This is page numbers 689 - 717 of the Hansard for the 12th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was community.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Mr. Chairman, in the Inuvik region, for instance, we have done quite a bit of work to help communities get organized to get involved with justice. We've set up a number of contracts to do work in just about all the regions. There are an extensive number of things that have been prepared. What I will do is share a bunch of information with the Members about the different kinds of contracts we've signed with a number of communities in the different regions.

For instance, in the Baffin region, we've done work with the hamlet of Sanikiluaq, the town of Iqaluit, Pangnirtung, Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet. We have done work with the Deh Cho Regional Council and the Fort Simpson Council. There is a whole range of contracts that have been done. Some of them have been initiated by the community justice specialists, helping communities focus on the things they want to do and helping expedite the work. In the Inuvik region, the justice specialist has been working with the Inuvialuit communities and the Gwich'in communities. He has worked with the Sahtu region to set up some of the justice committees there. He has done work with some of the camp operators and helped us to get a better handle on some of the things. One of the operators in the Sahtu region said it was the first time, in all the years he has provided services to this government, that someone actually went to his camp, and he has provided that service for about ten years. I think they are having a good effect because the specialists are there and part of the community. They are not seen as government employees so much as advocates for change on the community's side. Maybe we will share this information with the Members if you want. It is kind of extensive. I will get very long-winded and sound like a braggart if I get into it.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Ballantyne.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

I have a question as a follow-up to a response to Mr. Patterson about the Yellowknife youth justice committee. I would like some more explanation from the Minister about what is happening with the committee. My understanding was -- and I could be wrong -- the committee has been having some problems getting itself organized and had come to the government to ask for a little bit of assistance to get some space and a coordinator. With the number of young offenders coming through the system in Yellowknife and in keeping with both my philosophy and the Minister's philosophy that we should divert some of those kids out of the system. That small investment in the front-end with the youth justice committee could create a much larger savings at the other end if these kids go through the system. Could the Minister give me more explanation as to what is happening with this committee?

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Mr. Minister.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

The Yellowknife youth justice committee has been in operation since 1986. The amount of work they handled increased over a period of time, so they were given an executive director full time. More recently, a conflict arose between the members and there was a perceived conflict of interest between the executive director and the community justice specialist due to the spousal relationship they had. In 1992, we did a review of all young offenders service provisions in Yellowknife. As a result of the review, the youth justice committee reverted to volunteers. Many of the members resigned as a result of that. There is a committee now which the local justice specialist is now working with to make sure they become operational again. That is some of the things that were done. We just completed a financial audit of the money that had been used in previous years. We need to organize their paperwork and provide training in all the different areas of operation that they have. This is the work that has been undertaken. If the Member is suggesting the fast way to get this committee going again is to provide it with some money up front, we will look at it. But we have said to other communities, we try not to provide money for honorariums until there has been some commitment from committee members for a period of time. Yellowknife, being different, we could take that into consideration.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Ballantyne.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

I thank the Minister for that. I am not suggesting that honoraria should go to the board of directors in Yellowknife when it doesn't happen in the communities. I was suggesting there may be some need, even on a short-term basis, to hire someone to get it all organized. If there is a review going on, all I will ask of the Minister is if he would give it some of his personal attention and ensure that whatever has to happen happens to get this youth justice committee up and running.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 715

The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

I will meet with the justice specialist involved and ask for a full briefing on it. I will do what I can to support the work that is going on there. Thank you.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. The honourable Member for Yellowknife North, Mr. Ballantyne.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

I have one more question and it is in an area that many people say needs more work. I have to be very honest. Between victims and offenders, I will be straight up, I am biased towards victims. If there are limited funds, I would say that my bias is the victims get those funds. But I do recognize that you will never solve the problem in the long term until we come to grips with trying to change the pattern of behaviour of people who are convicted of serious crimes. My question has to do with rehabilitation and halfway houses. My understanding is the John Howard Society in Yellowknife made a proposal to the government looking for some assistance in dealing with offenders. Again, in keeping with the philosophy that anything we can do with offenders to break that vicious circle is positive, perhaps the Minister can explain to me why this particular request for funding was turned down.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 715

The Chair John Ningark

Mr. Minister.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you. I don't have that information available to me. There are probably reasons why the proposal was handled the way it was, but I am not privy to it at this time. We can make sure we answer the question in some form or other.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Ballantyne.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

I don't need it right now. If the Minister would just get back to me with details of that, I'd be prepared to take it from there. Thank you.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Qujannamiik. Mr. Minister.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

I know that the contract we had with them was for up until the end of this month and it was to help do community service work, as I understand it, and to do work placements and that sort of thing. I'm not certain if the contract is going to be renewed. It is my expectation that there would be discussions to renew the contract. I have no information to suggest that it is not going to be renewed, but the contract runs out at the end of the month. So, if there were discussions to renew it or to extend it, I don't know the status of them. If the Member is saying they've been turned down flat, he knows more than I do at this time.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Mr. Ballantyne.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Michael Ballantyne Yellowknife North

The confusion may be that this is a separate proposal altogether. It is my understanding that there was a three year proposal for -- I can't remember -- $350,000 or $400,000. If the Minister could perhaps look into it and give me the information back, we'll take it from there.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

It's occurred to me that maybe we are talking about something separate altogether.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Okay. We are on page 07-13, community justice and corrections. Total O and M, $19.823 million.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Qujannamiik. Details of grants and contributions. Grants, $46,000.

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

---Agreed

Bill 1: Appropriation Act, No. 2, 1994-95
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Qujannamiik. Page 07-15, contributions, $3.009 million.