The project description for the Mackenzie Valley Highway has been worked on and is complete. We intend to work within the right-of-way of the proposed road. Where there is a cleared right-of-way, we’ll use that. But we’re going to follow that approved route. It’s a trench that’s four inches wide and about six inches deep and very modest in terms of its effect on the environment. It’s trenched, then the cable is laid, and it’s filled in behind. We’re going to use directional drilling. We’re going to go under every creek and river so that we leave the water systems alone. We look at this as being about as environmentally benign a project as there could possibly be.

I just wanted to understand. I know the Minister did mention that this is a partnership project, in terms of ensuring that industry is on board and supporting this very vital project that will really enhance the infrastructure in terms of telecommunications in the NWT. What is the nature of the relationship with industry?

The relationship is a broad one. We see the satellite remote sensing industry as being an anchor tenant that…(inaudible)…this project in Inuvik. We’ve put out an expression of interest. There have been about 18 different applications picked up by industry from around the country and the world. They see this as a very unique, novel, and groundbreaking project. We will be working through the joint venture to determine who is successful, and then we’ll be working out an arrangement to build, install and maintain the fibre optic line through the joint venture that’s going to get structured.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question is, just recently we had the deregulations of the CRTC, kind of letting it loose in terms of how telecommunications companies perhaps might move up here in the Northwest Territories. And there have been recent issues, in terms of the media and times of profiling how consumers are being affected by just some of the practices that have been in place for some time. How is this government going to ensure that consumers are protected from being taken advantage of, in terms of the telecommunications technology that is being established up here in the Northwest Territories?

Let me speak specifically to the fibre optic line. The intent of the joint venture is to have a major piece of telecommunications technology and infrastructure owned and operated by Northerners, Aboriginal government and the territorial government. One of our collective goals is to, while we have a decent return on investment, we want to make it modest enough that we can keep the cost of the service into the communities as reasonable and as modest as possible to make it as affordable as possible to build the customer base. That’s going to be our goal.

The final mile piece in the communities, how that new technology will be put to use in communities, that’s where the economic opportunity lies for the private sector, as well, NorthwesTel, Ice Wireless. There are a whole host of options out there in terms of who will own and operate the systems and services within the various communities where you’ll have the cell phone service and the high-speed Internet, the cable, and all the other economic opportunities.

The government in all the communities will be a customer of whoever has that opportunity. It will give us cutting-edge technology that will allow us to use our telehealth properly. It will allow the children’s schools to have access to high-speed Internet and do all the kind of work nowadays that students can do in the rest of the world. We’re going to be very careful to make sure that this is owned and operated in the North and that we make it affordable for all Northerners and we build a substantial information-based technology and industry in Inuvik tied to remote sensing. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Justice. The Department of Justice has been working on the development of a mental health diversion court in response to repeated committee requests and motions passed in this and the 16thAssembly. The Minister has told me that justices are generally supportive but need to be assured that the model to be used will satisfy conditions for being a legal alternative form of sentencing.

How is the Minister working to ensure that this legal test is met and when can we expect to see these proposals for review by committee? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister of Justice, Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. An interdepartmental committee consisting of members of the departments of Health and Social Services, Education, Culture and Employment, MACA, Justice and the Executive are working on this initiative. The committee expects to complete its assessment of the feasibility of a specialized court by March 31, 2013, at which point I’ll will be coming to committee to share the findings as well as the options that exist, and looking for committee’s support on moving on one of those options.

The judiciary has expressed a significant interest in a specialized court but had some reservations about the nature and the type of court. They seem to be more interested in a broader approach taken similar to a wellness court as opposed to a specific mental health court. We are looking and talking to them on a regular basis. We are looking and talking to the committee on a regular basis to find out what those needs are, what the desires are, and we will be bringing that to committee once it’s completed on March 31st. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, of course, committee has been quite clear in their interest in a mental health court, as have most jurisdictions in North America. The Minister has acknowledged that Justice and Health and Social Services must work closely together if a mental health or wellness court to be put in place.

Is the Minister working closely with his colleague in Health to ensure that the concerns of justices regarding the assurance that the mental health services are put in place before proceedings with the new court are met? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, there are many options. Wellness court, mental wellness court or mental health court is one; wellness courts are others. We don’t know which type of court we are going to be moving forward with. We’re going to be bringing forth those recommendations to discuss with committee. Mental health court is just one example.

With respect to working together, the Minister of Health and I have had many conversations on this, and we have both directed our staff to be involved and to work on these exact initiatives. As I have indicated, there is an interdepartmental committee consisting of members from Health and Social Services, Justice, as well as other departments that are working on this initiative. We’ll be coming forth on March 31stwith some information and options for committee to consider, review and have some discussions on. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister has told me that justices want these mental health services in place. In his work with the Minister of Health, and in recognizing that the programs being proposed for 2013-14 are in the budget, will these programs meet, as proposed, the needs assessed by justice requirements for a mental health court? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, the need for the programming that will be supported by the type of court, if any that are supported by this government, is something that we are working on with the Department of Health and Social Services. The committee is involved. They are working together. It is a committee of Justice, Health and Social Services. By March 31stwe’ll have a better idea of exactly what programming is going to be required in order to support the different models. Until we actually choose a model, with support of committee, we won’t know exactly the programming that is needed, but we are starting to get a sense and that information will be available by March 31st. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have been at this for several years now, so I’m glad the Minister is getting a sense. We were told by Health that, in fact, these programs will meet the mental health court requirements.

Is the Justice department going to be prepared to fund a court, given that those conditions are met, for 2013-14 and the feasibility study will, obviously, be done this fiscal year? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, the Member’s timeline is a little bit different than the timeline I’m working on. I remember that a motion was passed in the 16thAssembly. Nothing happened. A motion was passed in the 17thAssembly, which is only about 18 months old, so we’ve been working on this for 18 months. We have a lot of good information. We have taken a lot of information to committee. We are working with committee.

Once again, the Member continues to refer to a mental health court. We’re not sure that that’s the option that’s going to be supported by committee, but we will be having those discussions.

At the end of the day, if this is supported by committee, the options are supported by committee, and the committee wants us to move forward on a court, we will be bringing it through as part of the business planning cycle. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Time for oral questions has expired. 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. Mr. Bromley.

Item 15, notices of motion. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that, on Monday, February 25, 2013, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nahendeh, that the Government of the Northwest Territories immediately initiate discussions with the Government of Canada to prioritize funding for an all-weather Mackenzie Valley Highway from Wrigley into the Sahtu;

And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories immediately initiate discussions with the Government of Canada to seek federal investment and human resource development initiatives along the lines of the Voisey’s Bay model;

And furthermore, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 9-17(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2013-2014; and Bill 1, Tlicho Statutes Amendment Act, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

I would like to call the Committee of the Whole to order. The Speaker has outlined the matters before us today in Committee of the Whole. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 9-17(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2013-2014, with the continuation of deliberation of Health and Social Services. Thank you.