Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I do think they are responsible for assisting them. We have them there; we had them there for about 20 years and now we want them out without any assistance whatsoever. I would like to ask the Minister again, can his department, or I believe the government even has a transition team of their own, can they allocate one of those persons to help our community organizations? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, we are open for discussion on solutions because we, as a department, are always looking for solutions at a community level. We, as a department, will be working with the community on trying to find a solution for space in the community. So we are open for discussions in that area. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the government is open to discussion. What I’m asking for is to send someone to help begin those discussions and if the Minister can do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, our department will be working with the regional staff to try and find a suitable space in the community. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister responsible for Justice. Mr. Speaker, we don’t have enough police resources in our community. As I said in my Member’s statement, our numbers have diminished in the last 25 years -- we’re going backwards -- and yet the demands on our police resources have increased. The projected future looks like there will be more increase with resource development and a lot of other development on the horizon. So the demands are growing and the resources are diminishing. Hay River is the second largest community in the Northwest Territories. We don’t have 24-hour RCMP coverage except to call a member back who’s off duty who’s on call. We don’t have a local 24-hour communication centre. The RCMP is an institution which I recognize is under pressure in the area of recruitment and retention, as well; however, the demand in the communities demands a response from this government. I would like to ask the Minister of Justice if this government has contemplated, or would contemplate, the reinstitution of something like the Special Constable RCMP Program that used to exist in years past? I think that one of the benefits of that would be that you would have people who consistently live in the community. The RCMP are transferred into the community; they have to get familiar with it, but just about the time that they get to know people and the lay of the land, it’s time to transfer someplace else. I think a local resident NWT Special Constable Program would be a great underpinning and support to local RCMP members. I’d like to know what the government thinks of that idea. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Member’s question in this specific area because it has been a real critical issue in the community and also for the Northwest Territories. Yes, this has been an issue nationally, as well. I just came back from a Winnipeg meeting with the Justice Ministers from provincial, territorial and federal, and this was an issue; our jurisdiction and also Nunavut. We talked about various options and at the national level they’re talking about introducing the bylaws, introducing community policing; the special constable was one of them. That’s an ongoing discussion and we’re hoping that we’ll see some positive results out of that in the early new year. Then again, the senior staff with the RCMP and our Justice department are working closely towards that initiative. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

When you look across the country, Mr. Speaker, it’s not unprecedented for a jurisdiction to have its own police force. We were about to spend a million dollars as a government on the safer communities and neighbourhoods legislation, which was a level of

enforcement as well. There were problems; it didn’t go through, but I would like to see some resources committed to the home-grown development, training and teaching through the college of a territorial police force. I’d like to know how soon we could expect a reaction from the government on that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, the point is clearly taken that those could be part of the priorities and planning. The document will be introduced by this Assembly and that could be a part of the ongoing discussions with the second priorities for the communities. I’m looking forward to that and working with the colleagues, as well. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement, Mr. Speaker, I mentioned that there were many, many questions that have arisen in our community with respect to the tragic loss of an RCMP member. We plan to reconvene a meeting a January. Again, we hope to have some answers at that meeting, but I also think it would be good to have some representatives of the departments there to interact with the people in our community directly. I’d like to ask the Minister if he would be amenable to himself personally coming there and talking about the issue of policing in our community in January. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to have a communication dialogue with the communities. I was there during the ceremonial event and I would be glad to go back there again. I will certainly make a commitment to visit the community. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the space issues at the hospital I acknowledge impact on the treatment services for the patients as well as for staff. It’s something that’s been brought up, I believe, in the latest human resource review process. I have visited the facility recently, as Minister, and I can attest to that fact as well. I can advise the Member, Mr. Speaker, that there has been an RFP issued to look at the space issues and the report of that RFP, the contract work done, we’re hoping will be concluded by April of next year. They’ve been asked to focus specifically on seven areas of the hospital that require special attention: a medical daycare, emergency, ICU, diagnostic imaging section, as well as rehab and some others. We are looking for the results of that in April and I’m hoping, with the support of the Assembly here, to see if we could incorporate it into a master plan for the hospital. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.