Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to talk today about some of the achievements of the Department of Justice during the 14th Legislative Assembly.
The department had many significant legislative achievements during the 14th Assembly, including the Human Rights Act and National Aboriginal Day Act. The Human Rights Act is one of the most comprehensive in Canada and everyone in this Assembly shares in this achievement. Other legislative achievements include the Personal Property Security Act, Powers of Attorney Act, raising the minimum wage, and increasing the small claims court limit. These legislative changes support our growing economy and the ability of residents to control their own affairs.
I am pleased that the Protection Against Family Violence Act and Youth Justice Act have been given third reading this final session.
During this Legislative Assembly, the department expanded its community justice program. Working in partnership, we have seen the number of communities involved in justice activities double over the last four years. The community justice program is an alternative to the justice system, encouraging offenders to accept responsibility of their actions and face their community. By next year, all communities will receive funding from the department to hire a part-time justice coordinator.
Mr. Speaker, considerable work has gone into modernizing the corrections system. We have created a corrections system that is safe, secure and focused on community support and reintegration. The department is using wilderness camps, alternative homes and traditional counsellors to help transition offenders back into their communities.
The department assumed responsibility for probation, expanding it into a community corrections program. With community corrections workers in eleven communities, the department is better able to supervise offenders and assist them in returning to their communities.
The third step in modernizing our corrections system has been the construction of new facilities to replace old, outdated centres. These facilities use new supervision techniques and provide an environment more reflective of aboriginal culture and values to support the rehabilitation of offenders.
Mr. Speaker, improvements have been made to other parts of the justice system as well. In the area of family law, the department has brought together all family programs under the supervision of one person. This has resulted in improvements to both legislation and the maintenance enforcement program. It has also resulted in the delivery of positive parenting programs in Inuvik, Yellowknife and Fort Smith, and support for a new collaborative approach to family law.
The department has also worked with the RCMP to improve the level of police services in the Northwest Territories. During the last four years, the department has provided resources for a new restorative justice coordinator in the RCMP, and to add an additional officer to all single-member detachments.
The department worked to prepare for implementation of the federal government's Youth Criminal Justice Act. This act complements the NWT's existing practice of diverting offenders into the community justice system. The department provided training and materials for all justice partners, including communities to prepare them for the larger role they will play in the system.
The final achievement I would like to highlight today relates to the role of the Department of Justice as the government's "in-house law firm," providing legal advice to government departments. The changing political and economic environment of the Northwest Territories has increased demand for legal advice and support from the department. The department's legal team played important roles in self-government, devolution and land claim negotiations over the past four years, and will continue to do so.
Also, Mr. Speaker, the department's legislation division has worked with both the Legislative Assembly and all departments to meet the active legislative agenda of the 14th Assembly while ensuring our laws meet the needs of citizens.
These are just some highlights of the many achievements of the Department of Justice, Mr. Speaker, and I thank you for the opportunity to talk about them.
---Applause