Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, I suppose there are a range of options. Of course, as the Member has indicated, it's a federal piece of legislation. The formal federal government did commit to a review of the YCJA in two areas, not overall, broadly they want to review the bill. They also want to look at what's called pre-trial detentions. I understand in some jurisdictions there's a fear that it's being overused. I don't think that's the case here. But the former Minister committed to this review. As we sit down and as I sit down with the new Minister, we'll raise some of our concerns. We want to see some quantitative analysis of crime rates among youth; we want to talk about

recidivism and get a good understanding of whether or not we think this is working across the country. Of course, even when there are custodial sentences now, we know that two-thirds of those can be served in custody and the other third has to be served in the community. We want to understand how that's working. But we do have, obviously, an impression, at least, that recently there has been a rash of youth crime. I think we need to better understand why we think that's happening and what we can do about it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Your final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, the Minister mentioned a detention, and here is where, I think, the principle weakness is coming through. I don't want to make this sound like a backlash against any young person who commits any kind of crime, but we have the situation where chronic offenders are still able to get out into the community, back into the community and continue to re-offend without consequence. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Bell is our frontline justice guy, obviously working with his counterparts in other parts of Canada. Is this a common issue, something that's rising to the top for other jurisdiction, and does he and his counterpart Ministers have any plan for a joint action to lobby the federal government in this regard, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is an issue that's common to all jurisdictions and I have had discussions with other Justice Ministers about their concerns in the past. I think the first step is this review and having the federal government listen to the concerns of the various different jurisdictions.

Specific to the most serious cases, there are tools and there is the ability in the act for youth to receive adult sentences, but I would say that I think our concern would be in the area that even when we're talking about very serious offenders, a judge has a difficulty in sentencing a youth to a custodial sentence. Everything in the act points to doing many other things before we get there, and I think that's where our main concern would be. The act really only allows custody in the most serious of cases, and we're not sure that's exactly effective as it has been set out now and as it has been working. So we understand the intention, we're just not sure, and we want to have some discussion with other jurisdictions, but we aren't sure that this is working in all cases. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Oral questions. The honourable Member from Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

On February 3rd, Mr. Speaker, I had questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding the compliance with the GNWT's sole sourcing practices and procedures. In case the Minister's forgotten, I'll remind him that Stanton tendered contracts; seven percent to northern companies, 93 percent went south, 77 percent went direct to sole source, 43 percent of sole sourcing contracts represents the Department of Health and Social Services. So, Mr. Speaker, the Minister, in a concise way, responded to me as we're looking into this problem. So warm and fuzzy words are just that, Mr. Speaker, warm and fuzzy. I'd like to ask the Minister today for him to clearly put on the table the facts as to what has been done today and what are they doing to correct this problem. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are working on this issue. I've indicated in this House the deputy has talked to the CEOs and the authorities. We're going to review the proper procedures when it comes to tendering and contracting. Those things have been done and we're going to continue to be vigilant. An issue has been pointed out and we're going to take the steps, with appropriate compliance here, to ensure that we are more compliant and we'll be more vigilant. So I've followed up on the commitment, as I indicated we would. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

To follow up on this matter, Mr. Speaker, the Minister said we've talked, we've reviewed proper procedures and looked into appropriate compliance. But, see, I'm troubled on this, because wasn't that the rule all along? So I'm wondering what the Minister is doing to formally ensure that this problem is ended, that nothing funny was going on, and to make sure that this is crystal clear on this process? So what is the Minister doing to ensure that we're following a procedure that was there all along? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have formally met with the deputy minister who reports to me directly and who is charged with the oversight of the whole Department of Health and Social Services, including Stanton and the authorities. We've had the discussion about the issues and what the plan is to be, and the deputy minister has followed up. That is what I have formally done. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, this is almost like that situation where you have one of those bobby policemen in England. You know, they're chasing somebody and they say stop or we'll say stop again. Well, what concrete paper have you put down and said stop doing this? What concrete directive have you created to make sure and explain the implications of not following the rules? These rules are decided in this House. These policies are decided here. Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister doing to clearly articulate this that we have to follow the rules? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member, just moments ago, indicated that the rules are already there and they should be followed, and I agree. If he's asking for some kind of program or some kind of campaign where we're going to go around and terrorize people and threaten people for some kind of human sacrifice because of what he sees as a transgression, it's not going to happen. We're going to follow the rules. We've taken the steps, as I've indicated in this House, and the proof will be if the next time that this comes around and there's still a lot of these issues that come to light that show that we haven't been complying, then I expect the Member will be standing up to then hold me accountable. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Oral questions. The honourable Member from Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement I spoke of a little girl in Inuvik that almost lost her finger. That plus a few other incidents have the residents of Inuvik concerned with the ambulance service there. So my questions today I will direct to Mr. Miltenberger because I know he'll take care of them by Friday.

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I'd like to ask the Minister if there's any standard requirements for the operation of ambulance services, such as equipment, the personnel training, vehicle upkeep and backup. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At present, those standards would be within the text or the body of the contracts the regional authorities would have with the contractor. In this case, the Inuvik authority has a contract with a business in Inuvik and that's where that would be, but there are no broad territorial-wide standards at present. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. I understand that the contracts are signed with the local authorities. I would like to ask the Minister if there is someone in his department to monitor these contracts to see that they are all following standard requirements. Thank you.