Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The committee reviewed dozens of police reports from every community in the region. These monthly summaries from the RCMP are further testament to the carnage wrought by alcohol abuse, the suffering endured in every community, and the burden on police and other government services.
In a year, calls for service to RCMP in the Sahtu are approximately equal to the population of the region: 2,750 calls in 2012. Alcohol is a factor in most crimes and complaints.
Far more alarming is the number of assaults. In 2012, RCMP recorded 255 assaults in Sahtu communities. This is almost one assault for every 10 residents of the region.
In the first five months of 2013, RCMP recorded 120 offenses under the Liquor Act in Sahtu communities.
In Deline alone, a community of about 550 people, there were 43 recorded occurrences of bootlegging in this same period.
In every community the committee heard pleas for programs to help deal with the impact of alcohol abuse. As one man succinctly put it in Norman Wells, “You need help, where do you get it?” There must be effective ways to escape violence and to get well.
People eloquently described the need for safe houses, residential and on-the-land addictions treatment, and more education about alcohol and addictions.
In addition, people want better control of bootlegging. This includes more severe penalties for bootleggers.
It is abundantly clear that alcohol abuse is a societal issue that can only be reduced through a coordinated approach by individuals, families, schools, communities and various government departments. Ultimately, community leaders must lead the way in dealing with addictions issues and helping police deal with bootlegging.
The committee was persuaded that its recommendations must go beyond the limited scope of Bill 24. The integrity of the government is at stake. The same is true for community leadership. There will be no success in dealing with alcohol abuse without local ownership of the problem, local solutions and local action.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to pass the reading of the report to my colleague Mr. Dolynny.