Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to present the Department of Justice’s main estimates for the fiscal year 2009-2010.

The main estimates propose an operations and maintenance budget of $93.488 million, an increase of 3 percent over the 2008-2009 main estimates. This consists primarily of forced growth and strategic initiatives in policing, family violence and community justice.

The justice system is experiencing similar socio-economic pressures felt elsewhere in the GNWT. Our costs are rising and we must respond to a crime rate that is seven times the national average.

Our services and supports must respond to these pressures and ultimately to the needs of the residents of the Northwest Territories. In a time where there aren’t a lot of resources, it is vital that we not simply react to these pressures. We must make changes that meet the needs of the people that are also fiscally responsible. We need to provide a corrections system that rehabilitates offenders. We have to support victims and provide a justice system that responds to the needs of our most vulnerable citizens. We must ensure there are appropriate policing services in all of our communities

During 2009-2010, we plan to make financial investments in priority areas: policing, family violence, community justice and maintaining service levels in all programs.

I’d like to briefly outline the budget of this department. There are six areas of activity in our main estimates.

Services To Government

The department provides a range of legal services to the government. This work is almost always done in-house at a significantly lower cost than contracting private lawyers. Our staff lawyers draft legislation and provide legal advice to all Ministers, departments and many public agencies. Legal translators prepare the French versions of bills and regulations, as well as public materials with legal considerations. The $8.9 million budgeted for services to government also includes work like providing financial services, improving supports to families in conflict, and the policy research required to develop new legislation.

Law Enforcement

Just over $31 million has been budgeted for law-enforcement activities contracted to the RCMP. This Assembly has indicated that policing is a priority, especially policing in smaller communities. I was proud to be a part of the official reopening of the detachment in Sachs Harbour this past summer. In the coming years, we will open new detachments in Wrigley and Gamètì. The hiring is almost done, and we are now just waiting for the federal government to put the infrastructure in place.

The main estimates include $675,000 in strategic investment and $1.7 million in forced growth funding to the RCMP. This includes funding for salary and pension increases, additional public servant positions, additional positions for the operations and communication centre, another dog unit to help the new federal officers who will work full time on drug interception all over our Territory, especially the transportation networks like our highways and airports. It also includes three new officers to improve service to the smaller communities. Although we cannot afford to put detachments in all communities, we can take steps to increase police presence. This can be done by increasing the number of officers in our existing detachments which, in turn, allows the RCMP to do more patrols.

Legal Aid Services

The Legal Services Board’s budget is approximately $5 million. That covers the NWT’s share of the costs of operating three legal aid clinics in Yellowknife and Inuvik that provide legal services to NWT residents who cannot afford a lawyer. The board also provides court worker and public legal education programs. These programs are available to all residents, regardless of their income.

Courts

The department provides funding and administrative support to the NWT courts. The total budget of approximately $10.6 million covers the Justice of the Peace Court Program, Territorial Court, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, court libraries and reporters, and the three court registries. The 2009-2010 main estimates includes a reduction in funding for the court library; however, it is important to note that we will continue to provide the same services in a smaller, more efficient space.

Community Justice And Corrections

The proposed main estimates include additional reductions in this area through increased efficiency in our larger facilities. It is one of the few areas of the Justice budget with discretionary spending. This government is required to provide facilities to house adult and youth territorial offenders. However, the way we provide custody and programming has some flexibility. We will continue to provide the full range of programming with greater efficiency by reviewing the way these services are delivered.

In total, $33.2 million has been budgeted for adult and young offender facilities, probation, wilderness camps, and cultural programs to support the rehabilitation of offenders. Our correctional facilities provide targeted programming to help offenders with the issues that originally contributed to their crimes. Our goal is to rehabilitate and release offenders to their communities with the supports they need to become law-abiding, productive members of society. This budget also funds victim services, crime prevention and diversion programs in communities, and includes additional funding for the creation and implementation of a strategy to reduce alcohol and drug related crime.

Services To The Public

The $3.9 million budgeted for services to the public includes funding for the coroner’s office, the public trustee, the rental office, legal registries and the Maintenance Enforcement Program.

In 2009-2010, the department is projecting a 4 percent increase in revenue in this area. This is related to projected increases in land titles and legal registries revenue collection.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an overview of the department’s 2009-2010 main estimates. I look forward to discussing it with you in more detail. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.