Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Honourable Premier, Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It sounds like the Member is the only one that’s declared it to be a unanimous failure. I think this public review of devolution legislation is something that’s been ongoing for some time. Perhaps if I reviewed the objectives of the review, the Member might have a clearer understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish.

We’re trying to encourage the general public to better understand the legislative process associated with devolution, including mirroring and delegation, to have an opportunity to review devolution legislation and to ask questions of clarification, to communicate the devolved and then evolved process, to gather initial public responses, questions and suggestions about current and future devolution legislation, to provide the general public with an understanding of the legislative processes for amendment of existing bills and development of new legislation.

There have been 2,100 legislation reviews website views. Not one of them has complained about an inability to access the website and it appears the Member wants a Cadillac review version. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would just like to mention that I have probably accessed it a dozen times from my chair here, so that doesn’t tell us anything, Mr. Speaker. What we need is a meaningful consultation, a meaningful interaction, a discussion back and forth.

Who is going to interact meaningfully between a screen and themselves on sweeping devolution legislation like this that is complex and so on? Will the Premier get real and get a real process in place that starts providing opportunity for interactions with our public and making this northern legislation?

We are getting real. We are real. The Member talks about a glacial response to questions that are posted on the website. There were two questions posted on the website. The first one related to directors’ liabilities. The second one related to legal obligations for those wishing to bring pet monkeys to the Northwest Territories. The first question was answered and the response posted on the devolution website and the second question was handled by ENR. I don’t see where the glacial response comes in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Two questions. So we’ve gone from 2,100 now down to two. That’s an interesting leap. What the public is demanding and has demanded…and the Premier’s strategy of giving them a website to look at will work. Over time, people will lose interest, be disconnected from government and there will be no transparency as the Premier would like. Clearly, what’s needed is some real interaction.

Again, when will the Premier put out a plain language version of all these acts to people and put out word when the meetings will be, where they will be and give them a real opportunity to have some input and make this our own? Mahsi.

The Member is suggesting that there’s a groundswell of public who can’t wait to respond and review all this legislation. I see no evidence of that. We have committed to a final summary report that will be shared with the standing committee before the end of session. If committee is unhappy with the report, they can respond to it and we will take action. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a hard time being interested myself with the sort of response I get from the Premier. So, again, his strategy is working. The lack of interest is not real lack of interest; it’s a lack of opportunity to engage. So I’m saying to the Premier, what opportunities will he provide to engage with real people on real issues and make this legislation our own?

What changes to this legislation, what evolving is this Premier going to propose on the input he’s received to make it our own based on his earlier commitments, devolve and then evolve? What has he heard? What are the changes we are looking for from all those comments and where are they? Mahsi.

We will be producing a summary report, providing it to committee. Committee can respond to it. My expectation is that the responsible departments for the respective devolution legislation will review the legislation and, over time, they’ll go out to the public, seek input to the specific legislation, and that will be accomplished through transition, and also, we will fulfill all of the commitments that we made to devolve and evolve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today we’re talking about bullying. Bullying is most prevalent in the young people population, but it’s all over. My question is to the Minister of Justice. It’s essential that we have peace officers, like one of the symbols that we have here in the North and across Canada are RCMP officers.

To the Minister’s knowledge, have any young people from the NWT participated in the RCMP’s Aboriginal Pre-Cadet Training Program? Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we have had folks participate in what was the Aboriginal Community Constable Program. That was a pilot project and that’s since evolved into the Community Constable Program. There’s another intake this coming June in Regina. We’ve had four applicants. Two are active and we’re looking across the territory for other interested candidates to take part in that Community Constable Program in Regina. Thank you.

It’s essential that relationship building happens between RCMP and the community. So as such, has the Department of Justice considered its own version of the RCMP program? I have in mind a community-based policing program where young people are mentored not only by experienced police officers but also by caring and strong community elders. Mahsi.

It is very important that the RCMP continue to foster a strong working relationship with communities across the Northwest Territories. We’ve done a great deal of work in that regard helping communities establish policing plans, working with communities, the leadership of communities. We’re also moving into community safety plans now across the Northwest Territories, and again working with leaders and community members. We’re going to arrive at that. Through the Community Constable Program we will get constables into communities in the Northwest Territories that are going to provide the RCMP with cultural awareness and community awareness and help the RCMP in achieving their goals and objectives in keeping our community safe. Thank you.

I’d like to thank the Minister for his reply. He indicated at the outset that there have been two applicants, and I think the Department of Justice could try to assist communities to increase those numbers.

Will the Minister consider introducing a community-based mentoring project beginning with a handful of small communities? Will the Minister work with the RCMP, other policing officers and community elders to make this happen? Mahsi.

The RCMP has recently filled its Aboriginal proactive recruiter position. The recruiter will be travelling throughout the Northwest Territories to actively recruit persons for all categories of jobs and positions with the RCMP. If the Member is aware of any people in his communities that are interested in the Community Constable Program, I’d encourage him to have them contact the RCMP or our new Aboriginal proactive recruiter so that they can hopefully get into the program this coming June. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the time for innovation is here, especially when this department has undertaken along with this government the on-the-land program, and we’re kind of making it up as we go. So, there’s an opportunity to perhaps reach out into the community.

Once again, will the Minister consider doing a community-based mentoring project with the RCMP so that experienced police officers and, at the same time, community elders are involved with trying to mentor young Aboriginal people to become RCMP officers? Mahsi.

The Member brings up a good point in trying to get the elders involved in the communities and the RCMP. This is something I’d like to take back to the RCMP. Of course, they are our partner in this, the Department of Justice, the RCMP and the communities, and we will get a response for the Member. I like his idea. Any way that we can encourage young people to get involved in the RCMP and protecting our communities and making them safe, that’s a good step in the right direction. I thank the Member for his suggestion.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Minister of Justice, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is a line that, of course, the RCMP makes the decision on. They have to weigh a number of factors before they consider notifying the public. Perhaps we could engage the RCMP if Members want a briefing on how this works. I’d be happy to have the RCMP sit down with the Standing Committee on Social Programs and we can go over the hows and whys of public notification.