Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Standing Committee on Social Programs met with the Minister and his officials on January 16, 2003, to discuss the draft main estimates for the Department of Justice.
Since reviewing the business plan in September of 2002, the standing committee notes a reduction of $218,000 for the department's amortization of infrastructure and a $150,000 increase to develop and implement the new intensive rehabilitation custody and support program required under the new federal Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Additional Policing for the Northwest Territories
Members of the Standing Committee on Social Programs were pleased to see this budget deals with the issue of single-member detachments. There is an additional $560,000 to pay for equipment and one additional RCMP officer each in Wha Ti, Holman and Paulatuk.
However, committee would be remiss if we did not point out that the initiative to eliminate single-member detachments was more or less forced on the GNWT because of a recent Labour Board of Canada decision and was not the result of any forward planning on the part of the Department of Justice.
Members of the Standing Committee on Social Programs have been calling for an increase in the number of RCMP officers for the last three years. The RCMP in larger communities such as Yellowknife and Inuvik are taxed to the limit, given the rise in population and an increase in criminal activity associated with improved economic opportunities. Police in these communities also spend a disproportionate amount of time dealing with public intoxication.
Police in other communities are also impacted by inappropriate behaviour associated with the increase in disposable income. Other issues such as the RCMP having to dedicate already stretched resources to highway patrol, policing in Wood Buffalo National Park, court appearances, shift scheduling, maternity leave and training requirements are also impacting on the ability of the RCMP to have a strong presence in NWT communities.
The Standing Committee on Social Programs was first made aware of the RCMP preparing a business case justifying an increase in the number of RCMP officers during the review of the 2001-2002 main estimates. Members are disappointed that the Department of Justice has been unable to arrive at consensus with the RCMP on increased policing requirements for the Northwest Territories in the past two years.
The committee pointed out in last year's main estimates review that the government of Nunavut provided funding for an additional 14 RCMP officers in their 2002-2003 budget. It was hoped that the Minister of Justice would show the necessary political will to prepare a submission to the Financial Management Board advocating an increase in the number of police in NWT communities.
There appears to have been no tangible progress made on increasing the number of RCMP officers in the NWT since the committee discussed the issue with the Minister and his officials during the business plan review in September of 2002.
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Policy for Yellowknife
As previously mentioned, Yellowknife in particular, has a serious problem with public intoxication. The standing committee was told over the past year just over 5,000 people were lodged in cells for public intoxication. Admittedly, many of these people were repeat offenders.
Committee was interested to hear the Yellowknife RCMP is developing a plan to deal with the issue of public intoxication in Yellowknife, with a particular emphasis on repeat offenders.
The committee supports such an effort and hope that an inter-disciplinary approach can be developed that is inclusive of all agencies involved in the treatment of addictions and of homelessness.
Legal aid Funding
The federal Department of Justice is due to release a report on the state of legal aid in Canada this spring.
Like the department, the Standing Committee on Social Programs hopes the federal government will accept its responsibility to adequately fund legal aid in Canada. In addition, the committee hopes the federal government will recognize the increased costs of delivering justice in the Northwest Territories and not just fund on a per capita basis.
The standing committee looks forward to discussing the federal Report on the State of Legal aid in Canada with the territorial Minister of Justice when it is released. Mr. Chairman, I would like to turn over the reading of the report to the Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.