Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not have the comparison information right now as to when the highway crossing closed last year versus this year or the year before. I do believe it is very, very close to normal at this point. I believe that the information I was given for expectation of opening of the crossing would be about the 20th of November. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. He did state earlier they were still considering using the ice water spraying to increase the thickness of the ice crossings sooner. Will that be done this winter or is that for future years? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Transportation, Mr. Steen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the plan was to put it in use this year, depending on whether or not we could partner with the oil and gas industry on this because there is a price tag of $50,000 attached to this project. We would have to find it from within if we could not share costs with the oil and gas industry.

At the present time, indications are the oil and gas industry is satisfied with just waiting for a normal ice crossing because I was told it does not affect their operation at this point. So whether we put it in place this year or not will depend on whether we can find funding from within.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for the Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister responsible for Justice. I am sure the Minister is aware of the situation regarding crime rates in the North. We are seeing an increase in public damage, public mischief. We are quickly beginning to realize there are not resources in the communities to deal with that.

As it has been indicated in the media, the RCMP are already resourced to the max. They do not believe they have enough resources to deal with all the different levels of crime that are happening in our communities. In some cases, there is a reluctance from the RCMP to deal with by-laws, resulting in some of the community councils not passing by-laws that maybe they should, such as helmet by-laws, snowmobile by-laws.

I am not seeing any increase in dollars being allocated or earmarked towards by-law programs or policing programs. This concerns me. As a former mayor, I know full well that it is not realistic for the Department of MACA to expect the community to make a choice with the scarce resources they have on hand, between a by-law officer and another position.

It also concerned me that the federal program earmarked towards community constables has sunsetted. Although there is some money for next year there is no money for this year. I would like to know if the Minister is considering designing a program or rolling in an existing program, such as the Community Constable Program, into a By-Law Officer Program that would include by-law officer funding? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if he would assure myself, Members of this House and people in the communities that although I am very glad to hear that there are additional resources in terms of dollars being earmarked for the Community Constable Program, I am not quite satisfied. I do not have the comfort that it will include by-law officers. I think it is a little bit two different parts of the same concept. I would like to ask the Minister if he could give me the reassurance that he will include the by-law officer salaries or funding for by-law officers as part of this federal program that is coming out, or he will attempt to.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Antoine. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad the Minister found his briefing note. It still does not answer my concern. My concern is not every by-law officer program or not every by-law officer hired in the communities belongs to the Community Constable Program or can qualify under this program. I want to be reassured the Department of Justice will be looking at and including by-law officers as part of their community policing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Your final supplementary, short question, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. MACA supplies salaries, I agree. However, the budgets do not allow for all the requirements that are placed on it to include salaries for by-law officers therefore, we are not seeing by-law officers. The training coming from Justice is $3,000 per community. That is not enough. I want to be reassured that the Minister will be open while he does his review to hearing submissions from the communities regarding by-law officers. It is a problem. Communities cannot hire by-law officers. There are not the resources out there. I think the Department of Justice has to take over the responsibility. Will he be willing to listen to the communities and be open to submissions? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Justice, your equally short response.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a question today to the Minister responsible for the liquor commission and it has to do with some of the unruliness that happens in some of our Yellowknife streets on weekends, especially after the bars close. Community leaders, including city council, have been talking about some of the options that we could use to address that problem. One of the suggestions is to extend the time period between the bars closing and what is called last call, at which time you could buy the last drink. I think there is uncertainty as to whether or not this can be done by changing the regulations. I was wondering if the Minster is aware of whether or not this is something the city could do by changing the regulations or is it something the liquor board is responsible for? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Handley.