Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have read the Justice department’s analysis of impacts resulting from the federal crime bill, the so-called Safe Streets and Communities Act. The law’s requirement for mandatory minimum sentences and limitations on additional sentences place huge new burdens upon our policing, courts and correction services, and possibly resulting in tens of millions of dollars more in expenditures, not to mention human costs.

According to the department’s estimate, the need to expand the North Slave Correctional Centre could cost $32 million and perhaps another $35 million for a new women’s facility in the South Slave. Impacts include increases in court days and legal aid, increases in appeals, increased police service at courts, more youth held in pre-trial detention and receiving longer sentences. The list goes on and on. The federal government is downloading its vengeance view of crime prevention and we foot the bill.

The report concludes that without major new expenditures, “this situation is not sustainable for the longer term.” This in a jurisdiction suffering some of the nation’s highest level of family violence, poor educational achievement, substance abuse, homelessness, poverty and unemployment; all factors that fuel crime.

What this situation emphasizes to me is the desperate need to reduce the number of persons destined for courts and jails. Only prevention can break the chain of causes leading to crime and reduce the negative costs swamping the justice system. That is early childhood development to produce citizens capable of prosperous and law-abiding lives. It is an Anti-Poverty Strategy for coordinated action on the conditions that germinate crime. It is about humane, effective treatment of the high proportion of offenders suffering from mental illness, through the introduction of mental health diversion or wellness courts.

We are stuck with the federal law and its consequences, but progressive thought and action demonstrate that preventing criminality is the best way to fight crime. We must continue to protest this regressive federal action, but in the long term and the ultimate good of our society regardless of the justice system, we must emphasize prevention of poor choices and the fostering of healthy citizens capable of productive lives.

The Ministers of Justice and Health have made commitments in this respect. I will be asking questions of them in that regard later today. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. On behalf of the people in my region, I want to say welcome to Kakisa. Kakisa was founded in 1962 when the Slavey people living near Tathlina Lake moved closer to the Mackenzie Highway. It is now home to 54 NWT residents. Close to 80 percent of the residents can speak in their own Aboriginal language.

Kakisa is a progressive, independent mining community we can be proud of. People recognize that the community can become more self-sustaining much more easily than a city. Leaders have expressed an interest in alternative energy in the central heating system and are willing to work with the GNWT to make that possible.

Traditional activities are very important for the residents of Kakisa. Many people take part in traditional harvesting activities and almost all residents regularly eat foods harvested from the land. They are advancing the protected area from the community to where the Kakisa River empties into the Beaver Lake. The GNWT should be prepared to do all they can to support this initiative.

Most people in Kakisa own their own homes. According to the most recent survey, core need has dropped to 6 percent. However, that is no reason to have brand new houses sitting unoccupied in the community.

Leaders have also expressed the need for a larger gathering centre. As we all know, communities’ ties will strengthen the important decisions that can be make when people can meet in a comfortable, central location.

Kakisa is only a short distance from a beautiful campground and the spectacular Alexandra and Louise Falls. These attractions are a great opportunity for tourism and economic development. Leaders want to ensure management of tourism within their traditional land use area. There’s an ongoing need for meaningful, open dialogue between the community and the GNWT. Real progress must be made toward finalizing land use plans and solid government agreements.

Madam Speaker, Kakisa and other small communities in the NWT should be highly valued for the strong people who live there and care about what happens to the place they live. Kakisa is an example of a small community that can do great things when we offer the support they need to reach their goals. Kakisa is just not a stop on the highway, but a real place in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi cho, Madam Speaker. Today I would like to acknowledge the passing of three Tu Nedhe constituents.

Marina Catholique-Norton was born January 21, 1954, and passed away February 22, 2012. Marina was only 48 years old and passed away in her sleep. Marina is survived by her husband, Robert Norton; her son, Lorenz Frank; sister, Mary Jane Michel; and brothers Herman, Joseph and Henry. Ray was considered to be her brother by her late parents, Pierre and Judith Catholique. Marina is also survived by numerous nieces, great-nieces, nephews, great-nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles and friends. Marina will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, laughter and a great sense of humour.

Henry Yelle was born February 13, 1934, and passed away April 24, 2012. He was 78 years old. He also passed away in his sleep. Henry is survived by his daughter, Beverly Buggins; sister, Margaret Sayine; nieces Marie McKay, Irene Sayine, Marie Sayine; nephews Marcel McKay, Jerry Yelle, Gary Yelle, along with numerous great-nieces and nephews. Henry will be remembered for his hunting and fishing skills along with his participation in the Canadian Rangers where he was a valued volunteer and had familiarity with the land in the Tu Nedhe area. Henry was kind and also had a great sense of humour.

