Mahsi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi

, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, family violence shelters provide safety for woman and children fleeing violence, and there are five in the Northwest Territories. They're located in Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvik, Yellowknife, Hay River, and Fort Smith. At present, there isn't a formula for funding these shelters that's based on the number of beds or other variables, and as a result, shelter funding varies outside of Yellowknife and puts those shelters at a disadvantage. I'll give you a concrete example: The Fort Smith shelter has eight beds and has a budget of $515,000, whereas Hay River has 11 beds and gets $2,000 less per year. My question today is whether the Minister of Health and Social Services can make a commitment to review shelter funding and establish a formula that levels the playing field?

Mahsi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

We currently spend about $2.7 million on shelters in the Northwest Territories as well as an additional $200,000 that's available to communities or regions that don't have shelters. There is, as the Member said, no set formula for determining the allocation authorities, and there certainly isn't a formula to provide for forced growth to the shelters or to the NGOs. This is something that we certainly are happy to look at and would be happy to have more discussions with the Member in committee. We have looked at various ways to address inflationary increases in shelter costs. Personally, I think once we move to one authority, we'll actually be in a much better position to have meaningful discussion around this particular topic, when we have a coordinated and consolidated budgeting process, because right now every authority is running a different financial system and different budgeting process. We'll be in a much better position to have meaningful discussion on this once we move to a single authority.

Can I take that as a commitment that the Minister will review shelter funding and establish a formula that levels the playing field for all the family violence shelters?

Once we move into a single authority I'd be happy to work with committee on that to determine the scope and nature, and how we can actually work to improve the process of providing funding to the shelters.

Shelter funding hasn't increased since 2011, and shelters are feeling the effects with buildings that are in need of repair and a high staff turnover because the wages paid are low. I'm wondering if the Minister can make a commitment to increase the funding to the shelters to support the valuable work they do on an annual basis until all the shelters are funded equally.

As the Minister of Finance has indicated, we are in a difficult financial situation. We do need to be very careful with the money that we're spending. We also have to look within to make sure that the dollars that we're spending are getting maximum effect and maximum benefit.

I will commit to working with Members through the business planning process to identify where our dollars are being spent, and as I indicated, once we have actually moved forward to one authority and we have a more consolidated budgeting process, we'll be in a better position to have a discussion with the Member and committee on the funding for the different shelters in the Northwest Territories.

Mahsi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's hard to imagine a priority that is larger than keeping women and children safe from violence, given the number of incidents here and the number of deaths. If shelters are forced to close because they don't have the funds to keep their buildings open and pay their staff, a very real possibility at this point, who will respond to the needs of women and children in danger? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker

I think we're saying the same thing. We both believe this is a priority and we want to continue to move forward, but we have to do it light of the fiscal realities that we're facing. I've committed to doing the review once we move to a single authority, and to having continued discussions on this particular topic during business planning.

We want the same thing. We just have to find a way of getting there.

Mahsi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Community safety and enforcement is a priority for the Government of the Northwest Territories. In an effort to provide the best policing that we can, all the communities in the NWT have had an opportunity this year to develop policing priorities and action plans with the RCMP. The policing and action plans are developed in partnership with the RCMP and community residents, and are based on the specific needs of each community. The RCMP has developed a policing priorities and action plan with Fort Providence that dealt with or covered three issues that the community determined were the most important: substance abuse; impaired driving; and youth and community involvement.

My second question is to how it is that communities can be involved. I think the Minister has generally outlined that for the community of Fort Providence, but there are other communities in the North that more likely would like to understand and undertake such an exercise. They are trying to bridge the gap between perhaps the RCMP and the community. The question is: How can communities become effectively involved in developing policing plans?

The RCMP have gone out to all of the communities in the Northwest Territories and in developing the action plans, they look at the specific needs of the communities. I understand they have done this in every community, including Fort Providence.

The Minister has indicated that a number of action plans, community policing action plans, were developed. I understand that, at the last count, that the NWT had about 33 communities. How many of those communities have a community policing action plans?

I understand that all of the 33 communities that do have detachments do have action plans. I believe the RCMP is working on those communities that they do not have a detachment in to also have a form of action plan. But I certainly say that every community in which there is a detachment has entered into an action plan with the RCMP, including Fort Providence.

Mahsi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There has been, of course, lots of discussion in terms of the root of the crime in most communities, and the conclusions of the inter-agency group that has been established to deal with the break-and-enters is that it goes back to residential schools. I am trying to understand and ask the Minister just the scope of the framework of the involvement of the RCMP in the community respecting individual rights. What are the possibilities in terms of developing more linkages, perhaps, with on-the-land programs, and considering, maybe, the move towards healing and wellness in light of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations and action plan that were tabled at the federal government?

I can advise that policing priorities and action plans are living documents, so that if priorities or concerns change, they can certainly be changed. Also, I know that in Fort Providence there is an active Community Justice Committee Coordinator who runs weekly crime prevention initiatives at the youth centre. They also accept referrals from the RCMP and the Crown to divert youth from the formal justice systems. There is a series of responses to this issue that the police are undertaking, and I understand that there are always problems in moving forward with these, but I understand that the actual rate of crime in the Member's home community is actually in decline, despite ongoing concerns. Actions are being taken. The department as well as the RCMP are always willing to look at new plans, wellness, wellness courts, diversion courts, and so on. Action plans and policing priorities may change, but the police and the department are always open to change.

Mahsi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, properly maintained community infrastructure makes our communities safer and more cost-effective, and will provide jobs and economic growth in the short term. Will the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs explain how far along we are with closing the $27-million gap that our communities are lacking? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.