Thank you. Committee has agreed to consider Tabled Document 143-18(2), Capital Estimates 2017-2018, starting with the Department of Justice. Does the Minister of Justice wish to begin bringing witnesses into the Chamber?

I would like to bring witnesses in.

Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, please introduce your witnesses for the record.

Yes. To my right is Martin Goldney, deputy minister, and to my left is Kim Schofield, acting assistant deputy minister.

Okay. We will proceed to page 50, Justice, deferring departmental total until after consideration of the activity summary. Total estimate, capital estimate $16,683,000. We will proceed to activity detail on pages 52-53. On page 52, infrastructure investments, total $16,527,000, going into detail on 53. Any questions? Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In regard to the capital plan, I see that Fort Smith corrections, for the ladies is in the Capital Plan, and it's talking about a 23-bed facility, but presently we're only having an eight to 10, so currently, females that are using the facility. So can the Minister please provide a rationale why such a large facility is being built? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Sebert.

Yes. Thank you for the question. Yes, so, though the facility might be slightly larger than what we need currently, what we have to be cognizant of is peaks and valleys. Looking over the last few years, there have been peaks as low as three or four and highs as high as 18, so we wanted to build a facility that was big enough to accommodate the highs as well as the lows, obviously. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess my concern is we talked about lows of three and 18, and we're talking about rehabilitation as a priority and focusing on that. I'm a bit concerned that we're going to spend a lot of money and it's going to become like the youth corrections here, in Yellowknife. So did the department look at that facility that was being built for the one that was built already and look at using that as the correction and then making a smaller young offenders home in Fort Smith? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Minister.

Ms. Schofield could answer that.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Ms. Schofield.

Thank you, Ms. Schofield. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank Ms. Schofield for that answer. Can the Minister please explain to us what kind of work has been done up to this date on this facility? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Minister.

Yes, thank you. Of course, there's a considerable amount of planning that did go into the facility, and, as I understand it, there were some changes in the structure or the plans for the structure. I can advise that actual construction had started when I was last in Fort Smith, which was a couple of weeks ago. They were starting some of the basic construction, pouring cement while the weather was still decent. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Thompson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer. What cost has the department or the government paid to date for this facility? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Mr. Minister.

I understand that $1.2 million has been expended so far, but we are bound by contractual obligations, of course. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Is that satisfactory? Mr. Thompson.

Yes, it does. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Blake.