Good afternoon, committee. I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We’d like to continue with TD 188-17(5), continuing with the Department of Justice and, time permitting, start on the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. With that, we’ll turn it to the Minister for the Department of Justice to see if he has any witnesses he’d like to bring in. Minister Ramsay.

Yes, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you can please escort our witnesses into the House.

Mr. Ramsay, if you would be kind enough, for our record, to introduce your witnesses to the House, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my right is Ms. Sylvia Haener, deputy minister, Department of Justice, and to my left is Ms. Kim Schofield, our director of corporate services with the Department of Justice.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Ms. Haener, Ms. Schofield, welcome back. We’re always happy to have you here.

Committee, we are on general comments. With that, I have Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Now that the wellness courts have been proceeding forward, I’m wondering if the Minister can provide some statistics or stats as to how it’s been rolling out and the success of it. I’ll start with that one.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We made a commitment, I believe it was to Ms. Bisaro yesterday, to provide the statistics. We have some. We’re going to compile those statistics and get them to Members. Just since October 2014 the Wellness Court program has had 13 referrals. At this point there are five clients currently in the program, two clients undergoing the assessment process and three potential clients, three clients have been removed from the program. But again, there’s a lot of other statistics here. So we’re going to get that and get it to committee members. I made a commitment yesterday, by the end of this month we’ll have that information. Thank you.

I suppose this next question could be asked on the page, but I’ll just sort of speak generally to it, which is the rentals office. Not so much particularly a budget line item, so that’s why I’m going to ask it here. What type of community outreach does the rental office do outside of Yellowknife? Does it get out there, does it advocate, does it meet in community meetings to remind people what their rights are? Thank you.

That’s something we can potentially work with the GSOs to help us with, but currently that service is available online and information is available online to residents and folks anywhere in the Northwest Territories.

So, is the Minister saying that there is no sort of public relationship that it would have through getting out to ensure people know their rights? Is that what he’s saying? Thank you.

No, not currently. Like I said, there’s the Internet and phone line. That’s the service that’s provided right now. Thank you.

What communities has the rentals office travelled to in the last fiscal year? Thank you.

They have attended for hearings. To get that level of detail, though, we’ll go back and find that information out for the Member. Thank you.

Just to be clear, four hearings as in four opportunities for various cases, or four individual cases. Just so I’m clear.

Just to be clear, it wasn’t the number four and we will get the information for the Member.

Thank you. So I guess Hansard will ensure they spell it F-O-R.

Mr. Hawkins.