Lawrence Fred Fabien was born June 25, 1944, and passed away May 12, 2012. He was 68 years old. He passed away unexpectedly from heart failure. Lawrence is survived by his brothers Eddie, Henry, Don, Robert; and his sisters Rita, Angie, Kaye, Helen and Lorraine, along with a total of 25 nieces and nephews. All of them had a real connection with Lawrence. Lawrence’s family describe him as a real kind gentleman with a great sense of humour. Lawrence retired from the GNWT Environment and Natural Resources after working 33 years of seasonal employment as a crew coordinator, fire technician, and fire base manager for the South Slave regional office.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted.

Lawrence was highly respected in his position at ENR. The DM and many ENR employees from across the North attended his funeral. ENR presented Lawrence’s family with a pulaski – an axe with a blade and a hook on the back – a hardhat, and a plaque to honour and remember him. Another fire expert described him as the best fire behaviour specialist she knew. All of Lawrence’s pallbearers were from

his fire crew and they were fully equipped with their firefighter’s uniforms.

Lawrence is also a part of the team that wrote the Chipewyan language dictionary, which was launched on March 26, 2012.

My sincerest condolences go out to the family and friends of Marina, Henry and Lawrence.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. I’d like to recognize Colinda Blondin, who is here with us. She is originally from Behchoko. Welcome and enjoy the session.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I’m pleased to see constituents from Fort Simpson in the Gallery. I’ll start off with Mr. Steven Thompson, who is a recent graduate of whom I attended his ceremonies on Saturday. The whole grad did an excellent ceremony; it was very unique. Also with him is his father, Mr. Shane Thompson. I’ll recognize Shane’s friend as well, Ms. Colinda Blondin. Welcome to the Gallery.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’d like to recognize Shane Thompson, as well; a good friend, and his family. He’s also a constituent in Fort Simpson but he originates from Hay River.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’d like to welcome and recognize Shane Thompson. He’s been a very strong mentor and role model to a lot of youth in the Northwest Territories, including myself. Along with Shane I’d like to recognize his son Steven, who is a recent graduate, and congratulate him on that. I’d also like to recognize Colinda Blondin, who is a graduate of the Recreation Leaders Program and is doing a lot of great work with the youth, from what I hear.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. I would like to welcome all people visiting us in the gallery today. It’s always nice to have an audience in here, and thank you for taking an interest in our proceedings.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I want to know when the Sahtu long-term care facility will begin to see its construction.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi cho, Madam Speaker. The plan is for some of the preliminary work to be done now and we’re hoping that the long-term construction… I think the target date for the long-term construction is to begin construction in the summer of 2013 and conclude it in the summer of 2015.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Minister and I had a tour in the Sahtu and we stopped in Deline. We talked to the people in Deline. The people in Deline know that the old long-term care facility was shut down in 1994 and that it hasn’t been opened since. The people want to know, there are some units there that some of the older people wanted to see if the Minister could consider, with asking his colleagues, if some of those units could be opened so that they can bring some of the people back from outside the region so they can come back and stay there for the last days of their life on Earth. Has the Minister made any progress in seeing where this request that has been asked by the people of Deline to see if it’s being taken seriously, to ask if the Department of Health could open possibly maybe six units in Deline’s old long-term care facility?

The building itself, both buildings and the outbuildings that the long-term care or what was referred to as the senior citizens home in Deline does belong to the NWT Housing Corporation. Right now it’s being leased out to Health and Social Services and we are using the main part of the building. The community wishes that part of the building would be opened up and the administration of health and social services, I think their home care programs and counselling and so on that were in there, would be moved to one of the out buildings. At this time there needs to be an evaluation done by ourselves and NWT Housing Corporation to determine how we could feasibly move the individuals that are working in that building to the outbuildings, or another location, in order to turn that back into a senior citizens home.

The issue of the long-term care facility in the Sahtu has been long-standing. Like I said earlier my Member’s statement, I’m grateful for

the 16

th and I’d certainly appreciate the 17

th Assembly and this government here to keep their eye on the ball or the prize to build a long-term care facility in the Sahtu region. This is the only region without a long-term care facility. I want to ask the Minister, since this is the first one we built and I think it’s the only one that’s going to be built in the Sahtu, what is the Minister doing to work with the people in the Sahtu to prepare for the long-term care facility in terms of construction, training, programming, staffing. What is the Minister doing with the Sahtu people?

This new 18-bed long-term care facility is intended to be a regional long-term care facility for the entire Sahtu. There is a plan to fill all the positions in the building with people from the Sahtu. I believe that there will be as many as 27 people in the building. It’s going to be a long-term facility with a new, modern health care attached to it. The plan is to have all the people right from the registered nurse to the aides that work in there to the cook to the cleaning staff, everything, that they would be trained. We’re going to be scheduling some training in there so that place is run by the people from the Sahtu.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Can the Minister briefly tell me if there are some plans in place with this government and the Sahtu through the Sahtu Health and Social Services, or some other government agency that the department is overseeing, that they from time to time could monitor the progression of the building of the long-term care facility, where they would be able to monitor and keep checks and balances as to the progression of this entire long-term care facility?