Ms. Cournoyea.
Debates of Dec. 1st, 1992
Topics
Supplementary To Question 140-12(3): Planning And Funding For Inuvik Health Care Facility
Question 140-12(3): Planning And Funding For Inuvik Health Care Facility
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 221
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Supplementary To Question 140-12(3): Planning And Funding For Inuvik Health Care Facility
Question 140-12(3): Planning And Funding For Inuvik Health Care Facility
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 221
Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput
Mr. Speaker, I would have to take that question as notice.
Supplementary To Question 140-12(3): Planning And Funding For Inuvik Health Care Facility
Question 140-12(3): Planning And Funding For Inuvik Health Care Facility
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 221
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Question has been taken as notice. Item 5, Oral Questions. Ms. Mike.
Supplementary To Question 140-12(3): Planning And Funding For Inuvik Health Care Facility
Question 140-12(3): Planning And Funding For Inuvik Health Care Facility
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 221
Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Justice. The honourable Members know of my concern about the message that the light sentencing of Diane Doyle will convey to northerners everywhere. Will the Minister of Justice explain how there is any deterrence value in sentencing someone who has committed a major theft to such a short term in jail?
Supplementary To Question 140-12(3): Planning And Funding For Inuvik Health Care Facility
Question 140-12(3): Planning And Funding For Inuvik Health Care Facility
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 221
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Ms. Mike, you are asking an opinion of the Minister. Will you rephrase your question and ask how it conforms to government policy? Ms. Mike.
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is there any deterrence in a short jail term for someone who has committed a major crime?
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Kakfwi.
Return To Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
![Stephen Kakfwi](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/11-stephen-kakfwi/ab77c1961d45ad012958309f36c1cb37.jpg)
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Mr. Speaker, if the question is whether I have an opinion on whether this particular case had any elements that would resemble deterrence for people in the future from committing the same type of offence, then the answer is, no. I have no opinion.
Return To Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
If I could remind the honourable Members that, when posing questions to Ministers, the rules do not allow them to ask an opinion. To ask a Minister what government policy is on a certain issue is permissible, but not a personal opinion of a Minister. Item 5, Oral Questions. Supplementary, Ms. Mike.
Supplementary To Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe strongly that we have come to a point where decisions coming out of the courts do not reflect the views of the public at large. My question to the Minister is, recognizing that this Assembly has an arm's length relationship with decisions made by the courts, what mechanism is in place to ensure that the judiciary does not lose contact with the values that are held by the people that it is supposed to serve?
Supplementary To Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Kakfwi.
Further Return To Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
![Stephen Kakfwi](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/11-stephen-kakfwi/ab77c1961d45ad012958309f36c1cb37.jpg)
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a couple of things that the Member may take comfort in. One of them is in the area of the courts and the justice system in Canada which recently have been focusing some attention on the victims. The courts and the administration of justice should have support and focus on victims. This is a very recent development as far as I know; it has been with us for just a few years. As conservative an institution as justice is, and the bodies of law that we follow, there is still some optimism that most participants in the court and justice system in Canada are focusing some of their attention and energies on the role and plight of victims, whenever justice is being administered.
In the Northwest Territories is commonly expressed by the R.C.M.P., the judges and the courts that this system is not working, in that we have no sense of the results of processing people through the courts. As far as society is concerned, what is the return? We are pumping a great deal of money from the tax payers into a system that is already the most burdened in North America. On a per capita basis, the most money demanded by the rates of crime is in the north. We have to look at alternative means of having justice provided on behalf of the communities. It is commonly expressed by judges and the R.C.M.P., and more and more communities are saying that they want to have a role. They want to have some ownership and participation in the administration of justice. The courts, the Department of Justice and the federal government are all indicating a great degree of interest and support for those communities that want to participate and make a difference.
Further Return To Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Item 5, Oral Questions. Supplementary, Ms. Mike.
Supplementary To Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
Rebecca Mike Baffin Central
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to repeat the last part of my question. All I wanted to know is what policies are in place to ensure that the judiciary does not lose contact with the values that are held by the people it is supposed to serve?
Supplementary To Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Kakfwi.
Further Return To Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
![Stephen Kakfwi](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/11-stephen-kakfwi/ab77c1961d45ad012958309f36c1cb37.jpg)
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Mr. Speaker, I think the Member requires a written response and she will get that. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Question 141-12(3): Lack Of Deterrence To Commit Crimes
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
The Member asked an oral question, the Member did not ask to put this in the form of a written question. If that is the response of the Minister, then this is his choice. I just want to make it very clear that a Member who has asked an oral question expects an oral response. Oral Questions. Mr. Zoe.
Question 142-12(3): Upgrade Of Computer Information System
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
![Henry Zoe](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/11-henry-zoe/f806264046054a2efaef303b2779d5bf.jpg)
Henry Zoe North Slave
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Justice. The Minister is aware that there were a number of concerns expressed with regard to legal aid in the Auditor General's Report of 1991. He should also recall that the Standing Committee on Public Accounts tabled Committee Report 3-12(2) on June 25, Mr. Speaker, and a follow-up report on October 1. Both of these contain some specific recommendations regarding revision to the legal aid system.
Mr. Speaker, one of the serious problems outlined in this area was the inadequacy of existing information systems within the Department of Justice and the Legal Services Board. When the Public Accounts Committee followed up on the department's response to the June report, the Members were quite disappointed with the apparent slow progress that has taken place to this point.
I would like to ask the Minister if he will advise the House today as to the status of the department's action in upgrading the computer information system to provide managers with the information they need to monitor both costs and the quality of services?
Question 142-12(3): Upgrade Of Computer Information System
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 222
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Kakfwi.
Question 142-12(3): Upgrade Of Computer Information System
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 223
Question 142-12(3): Upgrade Of Computer Information System
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 223
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
The question has been taken as notice. Oral Questions. Mrs. Marie-Jewell.
Question 143-12(3): Use Of Federal/territorial Correctional Service Agreement
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 223
Jeannie Marie-Jewell Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Justice. Mr. Speaker, on the weekend I was in Fort Smith and when I was coming out of a confectionary store, I walked right in front of Diane Doyle. I am concerned as equally as my colleague from Baffin Central. Mr. Speaker, I know there is an exchange of service agreements which the territorial government shares with the federal correctional services. It was established primarily so that aboriginal people serving sentences longer than two years, would not lose touch with their cultural environment.
Recognizing that Ms. Doyle is not an aboriginal individual and that she has been granted three years, is the Minister's corrections division making use of the agreement to allow Ms. Doyle to remain within the territorial facilities, recognizing that she denied her right to an appeal? Thank you.
Question 143-12(3): Use Of Federal/territorial Correctional Service Agreement
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 223
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Kakfwi.
Question 143-12(3): Use Of Federal/territorial Correctional Service Agreement
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 223
![Stephen Kakfwi](/media/CACHE/images/polpics/11-stephen-kakfwi/ab77c1961d45ad012958309f36c1cb37.jpg)
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of the situation that the Member is referring to, so I will take the question as notice. Thank you.
Question 143-12(3): Use Of Federal/territorial Correctional Service Agreement
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 223
The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
The question has been taken as notice. Oral Questions. Mr. Koe.