Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the outset of this budget session, we heard from our Finance Minister. We heard about this government's challenge to manage our finances in a prudent and responsible manner. In any given government and in any given year, this seems to require some reduction initiatives and some clear investment opportunities. This requires us, as a government, to consider our priorities. It should also require us to consider the impacts of our decisions in a comprehensive and in-depth way. When these decisions affect the delivery of critical programs and services in our communities and regions, we owe our constituents the benefit of proceeding with caution and care.
Mr. Speaker, I am all for efficiency, effectiveness and fairness. I don't know anyone who could argue with that. To that end, Mr. Speaker, there is a so-called reduction initiative proposed by the Department of Justice which cannot pass the test of bringing greater efficiency, will not make the justice system more effective and certainly is not fair to the people of the South Slave region and the community of Hay River. If that is not enough, Mr. Speaker, I am going to prove that it doesn't save any money. It may even cost this government more money. The service I am speaking of is the provision of remand services at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre in
Hay River. I know the Minister of Justice had reduction targets to meet. Mr. Speaker, I submit to you that the closure of remand cells in Hay River and the transferring of remand inmates to Yellowknife will not save any money.
Through my questions and statements during the remainder of this budget session, it is my intention to prove this. The Department of Justice has calculated the savings of $400,000 by the elimination of 5.5 corrections positions by attrition. They have allowed for $18,000 to transfer inmates to and from remand in Yellowknife for initial incarceration and subsequent court appearances. Mr. Speaker, I will paint a picture of the logistics and articulate the real costs of this so-called expenditure reduction. At the end of the day, I can only hope that good government and common sense will prevail. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause