Good afternoon, colleagues. Item 2, Ministers’ statements. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Ramsay.

Mr. Speaker: I am pleased to report that earlier this month the Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories launched the Wellness Court, supported by a new Department of Justice Wellness Court Program.

The Wellness Court is an alternative to conventional court that focuses on the offender rather than the offence. This court, and the supporting program, provides intensive supervision and targeted programing for chronic offenders who have mental health issues, addictions or cognitive challenges that contribute to their criminal behaviour. With this program we hope to help offenders develop a healthier life and move away from re-offending.

In a conventional court, a person who is charged comes before a judge who will look at the offence, listen to all the evidence and make a ruling based on the case and information before them.

In the Wellness Court, a person who is charged also comes before a judge, but their sentencing is delayed so that they can participate in the Wellness Court Program. In this program, a case manager and team provide intensive support and supervision to the offender as they work to make positive changes. The team helps them access services such as housing and income support as well as mental health and addiction programs.

To participate in the Wellness Court and its associated programs, the accused must be ready to make changes in their life, accept responsibility for their actions and plead guilty to at least one charge. The defense lawyer will work with the accused and the Crown prosecutor to see if the case can be

referred to the Wellness Court. If referred, a case manager will assess the accused to determine suitability with the program. If accepted, an individual wellness plan will be developed.

While completing their wellness plan, the offender must maintain this commitment to change and appear regularly before the judge who will oversee the entire process. During this phase, the case manager and team provide intensive supervision and support to the individual.

Offenders who participate in this program are subject to conditions to guide them. If they break these conditions, they will return to the court for sentencing unless they work with their case manager to remain in the program.

If they complete their plan, the offender will appear before the judge for sentencing, taking into consideration the work and progress they have made in the Wellness Court Program. After sentencing, the team will arrange after-care to ensure continued support for the offender.

Mr. Speaker, by having a person accept responsibility for their actions and supporting them as they do the hard work necessary for change, specialized courts in other jurisdictions have demonstrated chronic offenders can not only succeed but can successfully change their behaviours. We have seen success through the Domestic Violence Treatment Option Court, and we expect similar success from the Wellness Court.

The Territorial Court is critical in the implementation and operation of this specialized court. Without this, the Wellness Court and supporting program would not have been possible.

The department has also worked very closely with the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority and the Department of Health and Social Services in setting up the Wellness Court Program. The RCMP, Legal Services Board, the NWT Bar and staff from the Public Prosecution Service of Canada have also made important contributions.

Mr. Speaker, our thanks go out to each of these partners for the role they played in the development of this project and will continue to play to ensure the success of the Wellness Court. This is a new initiative and we expect that both the court and the supporting program will evolve over time.

Our government is committed to ensuring that NWT residents get the programs and services they need to be healthy, educated and self-reliant. This alternative form of justice is another positive step towards giving people the tools they need to make good choices for themselves that will help us to reduce crime and build safer communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.

[English translation not provided.] Mr. Speaker, building a safe and effective transportation system is vital to support the development of a sustainable economy and meeting the social needs of NWT residents. Goals identified by Members of the 17th Assembly express the significance of improving transportation services across the NWT to reduce the cost of living in communities and to create employment and business opportunities for residents.

To this end, the Department of Transportation is updating its NWT Transportation Strategy to guide further development of our integrated air, road, rail and marine systems over the next 25 years. I am pleased to report that we have made significant progress on this initiative.

The new strategy will update the first territory-wide multi-modal Transportation Strategy completed in 1990. Much has been accomplished in the 25 years since the first strategy was released and we know that our transportation system will continue to evolve significantly over the next 25 years. We are preparing for the future by considering what challenges and opportunities lay ahead of us and where our priorities are best placed to benefit all Northerners.

But our priorities can’t be placed without first hearing from the people who live and work here. That is why the Department of Transportation has been busy this past summer and fall gathering perspectives on the transportation system from stakeholders across the territory.

In June the department launched an online survey that gave residents the opportunity to submit comments on transportation services and related areas, including support for economic development and protection of the environment.

Mr. Speaker, the strong level of public interest in our transportation network was evident. The department received over 500 responses to the survey from residents and other transportation stakeholders. I would like to thank everyone for their participation.

We also met with key stakeholder organizations from within the NWT and from southern Canada who conduct business in the North to hear their concerns and ideas. These meetings confirmed the strong role that transportation plays in supporting industries and organizations that provide essential services to our residents and contribute to economic growth for our territory.

The department also conducted interviews with NWT political leaders, including MLAs and Aboriginal leaders, to hear their thoughts on priorities for transportation in the North.

Staff from the department have read and reviewed every single one of the responses to the online survey. Those responses along with the information gathered from stakeholder meetings and interviews with political leaders will inform the development of the updated strategy. Other GNWT strategies, such as the Economic Opportunities Strategy and the Mineral Development Strategy, have been reviewed to ensure our government is focused and our priorities coordinated.

Mr. Speaker, managing the growth and development of all parts of the NWT’s transportation system is essential to long-term and sustainable prosperity for our residents. A comprehensive multi-modal strategy that considers safety, the environment, economic development, and social needs alongside current and future infrastructure investment needs will be a critical tool for us.

Once the strategy has been drafted, we will again be calling upon residents to ensure that we have clearly heard and reflected their ideas. Public meetings will be held in regional centres this winter to review the draft and determine if there are additional priorities to consider. I encourage Northerners to take part with the same level of enthusiasm that we saw with the online survey and to once again ensure their voices are heard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment’s work to promote and preserve the culture, heritage and languages of the NWT.

As a northern people, our culture is rooted in the land and created in the places where we live and practice our daily lives. Northern culture is unique, woven together from our diverse experiences and incorporates our heritage, stories, spirituality, traditional knowledge, languages and creativity.

Mr. Speaker, ECE is entrusted with the crucial role of ensuring our languages, culture and heritage are transmitted to future generations.

To ensure we fulfill that trust, ECE is developing a government-wide, 10-year Culture and Heritage Strategic Framework. This initiative will focus the GNWT’s work around a set of common culture and heritage priorities for the next decade and was mandated by the Premier. Aboriginal governments, multicultural and heritage organizations, youth, elders, artists and many other partners will be involved in helping us develop the framework. A draft framework is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2015, followed by an action plan.

Mr. Speaker, our goal is not to duplicate strategies but find common themes between them that will let us better coordinate our efforts in many related areas. For example, the priorities identified in the NWT Arts Strategy will inform our work towards a broader framework. Likewise, we hope to work with groups like the NWT Arts Council and the Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute to create a framework that builds on our individual efforts and supports our shared purpose of promoting NWT culture and heritage.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, one of our initiatives is the Culture and Heritage Circle, established in 2011 to recognize those who have contributed to preserving and promoting the arts, cultures and heritage in our territory. At a celebration earlier today, we honoured this year’s recipients: Camilla Tutcho, Elder category; Rene Fumoleau: Individual; Janelle Nitsiza, Youth; Foster Family Coalition of the NWT, Group; and Deninu Kue First Nation, Minister’s Choice category. I look forward to recognizing the recipients in the gallery later today.

Congratulations to all of you and the valuable contributions you have made to the cultures and heritage of the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 3, Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Sahtu got world-wide attention when major oil companies won exploration record bids for the vast hectares of land surrounding Norman Wells, Tulita and, recently, Fort Good Hope. To the Sahtu people, this area is our home and our land, but to most of the world it’s a remote frontier region yet to be developed, waiting to be tapped.

Between 2012 and 2014, the Government of the Northwest Territories conducted a needs assessment to determine the employment needs and job opportunities related to oil and gas exploration and looked at its impact on government, business and other organizations in the Sahtu. The findings of the assessment are key to managing the resources we have and making sure the benefits go to our people. The Sahtu labour force is about 1,200 people, and just about two-thirds of them have jobs. If development goes ahead, there will be opportunities for rig workers, certified tradespeople and people with advanced technical and professional skills.

We need project managers, administrators, safety operators, cat operators, wildlife monitors, truck drivers and heavy equipment operators. Industry, business, government and other stakeholders all say the same thing: people need life skills and job readiness training, literacy skills, a driver’s licence and a quality high school diploma in order to get jobs, and they need affordable houses and the lower cost of living to stay and work in the Sahtu.

The government needs to find ways to invest in developing the workforce in the Sahtu and all the Northwest Territories. We need to act on the findings of this assessment and create an environment that is good for all professional skill development, and we need to act now.

This statement is the first of a three-part series about the Sahtu oil and gas needs assessment. I want to challenge Members of this House and the people of the Northwest Territories to get ready for this development. Now is our chance to make the best decisions for the Northwest Territories and for the people of the Sahtu. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For some time there hasn’t been an Aboriginal wellness coordinator at the North Slave Correctional Centre, and it’s been my understanding that this position has been vacant this summer as of June 3rd .

Being someone who is actually familiar with the Correctional Centre by working there only, I actually am familiar of how critical this cultural-appropriate programming is to the healing and rehabilitation of many. It’s important that we have relevant programming that is meaningful for those who are seeking help. With this position vacant, people are not getting the treatment that they certainly need.

We need to be part of the solution for productive choices. This Aboriginal wellness coordinator

position is key to the success of many getting back into their lives, back into the world with the best step forward.

This programming, in my view, is certainly important and I hope the Department of Justice sees it as well. So, it is important in some views, because from the latest information I’ve received, it was important enough for the department to build a spiritual lodge that they built some time ago, a woodshed that’s also a sweat lodge, fire feeding and talking circle and even a gazebo. Wow! Who thought that would be so hard to say? Even a gazebo, Mr. Speaker.

When it comes to corrections, the judiciary has already sentenced them, so the state has passed judgment. So what I’m saying here is let us not pass further judgment by not giving people the appropriate supports and programs they need.

The system has chosen which path they need to take, but it’s certainly our duty to ensure that they receive the help that they need. If we expect them to return to society properly, we must ensure we give them every chance and every skill through productive choices. I believe this counselling is important, if not absolutely critical, to help them on the right path.

Again, as I remember working there in the centre, many people benefitted from this. I’ll be honest; not everyone does, because not everyone believes in it. But for those who suffer from mental illness, to addictions, to anger management things, these are the types of supports that are critical to help them back on the path.

We cannot give up; we should not give up. I believe in the hope that this program gives. I certainly hope the department and I certainly hope the Minister feels exactly how I feel too. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last number of years, we have been lobbying for an all-weather road to Willow River gravel source in Aklavik. I would like to thank the department for their contributions over the years. Last year the community received enough funds to purchase a bridge for Willow River, which is now located in Inuvik.

By January, the plans are to haul the bridge to the site at Willow River and, with adequate funding, put the bridge in place for use in the future.

Mr. Speaker, the community would like to shift the focus from an all-weather road to an all-terrain vehicle trail to be used by the community members,

which can be made wide enough for a winter road during the winter months, Mr. Speaker.

I will have questions for the Minister later today. Thank you.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. On Monday, October 27, 2014, the Minister of Justice said, in a CBC interview, that the Gameti and Wrigley RCMP detachments are postponed indefinitely. Seven years ago there was a commitment that the GNWT would build new detachments in those communities. As MLA for Nahendeh and the community of Wrigley, this is shocking news for me and my constituents.

This session we are deliberating and debating the capital plan for the GNWT. I believe that at the very least these two detachments be included in our 20-year capital needs assessment plan. I can’t see how this could be overlooked, especially when the needs are great and we made the business case for the establishment of the RCMP detachment. Even residents in our small communities deserve the full attention of public safety. Statistically, these two communities get plagued by crime. The early lobbying efforts did pay off. We did get dedicated RCMP officers in the regional centres to make regular and almost weekly visits. Residents were awaiting the full-time service.

Also in Wrigley, I made the case that with the return of the RCMP officers and detachment to Wrigley, the certainty of full-time nursing was guaranteed.

I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Okay, I’ve got two and a half minutes here.

---Laughter

At this time of year, I sometimes turn my mind towards the anniversary of when I came to Hay River. It was November 4th forty years ago this

November when my parents took me to the Union Station in Toronto and dropped me off. I arrived in Hay River on November 7th and the next day I

turned 18, so you do the math.

Mr. Speaker, I chose Hay River and I have to tell you I didn’t have any post-secondary education and I wasn’t a great student. I was not voted the most likely to succeed when I left my high school, but I came to Hay River and what I did find was a community of people that didn’t wear their position, their wealth, their education or their achievement like a badge, much like the community where I had grown up, unfortunately.

Before long, I had three jobs. The morals and values instilled in me by my upbringing by my parents kept me on the straight and narrow, so I didn’t waste any time being bad. It wasn’t long before I found all kinds of things to help out with in the community. Community service is like any other kind of service. You see a need, and if you can help, you help. I’m not going to list off my biography here today, but let’s just say there were many opportunities everywhere to get involved in the life of a small town.

I’m here to say that opportunities to help, to get involved, to serve are everywhere if you choose to see them. When I hear about people’s aspirations to get involved in elected leadership campaign, schools, et cetera, may I be so bold as to suggest that the best way to know the issues to know your community, to learn about leadership, is to serve. You know that saying that says, sing like no one’s listening and you’ll sing in the shower like no one’s listening. I say, serve like no one’s watching. It’s the best training ground for leadership. It helps you, it helps others and the job openings are endless.

I made a decision at that young age of 17 to come north, my home for the last 40 years. I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. As we embark on this final year of this Legislative Assembly, the 17th Legislative Assembly, people will be turning their minds towards coming elections and whether they would like to serve, and I just challenge them. If you want to be a leader, serve, get involved in your community in any way you can. It will stand you in good stead for everything you do. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today in Hay River there will be a group of people getting together for the sixth season premiere of Ice Pilots, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

I would like to give congratulations to Mike McBryan, who’s idea it was to get history on board and presented this to them over six years ago. I would like to congratulate the McBryan family, Buffalo Airways.

It’s been six years, Mr. Speaker, and we’re going to see the repercussions of this film and TV show for years to come. We know this program is being launched in many different countries. Some of them are starting back with episode one just this year. We’re going to continue to see, my colleague and I, when we travel on Buffalo Airways, people from all over the world who come to see Buffalo Airways to see a DC-3 and be able to fly on one, Mr. Speaker.

This is just one of the opportunities that have been created by the film industry in the Northwest Territories. Last month my colleague Mrs. Groenewegen and I were able to attend another premiere of Andrew Stanley’s 10-part series on trapping in the Northwest Territories. We have great benefits from this film industry and we need to continue to invest in the film industry. It will promote the North; put the North on the map in Canada and throughout the world.

Later on I will have questions for the Minister of ITI and where we’re going with the film industry support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Three times in the 16th Assembly I spoke in this House for

the need for the NWT to have an impartial arbiter, an ombudsman, to assist our residents with a dispute or a disagreement so they can avoid having to go to court to settle it.

The NWT is one of only three jurisdictions in Canada without one. This year, after much work by committee and staff, the Standing Committee on Government Operations on June 5th released a

report which outlines the pros and cons of establishing an ombudsman office in the NWT. Such an office would act as an independent, impartial office with powers to investigate complaints of government wrongdoing from members of the public.

The standing committee report determines that public need for an ombudsman outweighs concerns about cost and it cites devolution as a major new development. Let me quote a few passages from the report. “Never before has the territorial government been more complex or sophisticated. Never before has the need for an ombudsman been greater,” the report states.

The report goes on to say, “The sheer number and complexity of the various tribunals and processes can contribute to citizens’ perceptions of powerlessness and unfairness.”

Mr. Speaker, an NWT ombudsman office would likely not have any powers to reverse government

decisions, but it would be an avenue of last resort for the public, one that is impartial, free and easily accessible, as stated in the report.

That report was an important first step to ignite a proper debate on this issue. The concerns about expense and bureaucratic complexity need to be weighed against the need for a one-size-fits-all office of appeal.

Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I provide some food for thought. The following is a quote from Chief Justice Milvain of the Supreme Court of Alberta in speaking about the 1970 Alberta Ombudsman Act. “As an ultimate objective, the ombudsman can bring to the Legislature his observations on the misworking of administrative legislation. He can also focus the light of publicity on his concern as to injustices and needed change. He can bring the lamp of scrutiny to otherwise dark places, even over the resistance of those who would draw the blinds. If his scrutiny and observations are well founded, corrective measures can be undertaken in due democratic process, if not, no harm can be done in looking at that which is good.”

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

That is an excellent description of what an ombudsman can do, and I invite Members in this House and members of the public to provide their input on the need for an ombudsman. There will be a public town hall meeting this coming Monday, November 3rd , in the Great Hall here in the

Legislative Assembly, 7:00 p.m. I invite all members of the public and these Members to come and provide their views and hear what the ombudsman from Ontario has to say. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In the NWT the number of people with breast cancer is in the hundreds. Of all NWT women diagnosed with cancer, over one-third have breast cancer. Nationwide, this type of cancer will affect about 11 percent of women during their lifetime.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation encourages everyone to practice breast awareness, to know how your breasts normally look and feel so that you notice any unusual changes early and discuss your concerns with your health care provider.

Over the past 20 years, survival rates have steadily improved. The reason is early detection and better treatment. In Canada the five-year survival rate for

breast cancer is 88 percent. So that’s very good news. On the downside, Aboriginal women are less likely to be screened for breast cancer. So, in terms of reaching Dene, Inuit and Metis women, there’s room for improvement.

Screening is the very best way to identify cancer at the early stage, so increasing the proportion of Aboriginal women who receive mammograms is crucial for improving public health.

Another downside is the popular myth that men don’t get breast cancer. In fact, men can develop breast cancer. Of course, the risk is very low, but breast cancer in men isn’t well-understood and is stigmatized. Men often feel embarrassed about a breast cancer diagnosis because it’s thought of as a woman’s disease. Men should be encouraged to discuss any unusual changes in their breasts with their health care provider.

Underlying all of this is one basic fact: lifestyle plays the biggest casual role in the development of breast cancer. Things like the quality of a person’s diet, how much exercise they get, whether they smoke and how much alcohol they consume. So, a double-barreled strategy is required. On the one hand, proper screening and, on the other hand, long-term prevention efforts through improved lifestyle.

At the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At long last, through their locally elected representatives and the government they direct, the people of the Northwest Territories have control over Territorial lands. The Land Minister’s recent announcement of his intent to develop a recreational leasing policy, perhaps even with teeth, is welcome.

In the absence of a transparent and publicly reviewed process on recreational leasing in the past, the public has been seeing ongoing loss of the commons, rewards to those who occupy lands illegally, a helter-skelter policy of leasing by the federal government and the turning of a blind government eye with lack of resources, intent or commitment to enforce either law or regulations on recreational land leases. Those following government rules have been penalized with no access to land.

Not surprisingly, the public has questions. Given past trends to the contrary, will there be a clear and transparent process that provides equal and fair opportunity for access to all? The Minister has recognized the unique role of Aboriginal governments and committed to ensuring Aboriginal governments the clear opportunity for reserving

land. Will the general public have an equal opportunity for input on the protection of the commons for everyone?

Closely related, there’s a huge ongoing gap between the fact of a moratorium on leasing and its enforcement. Constituents report an ongoing and frequent illegal occupancy of land by squatters, yet despite having lists of legal leases, the department has no complete inventory of occupancy, legal or illegal, on Territorial lands, and the Minister has told me he can’t possibly afford to do one. Given this, some other cost-effective method is needed to build the inventory required for land management.

I suggest that the public has the motivation, the ability and the GPS technology, everyday technology now, to contribute coordinates of land occupants in almost all areas of interest. Lands could easily accept these reports, cross-reference them to existing legal leases and compile a comprehensive list of sites to inspect and establish legitimacy of occupancy. Squatters could then be dealt with. We can’t manage what we can’t measure. We need an inventory.

Despite raising these issues repeatedly in the past, and commitments he’s recently made, the Minister’s plans on these issues remains unknown. Government’s failure and…

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Mahsi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Government’s failure to listen to the public has slowed the process tremendously and caused expensive and repeated re-workings of policy that never got implemented. The people on the land suffer the consequences, and we know it is expensive as well. There is an opportunity to do better, and I know this Minister has good intentions. It will require full participation of my colleagues and the public to achieve that.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have stood up in this House many times to talk about drug dealers and the bootleggers in the communities and what this government is doing to curb the activity and the harm that they do to our residents of the Northwest Territories.

I want to take it one step further today and I want to talk about what this government is doing in terms of creating a proceeds of crime legislation, such as a Civil Forfeitures Act, like the provinces of BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec. What this act would do is freeze, take possession of

or forfeit any property that’s used in these illegal activities. We can freeze buildings, businesses where some of these activities are taking place, take over skidoos, boats, vehicles that are used in transportation of drugs or alcohol.

I would like to, at this time, also commend what the RCMP and the people of the Sahtu are doing in terms of all these drug busts and also with the seizure of all the bootlegging and all the alcohol.

Mr. Speaker, I want to share some statistics with you in terms of what’s happening in some of the other jurisdictions. I found a nice report here. In Ontario, from November 2003 to July 2007, in 170 cases $3.6 million in property was forfeited, $11.5 million in property frozen, $1 million distributed to victims and more than $900,000 awarded in grants to help prevent victimization.

The assets that would be forfeited could go to compensating these victims, compensating businesses, compensating the community. It could go into grants such as for community programs. It could go to students who are trying to go to school. It can be given out as donations.

Like I said, I have stood up in this House many times and talked about the bootleggers, drug dealers and the harm that they do to our communities. I want to see this government take that one step further and look at creating legislation so that the bootleggers and drug dealers who continue to do these types of crimes, we can start taking their assets so that they don’t have that opportunity to transport alcohol to the communities or transport drugs to the communities. I want to know what this government is doing to disable these types of things that are going on in the communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Medical Travel Policy was first established almost 25 years ago, so without question, it is in dire need of modernizing. In essence, we need a more responsive and effective way to manage this program.

Since 1998, when there was a proposed attempt at revisions, and since then, the department and all past governments have failed to live up to this obligation of change, and even went as far as to mislead the Auditor General of Canada in a 2010 report in promising immediate change.

This policy has not been transparent or accountable to the public or to Members of this House. There has been no attempt at revisions for this policy to have the proper recording mechanism or an effective appeal process for its users. In several

reviews there was a cited need and recommendation of a standard NWT operating manual, yet this has fallen to the platitude of reigning leadership over the years.

Finally, there has been an overall lack of monitoring of the administration of the program, and this gap has been clearly established in several reviews and yet nothing has been done.

Where has been the accountability and transparency for the people it serves? It is abundantly clear, we are facing a wall of worry in our finances and we need to make and take every opportunity to streamline our services and to facilitate the modernization in patient care.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you again, where is this government on containing the ballooning costs of medical travel and creating efficiencies for our residents? Will this be another failed year of this department’s lack of effort, or will you finally see this promise fulfilled?

I leave this to its Minister and to its department to answer for the House and for the people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize some of the recipients of this year’s Culture and Heritage Circle Award here with us in the gallery, along with their guests as well.

First is Rene Fumoleau who is here with us in the Individual award category, along with his guest, Pat Braden. The Elder award is Camilla Tutcho with a guest of Tina Tutcho. Also, in the Youth category, Janelle Nitsiza with her grandma, Dora Nitsiza. The Group award category is the Foster Family Coalition of the NWT. Attendees are Nicole Garbutt and Mary Richardson who are here with us. The Minister’s Choice Award, of course, goes out to Dene K’ue First Nation. That’s Stanley Beck who’s here with us. Along with him, we have Karen Wright-Fraser who’s here from our department.

Once again, I’d like to say mahsi for your contribution and thanks for making a big difference. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize the mayor of Aklavik, president of the NWT Association of Communities, Mayor Charlie Furlong. I’d also like to recognize Karen Wright-Fraser, whose family is originally from Aklavik. So, welcome to the gallery. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a couple of Tu Nedhe residents here with us today. They are here for the Cultural and Heritage Awards from the Minister. Rene Fumoleau was awarded the Individual award. He’s from Lutselk’e. Representing the Dene Ku’e First Nation with the Minister’s Choice Award is my cousin Stanley Beck. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to recognize Mr. Charlie Furlong, mayor of Aklavik, who has also been working on the Willow River project; and also Karen Wright-Fraser. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the recipients of the cultural awards and especially the recipient from Deline, Ms. Tutcho, along with Miss Tina Tutcho. They are living cultures of the Sahtu, so I want to say congratulations to the staff who put this together.

I’d also like to recognize the mayor from Aklavik, and also a friend of my mine who I haven’t seen for a while, Mr. Stanley Beck. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Karen Wright-Fraser and I’d also like to recognize all of the Culture and Heritage Award recipients and their guests. Good job, keep up the good work, and also Mr. Charlie Furlong. Welcome, everybody, to the House and I hope you enjoy the proceedings.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is also my pleasure to welcome certainly all of the Culture and Heritage Award recipients to the House, a very distinguished bunch of Northerners.

I’d like to in particular recognize a few people today: Weledeh constituent Pat Braden, and also Nicole Garbutt and her parents, John and Patti Garbutt of Weledeh.

I’d also like to recognize Janelle Nitsiza, who gave some very passionate words in response to her award today that touched many people, I know. I would like to recognize, in particular, her family who was there in support. Again, in particular, her grandmother, Dora Nitsiza, a friend of mine – I worked with her in the past with the Whati project – a very respected elder. Again, elder Rene Fumoleau from Lutselk’e. I was very pleased to

have lunch with a number of the recipients and their families today, so I appreciated that opportunity. Welcome to the House. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too wish to recognize Karen Wright-Fraser. She’s certainly a well-known lady to all of us and I’ve known her for a long time. She deserves much credit for what she does as an artisan. She’s put many devoted hours into supporting her culture and demonstrating it through her beautiful designs. Now, I don’t know if she continues to practice the same amount – she used to have the store – but I know she’s busy on a personal level, and that is keeping the culture and history alive for the Gwich’in people. We’re lucky to have people like her, ensuring that it’s alive, it’s strong and it will be there forever. Thank you very much, Karen.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would also like to recognize Mayor Furlong today. We’ve listed off some of the things that he has served the North and in what capacity he has served the North for many years, but I particularly want to thank him today for the time he took to make his film to share his own journey with cancer and that they shared that with other Northerners so they would be aware.

One little funny story, when I first met the mayor and I was introduced, he said his name was Charlie, but Charles Furlong. So I’d like to welcome Charles Furlong in the gallery today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to introduce to you and through you, as we’ve heard today, we have a number of recipients for the cultural and heritage awards. Thank you for sharing your incredible stories. We heard a lot of that today in the House. Of course, Mayor Furlong, it’s always a pleasure to have you with us here. Again, congratulations on your long journey as a cancer survivor.

I have two other people here who I’d like to recognize, one who I worked with for a number of years, Ms. Nicole Garbutt. It was a pleasure working with you for many years in the business sector. Many times in this House I have the pleasure of wearing some very beautiful traditional clothing, my moose skin jacket and my vest, and that’s complimentary to the great artisan work, as we heard earlier, and beadwork of the lovely Karen Wright-Fraser.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. I too would like to welcome Mayor Furlong to the House.

It’s always good to see you, Charlie. I would like to welcome my good friend Stanley Beck. We have good visits over at Grant’s house when we’re running dogs during the winter. Welcome to the House, everybody. Thank you for taking an interest in our proceedings.

Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in my Member’s statement, over the last year the community received enough funds to purchase a bridge to put in place at Willow River.

Will the Minister work with the community to ensure funds are available and the bridge is in working order this year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we have been working with the community. We approved a substantial chunk of the Access Program money for the purchase of a bridge that will span the Willow River, and now we are reviewing a proposal for an ATV trail and also a proposal for the insulation of the bridge. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, a portion of the trail that’s being put forward is a route through the biggest road, which is the route to the Willow River. This road has been eroded over the last number of years and we need to haul in the material that’s required, which is RipWrap, to secure the stability of the road.

So, will the Minister provide funds to complete this work? Thank you.

Mahsi cho. We have supported the road recently and we, at one time, had requested infrastructure stimulus funding through the federal government. Unfortunately, that was denied. We recognize that the community needs that road. It’s got huge benefits to the community as it would ultimately run to a gravel source. The full cost of that road to make it accessible for hauling would be $90 million. It’s fairly substantial. So we recognize that we may have to go outside of just a simple Access Roads Program in order to continue to fund this and produce that road in a decent time.

So, as I indicated, we will continue to work with the community in an attempt to build that road. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

[Microphone turned off) …and I understand the needs assessment is completed.

I want to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, what are the priorities and what plans are there to implement the priorities within the Sahtu needs assessment that he found over the past year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the needs assessment has been completed and there’s been a lot of work by the stakeholders providing input into the workforce environment that will be required in the Sahtu region.

At the same time, there are various stakeholders like industry and representatives of the college. That is some of the work that now we need to figure out, okay, how can we move forward developing action plans towards producing those talented individuals from the community perspective. Mahsi.

Certainly the Sahtu is looking for partnerships and is interested in the how’s and the action plan. So I’m asking the Minister, what is the department doing to enhance the findings of life skills? It was a top priority in the needs assessment and job readiness in the Sahtu.

What is the Minister doing to look at some of these priorities as indicated by the needs assessment in telling us this is what’s needed? What is he doing?

Mahsi. When the Member first introduced what’s required at the community level, that’s been identified, like heavy equipment operators. There are rock crushers, blasters, project management and various other trade positions as well. We are currently dealing with the college on the best way to deliver that at the regional level, even at the college campuses.

Those are just some of the areas that we are currently discussing, and based on that, we will be developing an action plan to deal with the implementation of the first year, second year, third year phased approach. Mahsi.

Thank you. The Minister has indicated that they’re developing and they’re going to be looking at ways they can implement these programs. I would like to ask the Minister for some time frames, knowing the limited time we have left in the 17th . So I’ll ask that question. The employers

need people to get valid drivers’ licences. It’s something that’s been repeated in the needs assessment.

Will the department consider working with the Department of Transportation to assist people in the remote communities to go get drivers’ licences and other qualified drivers’ training programs?

Mahsi. Not only the Sahtu region but we’ve done that in other regions, as well, other communities where there’s a high demand of individuals that need to retain or even go after a driver’s licence, whether it be a Class 5, Class 3, Class 2, or Class 1. There is interest in the communities. Obviously, there will be a proposal submitted to DOT along with ourselves, Education, Culture and Employment, because we do have some funds to offset the costs, as well, working with the stakeholders, the steering committee that has been established. So, yes, I will be working very closely with the Department of Transportation when a need arises pertaining to drivers’ licences. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have an urgent and emergent need for drivers’ licences in the Sahtu. It is one of those issues right now facing us, but I will do that another time.

I want to ask the department what they are doing to make aware the career opportunities in the resource sector.

What type of career counselling is happening at the college, happening at the schools, happening in the communities? What is the department doing?

I’m glad the Member is raising the profile because it is very important to have a career development officer in the communities. They are our partners as well. They are there to make some community awareness of where individuals should be aspiring, whether it be very successful entrepreneurs, in the technician area, or other professional fields in their community. Those are the individuals that we will continue working with, and other support groups. The stakeholders are very key and also very interested and part of the solution as well. Those are some of the stakeholders that we will continue to work with in developing these action tools for the communities of the Sahtu region. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to use today’s question period opportunity to talk about the North Slave Corrections Centre. The information provided by the department said the position for the Aboriginal wellness coordinator has been empty since June 3rd . This is a vital position

that provides much needed services and strengths and supports to those seeking rehabilitation.

I would like to get an update from the Minister today. Has this position been filled, and if it has been, when, and if it hasn’t been filled, what’s the plan for the department to ensure the rehabilitation efforts are being supported by those who want to help and certainly those who need the help? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister of Justice, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The position has been vacant since June of 2014. We had run a competition and offered an individual the position. They subsequently turned the position down. We are in the process of looking at filling that position now on a casual basis until we can find a permanent person to fill that position. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I actually know one person who had applied for this position and I certainly would have felt that they would be very qualified for it. My understanding is that they were either screened out or, for whatever reason, they weren’t interviewed, and of course, as the Minister says, the position is empty today.

This role is very vital to the health and certainly the well-being of these inmates who we want to be returned to the public with the best opportunities before them. Mental health and cultural health are all critical, important parts. We have invested approximately $200,000 into this area to ensure we can provide these opportunities.

Can the Minister explain to me: Have any of these opportunities for people getting this type of health and wellness been restricted by the lack of services that this government has been unable to provide people since June 3rd ? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the Member makes it sound like we are not offering any services at North Slave Correctional Centre when it comes to spiritual and cultural health. We have elders that come to the facility that do sharing circles with the inmates, and we do that. We just don’t have, on staff, a permanent position. The coordinator position has been vacant, as I mentioned, since June, but that’s not to say that the centre isn’t still providing those types of opportunities for inmates that are at North Slave Correctional Centre. Thank you.

Trust is a very difficult thing to build. It takes experience and it certainly takes a relationship. I am glad we have some elders coming in, but it’s not a permanent solution.

What efforts are being made to permanently fill this position, because it is critical for the well-being and rehabilitation of inmates who need this vital service. Thank you.

The department and the North Slave Correctional Centre are making every effort to fill this position. Thank you.

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

Mr. Speaker, I’d hate to waste a question by asking, what does that mean?

Is the Minister running a competition right now? Is he looking for someone? Not personally, obviously. What are they doing in the context of finding someone on a permanent basis? If he wants, I can give him names of qualified individuals who could certainly fill this role. But it’s not my job to be a human resource officer; I’m an MLA.

So, the bottom line is, I want to know exactly what actions have been done to fill this position permanently. Thank you.

I’d be more than happy to go back to the department to get the Member an updated list of things we’ve done, what we’re doing to fill that position and when another competition to fill it permanently will take place. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Member for Weledeh. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for Minister R.C. McLeod. I was pleased to hear, earlier in the session, that the Department of Lands has instituted a moratorium on new recreational leases until a new made-in-the-NWT lands framework is developed. However, this does not address the unauthorized structures and land occupancy that has sprung up in the intervening vacuum.

What plans does the Minister have to address the proliferation of illegal structures we see already built and continuing to be built on public Territorial land? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister of Lands, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve received a number of complaints from citizens out there as to citizens hauling material out. We did some follow-up, and in most cases, these were leases that were let. They have up to three years to put a structure on there. So most of them checked out and they had legitimate leases.

But for those that are squatting on Territorial land, as we call it now, we will take action against them. I think we’ve got 12 cases in the hopper right now that we’re working on, and as we continue to get more reports of people squatting out there, we will

go and investigate. If we have to, we will investigate and pursue it further. Thank you.

MR. BROMLEY: I appreciate the Minister’s commitment there. Devolution certainly gave control of most of the lands of the NWT to the territorial government, but control is more than writing regulations – they sound good on paper, obviously – it is also having the ability and the will the Minister has expressed to enforce them. Unenforced regulations might as well not exist, as we’ve learned from our federal management experience.

What resources, money and people does the Minister plan to put into addressing the burgeoning enforcement issue in relation to these new regulations? Mahsi.

Before devolution, in recognizing some of the situations that we were facing, we had actually helped our enforcement division within Municipal and Community Affairs to deal with some of these. Since devolution and all the folks we got over from AANDC and the number of people that we brought on board, our enforcement division is a lot larger now. As for the exact numbers, I’d have to get those to the exact dollar figures. I would have to get those.

But I made a commitment to Members during briefing that we are committed to dealing with the squatting issue out there, and if we have to increase our enforcement and the money that we put into it, then that’s the route we will take. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. Just driving out to Behchoko, I estimate perhaps 100 cases of land occupancy en route. I have no idea how many are legal or not, but the last time I looked there were two leases between Yellowknife and Behchoko.

The Department of Lands has no inventory of illegal structures on Territorial land, of which we know there are at least dozens, possibly hundreds, despite their mandate, and a list of the legal structures in place through leases. It would seem easy enough to develop such an inventory, identifying all the structures and subtracting the ones which we know – the Minister would know having issued them – are legal leases.

How does the Minister propose to even begin enforcing newly minted regulations if we have no idea who is flouting them? Mahsi.

We have a pretty good idea of the numbers out there and names that are attached with them. We had over 550 personal and recreational use leases that came over from AANDC, not including the ones we had in MACA, which wasn’t that large of a number. We also know of fewer than 200 documented unauthorized users. So we know those numbers right now and we’ll

work off those numbers as we work to complete our inventory of all land occupancy across the Northwest Territories and Territorial land and we will update our numbers again.

I’ve committed to provide updates to committee on a regular basis on the work we are doing. We do have some numbers and names that go with the numbers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I’m hearing something different than I heard recently, that we don’t have an inventory and we can’t afford to make one, and that we have some indication of what’s legal, and that’s upwards of a couple hundred of unauthorized land users.

The Minister has indicated the mechanism for members of the public to report suspected squatters when they come across them in their travels across our commons is a worthwhile action, in my communications with the Minister. Such a simple instrument of capturing public capacity should be operational today in order to provide important perspectives on illegal occupancy during the development of regs and help prepare for the enforcement the Minister declares is forthcoming.

Why have we not heard about a way to incorporate the straightforward participation of the public enveloping such an inventory and when and how will the public learn about this initiative? Mahsi.

The public plays a great role in helping with the inventory. As I mentioned before, we do get a number of calls from the public, identifying or questions that they might have to someone’s occupancy. Sometimes we are able to satisfy their inquiry, and in some cases we find out it may be somebody that’s illegally on that land, so we will act on that.

There is an opportunity for them to call our department. I think we made it available on our website. We have developed a communication plan that we want to share with the public to let them know what they can do as far as reporting and having their input into the whole recreational leasing policy framework that we want to do. We have a communication plan and we will work with the Members and have this plan go public, so they have an idea of what we’re doing and where they can go for their input. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Menicoche. Earlier in the day I spoke about being

upset about the RCMP detachments in Gameti and Wrigley being postponed indefinitely. I`d like to ask the Minister of Justice, what is the nature of our new contract for RCMP services with regard to infrastructure? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back in 2007, when it was contemplated about building detachments in Gameti and Wrigley, we were under the old policing services contract. The federal government was responsible at the time for capital costs of new detachments in the Northwest Territories. In 2012 we signed a new Police Services Agreement where the Government of the Northwest Territories was 70 percent responsible for those same capital costs. Back in May of 2012, my predecessor at the Department of Justice, Minister Abernethy, had written a letter to yourself outlining the changes in the new policing services that we have, the agreement we have with the feds, and outlined we are in a different set of circumstances when it came to new detachments in the Northwest Territories. That was outlined in that letter, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

I would like to thank the Minister for that clarification. The needs are still there, Mr. Speaker.

What is the plan to ensure that Wrigley and Gameti RCMP detachments make it on the 20-year capital needs assessment? How can the Minister and what can the Minister do to ensure it at least makes that 20-year capital plan?

We’d have to continue to work with the RCMP on making that determination. When I was recently in Gameti last week with Minister Lafferty, we discussed ways to enhance the level of service for the community of Gameti. We are very much interested in looking at ways the RCMP can continue to work with the leadership and community members across the Northwest Territories on community policing plans, identifying priorities in the community that are important to the leaders and the members in that community and carrying out the work of the RCMP in those communities where we can enhance services, and that’s what we talked about with the residents and the chief there last week, how we could enhance and look at possibilities of enhancing service.

I understand the members that are based out of Fort Simpson service the community of Wrigley on a weekly basis and overnight in the community a couple nights a week. We need to continue the dialogue with the community of Wrigley and, Mr. Speaker, if the Member likes, like I did in Gameti, we had an opportunity to go there and explain to the leadership of the community what we were doing with the RCMP and the department of Justice in providing that service to the community to the

best of our ability. I’d be more than happy to travel to his community of Wrigley to explain that to Wrigley as well. Thank you.

I would certainly welcome the Minister to the riding and we can work on something about that.

The news article also spoke about these facilities costing about $11 million to $13 million. I think in 2007, when we were discussing the possibility, we were looking at a portable and a much smaller facility. At least it had a holding cell when the RCMP were there.

What kind of facility and what kind of plans is he talking about if he wants to spend that much money for a facility? It seems quite excessive for the needs of the community. Thank you.

A new detachment does come with a lofty price tag. That’s why, with the resources that we do have, we have to try to find a way of moving forward with improving the level of service. In the case of Gameti, we talked about a holding cell being provided in the community. If we get into Wrigley and Wrigley leadership identifies that as a need, that’s something we will continue to work on.

We always need to be moving the yardsticks forward, Mr. Speaker. In the case of providing service, we are going to do that.

Again, I look forward to travelling to Wrigley and I can explain that to the community myself. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think back in the mid-‘70s when they had an RCMP detachment in Wrigley, they were talking about developing a road and pipelines. Some of those same issues are coming up again with the development that’s happening in the Sahtu.

Can they start planning and see the need to establish an RCMP detachment in Wrigley to be prepared for the development that’s going to happen? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

That’s a discussion that, yes, we can certainly have with the RCMP. As we move forward, I did want to mention, as well, the policing plan for Wrigley and the highlights for that, combatting domestic violence and violence in relationships, combatting substance abuse and related crime, youth and community crime prevention and also community policing and Aboriginal wellness. Those were the needs identified by the community of Wrigley, something the RCMP continue to work on with the community. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today, I talked about the sixth season launch of Ice Pilots. I obviously have some questions for the Minister responsible, ITI. They handle the film industry in the Northwest Territories.

Can the Minister indicate to us what his department is currently doing to encourage more film production in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve just completed a report, entitled “The Sector Analysis and Action Plan for Screen-Based Media Production in the Northwest Territories.” We’re going to use this information, the information gleaned in that report, as the basis for a film strategy for the Northwest Territories, which we hope to have completed by March of 2015. So a lot of work is continuing to move forward on this. Thank you.

We just received the report, so we haven’t had a full analysis of it.

Can the Minister indicate the revocations of the current industry that we have in the Northwest Territories and what kind of impacts and benefits we’ve been getting from that? Thank you.

Thank you. It’s just under $10 million, the annual figure that the film industry gives to the economy here in the Northwest Territories. That’s the latest figure that I have. Thank you.

Is there currently any funding available for film production? Like I indicated, we have Andrew Stanley and a small group of people that were creating a 10-part series.

Is there any funding available currently through ITI to do any of those types of projects? Thank you.

Thank you. We have our suite of business-related programs and services through ITI. In addition to that, we also have a new expenditure-based rebate program that we’ll be launching next month, November of this year. So we’re looking forward to seeing if that can be successful in helping to attract investment in the film industry here to the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know it’s key for the film industry to have that encouragement here, but does the department currently have a link between the film industry and… I know Ice Pilots was very appealing to tourism. Is there a link that has the film industry and tourism tied together?

As I indicated, Ice Pilots has been the big attraction throughout Canada and throughout the world to come to Canada, come north, come fly on a DC-3. So, have we used that in our tourism promotion as well? Thank you.

Thank you. We have a film commissioner here in the Northwest Territories who works at the Department of ITI and she’s certainly very well-versed in the film industry, the advance of film production here in the Northwest Territories. Shows that have been filmed here in the Northwest Territories have a direct correlation with tourism, and she certainly is well-plugged into NWT Tourism and the tourism staff that we have at the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. I’ve been raising concerns on several matters, but this matter is regarding breast cancer.

Cancer is kind of a personal mission of mine and I want to ensure that the public is educated and has the information to understand that cancer can be beaten.

So my question is as follows: The evidence clearly shows that screening is critical for preventing and effectively treating breast cancer. What is the department doing to increase the number of Dene, Inuit and Metis women to receive proper breast screening? Mahsi.