Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, Northland has the population of a medium-sized community but they are not a community. They’re a privately held corporation. As I’ve said a couple times prior, we’ve written a letter of support for the City’s application to try to access some federal money for some of the needed repairs at Northland. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as I said in my Member’s statement today, water and sewer is

certainly a vital service needed by a lot of people and, quite frankly, I can’t imagine how they’re coping, to be fair and realistic. I mean, two weeks without this is beyond ridiculous. That’s not fair and I can only imagine what they’re struggling with.

Mr. Speaker, the time for talking on this particular issue is done and I think the time for writing letters is done. What financial contribution can MACA bring to the table to help support the City of Yellowknife in solving this particular problem? Because we have 259 families at significant risk the longer we wait. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, MACA doesn’t have the funding or the mandate to assist privately held lands to deal with infrastructure deficiencies. That would be a discussion that they would have to take up with the City. All I can tell the Member, as I’ve told a couple other Members that have asked previous to this, is that we are trying to assist their case, their application to try and access some federal money. Thank you.

Maybe it’s the weather that’s stopping the Minister from breaking the hard exterior of the answer, no, we’re not helping in the sense of funding, we’ll write a letter and that’s the best we can do. Maybe the 259 families aren’t touching a note. What about the approximate 600 children that live in that riding, in that small, medium-sized community that’s representative, as I probably said in a comparative value only, of the size of Aklavik? Mr. Speaker, is there no extraordinary funding that MACA couldn’t find for this particular issue to make sure that these 600 children, the 259 families are not continually put at risk? Thank you.

Northland is part of the city of Yellowknife. Any extraordinary funding would go to community governments to assist in dealing with some unforeseen events that take place in their communities. As much as we feel for the situation out at Northland, I point out again that it is a privately held corporation, privately held condominium and they usually put some money aside for events such as this. The only difference between this particular case and, say, an apartment building where they are selling condominiums, it is just on a bigger scale and laid out. It is unfortunate that some of the issues they are having to face out there. Again, we don’t have a mandate or the funding to assist those privately held landowners. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Quite clearly, water is undoubtedly an essential service. I can only imagine how these families have been in this inhumane sort of circumstance for two weeks being without those services. Mr. Speaker, the Minister said just a moment ago that many of these

groups set money aside. Actually, the condo corp was established under the old Condo Act which actually did not require that condominium to set money aside to deal with these types of maintenance and infrastructure problems. Since that time, fortunately, I will give compliments to the updated act, which goes to the credit of the government. They ensured that those types of loopholes and gaps have been filled to ensure that condominiums must account for infrastructure money in that particular case.

Again, recognizing that this is an extraordinary circumstance and we have a lot of families at risk, would the Minister be willing to commit some financial resources in an extraordinary type of way in a one-time process to the City of Yellowknife so they can leverage further money and help with this particular problem that affects 259 families, at least 600 children, and it is quite a significant population that needs help and safety issues protected?

Mr. Speaker, there was a time when they had to put money aside to deal with unforeseen circumstances. You go to a private homeowner and right where the property ends, he is responsible from there into his house. If the sewer line goes or the water line goes, it is his responsibility. This is the same principle, just on a bigger scale. We do give money to all the municipal governments to deal, we give infrastructure money to deal with infrastructure issues within their community and I am sure Northland is being told that they are a privately held corporation, Mr. Speaker. We don’t have the funding or the mandate to provide funding to privately held landowners. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There was a letter that was addressed to MLA David Ramsay on the 17

th

of February from Minister

Lafferty in terms of programming for the offenders correctional institutions. In the News/North, a judge noted the need to address the root causes of the criminal activities and also noted in the letter here that the Minister has said that 90 percent of inmates have issues related to the use of alcohol, for the abuse of alcohol and drugs. Is the Minister’s department looking at some kind of a treatment program at our correctional institutes to address the 90 percent of inmates who are there with this issue?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We are fully aware of the statement that was made by Judge Vertes. It is the root cause of issues that we are dealing with. It is very challenging on a day-to-day basis. As Vertes indicated, it has to come from the grassroots people, the politicians and also the public. It is not just us sitting here making decisions; it has to be the general public as well that we need to work together.

