Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Social Programs met with the Minister and his officials on March 17, 2000 and offers the following comments on the interim appropriation for the Department of Justice.

The committee is concerned about the state of the Legal Services Board and the demise of the Mackenzie Valley Court Workers as a distinct entity. Members look forward to further information on the activities of the Legal Services Board, its plans for a regionally representative board once Nunavut establishes their own board, the future of the Beaufort Delta Legal Clinic and the vision that the board has for the next millenium.

Committee members have had concerns expressed to them by former board members of the Mackenzie Valley Courtworkers that they did not understand the reasons their board was dissolved.

The committee appreciated the commitment on the part of the Minister to convey these reasons in writing to the former board members of the Mackenzie Valley Courtworkers. The committee would appreciate being copied any correspondence.

The members of the committee can see that the initial projections on the usage of Northwest Territories correctional facilities by the Government of Nunavut were overly optimistic. Although this may change in the future, the committee agrees with the department's decision not to count on Nunavut in developing capital projections on the replacement of the Yellowknife Correctional Centre.

However, to replace the previously anticipated service payments from Nunavut, the committee would like to encourage the department in pursuing the placement of northern federal inmates in our system once we have capability. Besides the obvious financial benefit to the Government of the Northwest Territories in payments from the federal government, there are rehabilitative benefits that can be realized for these repatriated northern federal prisoners.

Committee members are of the opinion that federal inmates could also benefit from the department's innovative Wilderness Camp Program. Committee members believe that this provides inmates with an excellent opportunity to reintegrate into their community and traditional lifestyle and may lessen the shock of going from an institution to a community. Another positive feature of repatriating federal prisoners north is that families will have an increased opportunity to visit and support their incarcerated loved ones.

The committee looks forward to being apprised of the results of the official's meeting scheduled at the end of this month on the subject.

Some members of the committee have heard good things from their constituents on the success of the Community Constable Program but there are concerns that some communities cannot reasonably access the program. If a community does not receive adequate funding from MACA to fund a by-law officer position, this program is essentially useless to that community.

In addition to providing valuable assistance to RCMP officers in some of our smaller communities, this program serves as an important training step for aboriginal people seeking a possible career in law enforcement as RCMP officers. Members are concerned that the Department of Justice's goal of developing a representative police force is negatively impacted by funding deficiencies from MACA to the communities.

The committee strongly encourages the department to continue, and if possible, expand the program. With the federal funding for this program expiring at the end of the 2000-2001 fiscal year, it is imperative that the department works with the solicitor general to maintain and augment the program.

Agreed.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have with me on my left the deputy minister, Don Cooper, and on my right the assistant director of financial and management services, Kim Schofield. To my far left, Gerry Sutton, the assistant deputy minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The figure that the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake is making reference to in the interim appropriation is for planning and design of the facility. Our target date of opening the facility in Inuvik is February, 2002. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are aware of the fire marshal's order, and we will have to make a request to see whether we can extend the use of the Dene K'Onia Facility in Hay River until we complete this facility. If not, then we will have to send the young offenders south. That is a possibility. We are hoping and are optimistic. We are working as fast as we can with the building season up there.

Just to add on to the earlier answer, I am told some of the funding allocated in the interim appropriation is also for beginning of slinging piles and so forth into the ground. We are actually doing the design and planning, and hopefully some preliminary construction of the site. The target date is, as I indicated, February of 2002 as of the last analysis of the plan. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The $75,000 identified in the interim appropriations report was for bush camp capital contributions. We do have a directive that is an internal policy on open custody wilderness camp equipment, a capital contribution all the bush camps are entitled to. I have checked since the committee meeting. This particular $75,000 is for replacement of different equipment such as snowmobiles, boats, outboard motors and other related equipment necessary for the delivery of the program.

As you know, April 1st is the beginning of our fiscal year, and the camp operators are aware that this is when new money kicks in. We are anticipating that there are going to be some requests for replacement of equipment. I am told the department is estimating it will spend approximately $98,000 in capital contributions in 1999-2000 fiscal year to nine contractors. In this fiscal year, the department has signed contracts for 12 open custody wilderness camps. There are two new contracts that either have been signed or will be signed in the near future. With that in mind, we are anticipating that the $75,000 is not a slush fund, but is actually for a program the Member for Deh Cho, and according to the committee, is calling a very worthwhile and important program. Thank you.