Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Members are aware, police services in the Northwest Territories in general, and in Yellowknife in particular, have come under increasing criticism during the past several months. Whether or not such criticism is supported by statistics, there is a definite perception among our citizens that property crimes and crimes of violence have been steadily increasing over the past couple of years in Yellowknife.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, our citizens have become more and more apprehensive in the wake of an alarming number of break-ins, armed robberies, gang-related violence and sexual assaults. Mr. Speaker, our police services appear to be stretched to the limit. With the present fiscal climate of the country, we must find new and innovative solutions to this social dilemma to ensure our safety and the sanctity of our communities.

Mr. Speaker, many provinces have police acts which allow communities to augment their level of protection outside the police service agreement with the federal government. I see the development of a Northwest Territories police act as something that would add to our own options for addressing our present inability to curb criminal activities in our communities. The present territorial police services agreement provides that the Minister of Justice for the Northwest Territories and the Commissioner of the RCMP shall determine the minimum standard of policing and they shall further determine the level of policing services which shall not be less than the minimum standard.

Beyond that determination of our policing requirements, Mr. Speaker, I don't see provisions in the agreement that allow for creative or innovative methods of augmenting our present police services. Perhaps such provisions could be best embodied in a police act, specifically designed for such a purpose.

I would also like to note, Mr. Speaker, that because we don't have a police act, there is presently no legislative mandate for the government or the Minister of Justice to ensure that an adequate and effective level of policing is maintained throughout the Northwest Territories. This is a key element of other police acts across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the Department of Justice has done some work towards development of a police act for the Northwest Territories. I support these efforts as the best way to begin to address our present policing problems. However, time is of the essence and there is a need to move forward as quickly as possible on this initiative. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.