Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I was asked to improve access to justice for residents of the Northwest Territories. I am proud to say that through innovative action and the support of this Assembly, we have made progress in this area. We have expanded the Outreach Legal Aid Clinic allowing residents access to free confidential legal advice for up to three hours on any single legal issue. This expansion makes it possible to offer more in-person clinics in our communities. We have also expanded the Mediation and Parenting after Separation and Divorce programs. Our mandate also set goals for supporting the RCMP and our communities in developing policing action plans. We now have plans in place that reflect local community safety priorities for every community in the Northwest Territories. I am keenly aware that the relationship between community, RCMP, and our government is of critical importance to how we keep citizens safe. I have worked hard to maintain an open and collaborative relationship with the new commanding officer of "G" Division.
Our mandate also set out goals to strengthen initiatives to address the crisis of family violence, including the continuation of A New Day program. Transitioning A New Day program from a pilot project to a long-term program was not without challenges. Of utmost importance to me was ensuring that the program was flexible to meet the needs of participants, provide greater opportunity for success, and be sustainable for the future. The changes made improved the program. The transition to the new service provider has been smooth and all supports are in place, including well-qualified, culturally competent, and experienced facilitators.
I want to acknowledge Members' support of this program. The objective of having the best programs available to prevent and reduce family violence is one we all share. I also want to acknowledge the role that Members have played in supporting our extensive engagement program with the public and stakeholders on cannabis legalization. We want to make sure that we understand the views of Northerners and I look forward to discussing what we heard with committee in the near future.
As Minister of Lands, I continue to work with the Premier on a number of land issues with the federal government. Together we have shared our concerns about participant funding and reducing regulatory duplication in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, as well as on proposed changes to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act. In March, I tabled the Recreational Leasing Management Framework. We are hard at work on implementing the framework's action items and are working towards fulfilling this mandate commitment. Over the summer, we also engaged with Aboriginal governments, stakeholders, and the public on the review of the Commissioner's and Northwest Territories Lands Acts. Work is also underway on developing a Yellowknife Periphery Area Management Plan. Our Aboriginal engagement process has started, and we hope to have a draft of the plan ready for public review in early 2018. This plan will provide direction and guidance on how to manage recreational lands outside and around Yellowknife, Ndilo, and Detah. Mr. Chair, I have heard the concerns of residents and Members on issues of land ownership, and I have made it a priority to seek out solutions. I have given clear direction to the department to return with options on how to resolve issues with equity leases, and I look forward to discussing these with committee in the coming year.
Finally Mr. Chair, open and transparent government has been a top priority of our government, and I was happy to take a leadership role in helping bring forward an open government policy, ombudsman legislation, and changes to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. As lead Minister for open government, I visited every constituency in the Northwest Territories and personally hosted 16 open houses in 14 communities. True democracy involves working with citizens and stakeholders, not just for them, and this progress will lead to a more engaged and involved public to ultimately support and enable the development of better policies, decisions, programs, and services. Mr. Chair, I look forward to working with all Members of this Assembly to advance all of our priorities.