can the Minister explain what steps the GNWT is taking to prioritize and support safer communities in the Deh Cho where crime and social issues are reaching crisis levels? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Minister of Justice.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly feel for the Member and the impacts that her community and many communities are facing across the Northwest Territories. You know, our government has taken many steps to date, and we have many steps coming forward as we progress with different pieces of legislation, the Trespass Act, the Civil Forfeiture Act, the SCAN legislation, are tools that are on the landscape that will help support communities. I have been engaging with small communities, getting feedback and response from those communities, to address what their immediate needs are and how we can work together. And I think a lot of the tools that we've put into place through the RCMP, additional staff and, you know, our crime reduction unit, our other key components that we put in place to focus on the drugs and crime-related areas in the territory, are certainly ways we can work together with the community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to working directly with Deh Cho community governments and local leadership to develop community-led safety and wellness strategies tailored to their unique needs and cultural strengths? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, crime reduction and prevention is a key priority of the GNWT and a complex issue requiring community support and involvement. And I really want to emphasize that this is not anything that we can do alone. The GNWT can't solve this problem without working very closely with all of the other agencies across the NWT as well as with the communities, the Indigenous governments, the Indigenous organizations. It needs to be an all- hands-on-deck approach, Mr. Speaker. As Minister of Justice, you know, I'm responsible for setting the policy and priorities for 2024 to 2027, including building and strengthening those relationships with Indigenous governments and communities and certainly want to continue those conversations that we're all working together to address this severe challenge that is really impacting our communities in a very negative way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Justice. Final supplementary. Member from the Deh Cho.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister outline what resources or flexible funding options are available or will be made available to help Deh Cho communities design and implement their own local safety and healing initiatives? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once again, I think this is really an all of government approach required here. Like I said earlier, you know, I've gone to many of the small communities, met with many of the leaders across the Northwest Territories on this exact issue, and I've heard many of the concerns that the Member has also raised around communities, you know, having specific needs. And I think as we look at this holistically and from the big picture, we need to continue that conversation with the communities to help them to identify potential funding sources and certainly optimistic with the new federal budget coming out in early November that there may be some potential pots that we could work together on trying to identify those needs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Justice. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