We have to come up with solutions. We have already developed plans on our initiative through the Justice department. We deliver various aspects of program delivery at the corrections. We continue to enhance those programming. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, 90 percent of the inmates are in our institution because of the use of alcohol and drugs. It does not make sense for us leaders around here, 90 percent of the funding that the program should say that we need an alcohol and drug program at the North Slave or one of the other institutions to look at this issue here, the root cause. Does it not make logical reasoning to put this? Again, would the Minister look at, consider it, having a drug and alcohol treatment program? You have a captive audience already there. Let them look at these issues that brought them into the institution. Would the Minister look at that?

Mr. Speaker, we do have a treatment centre in Hay River. I think we need to continue what we have within our corrections. We, as the Member indicated, have 90 percent population whether it be Aboriginal from the communities. Those are the individuals that we can work with. Rehabilitation back to the community, reintegration back into the community, that we have somewhat control over within the establishment to deliver those specific programs that can help those inmates so they can go back to their community and start a life all over again. Those are the main focus and our priority as the Department of Justice. We continue to deliver even more programs or enhance the programming at those institutions. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my point is that you have a captured audience already. They are sitting there. A lot of them are saying that they are not doing too much. They are twiddling their thumbs. They can’t get into programs. Programs are once a year. You have a program down in Nats'ejee K'eh in Hay River that is for other use. Can the Minister look at a pilot project, say one here in Hay River or here in Yellowknife, to look at doing a drug and alcohol-specific six-week program for the inmates? It will help them so they won’t come back into the centres. Can the Minister look at that to see if this is something good for us?

Mr. Speaker, this is an area that I think we need to focus on those

individuals starting in the centre right now. What the Member is alluding to is outside the centre. Outside the centre, of course, there is an establishment in Hay River that those individuals can utilize once they leave the facility. Once they leave the facility, Mr. Speaker, actually before they leave the facility, we want them to be integrated back into the community. The program that we deliver consists of on-the-land program, as well, which we do in the Sahtu region. It has been very successful. We will continue delivery of those programs, Mr. Speaker. The Aboriginal perspective or way of life programming within the corrections, that is being delivered as well. We have counsellors on hand. We will do what we can to service those individuals and continue delivering programs. It is not just one of those once a year that they miss out on a program. We have a variety of programs that those individuals have options to take. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Time for question period has expired; however, I will allow the Member a final, short supplementary. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, you have a captive audience at these centres here. Ninety percent of them being in there are because of alcohol and drug abuse. It is very simple and very plain. Can this Minister look at a drug and alcohol treatment program at the centre while they are there? There is one in Nats'ejee K'eh. I know that. But while you have them there, go through a program, for God’s sake. It is so simple, yet you wonder why people are coming back. They are not dealing with those drug and alcohol issues outside. You have them there. Let them deal with it. Certainly it will help them. That is what I am asking. That is the question. When will this government realize it?

Mr. Speaker, we do deliver programs where we have contractors coming into corrections. We have elders dealing with those inmates working closely with the counsellors as well. We are trying to reach the people, the inmates within our correction facility to try to reach their root cause of why they are there and deal with those issues at hand. Once they leave the facility, they have the option of attending addiction treatment centre as well, Mr. Speaker, but we do within the corrections, we deliver, again, a vast area of treatment training program workshops that will continue to deliver and enhance those programs as well. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Creating Our Future Together: In Search of a Common Vision for the Northwest Territories, Results Report and Appendix. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Section 32.1(2) of the Financial Administration Act, I wish to table the following document entitled List of Interactivity Transfers Over $250,000 for the Period April 1, 2010, to January 31, 2011. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.