Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today will be about wilderness corrections camps. We, in the Northwest Territories, especially the aboriginal population, are overrepresented in the justice system. It would be good to say that we have too many lawyers, judges and administrators in the Justice department; however, this is not the case. We are overrepresented in the corrections system. The big building with the big dollars. My communities ask why we don't have our own method of dealing with our own people. The justice system, at least the corrections system, isn't working in the Northwest Territories. More and more youth and adults, even school children, have entered the world of lock and key. I had research look up some stats, and this is what they showed me.
Stats in the Northwest Territories show they are failing the aboriginal people. From 2001 to 2003, the last year for which the NWT's crime stats are available, crime had increased territory-wide by almost 25 percent, and crimes in the Northwest Territories are well over four times the national average. Aboriginal people comprise three percent of the population, yet make up 20 percent of the population in custody.
In 2002-2003, 83 percent of total sentence admissions in the Northwest Territories were aboriginal. The year before that was 90 percent. We need northern solutions. We need culturally appropriate justice systems in the Northwest Territories. Restorative justice focuses on healing rather than incarceration and punishment. There are a number of aboriginal communities that have led the way for restorative justice. One of the communities is Hollow Water, where traditional culture is the vehicle for healing, and the importance of an elder in that system where they undertake traditional roles, beliefs and cultural ceremonies have become very crucial to participants.
The Northwest Territories is supposed to be a leader in the area of leadership and healing in this government. During the pre-budget consultations, people across the Northwest Territories were willing to support the wilderness camps for people with lesser crimes. The government can, and should, do more to set programs in place.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to quote the legendary George Jones in my statement.
---Laughter
The right/left hand. This is the time you got this right. We need the right hand talking to the left hand. We need wilderness camps in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause