Masi.

There are no ivory towers in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker, and we're constantly being asked in this House, quite properly, that decisions be evidence-based. Well, here was the evidence, the report, a very expensive report, that we received in the fall of last year. As a result of that, there were some minor changes made to the program. We went out. We attempted to solicit bids. That goes on. As I mentioned earlier, I am optimistic that an NGO will step forward.

Mr. Speaker, I should have taken you up on the opportunity for a Member's statement because, if the Minister would have read the Member's statement I made last time, it explained that the program isn't based on the report. What NGOs is the department in talks with to bring this program to fruition?

Mr. Speaker, I'm afraid that information is confidential at the request of those parties.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, the Minister provided a response to my written questions on the number of cases that were found to be unfounded on sexual assault. He indicated that a reclassification had reduced the number to 18.7.

My question, first of all, is whether the Minister is going to direct the RCMP to reinvestigate or follow up with those cases? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Justice.

No, I can't direct the RCMP to do that. I do know that the RCMP are treating this matter very seriously. I understand that they looked at these old files, and I think that was the satisfactory and correct response from the RCMP.

Mr. Speaker, what I'm asking is whether, in addition to establishing that there were classification errors, the RCMP, in their new number of unfounded cases, are going to re-investigate, review, follow up to determine whether in fact those cases were unfounded.

As I mentioned earlier in this House, I was informed by the RCMP that they did do an investigation of those past cases. I'm not sure of the extent of that investigation as to whether they examined the evidence. I do know that they did look at those files that were identified as unfounded in that six-year period. I'm not certain as to the exact nature of that investigation.

Mr. Speaker, could the Minister commit to getting that information for us about exactly what kind of an investigation took place into those old files, including whether the evidence was re-examined?

The RCMP, Mr. Speaker, are, of course, independent of the Department of Justice. I will ask for an expansion of the information that I have been given so that I can supply that to the Members of this House.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister reported yesterday in his long response that, of those cases that were re-examined, 42 per cent were found to be third-party complaints and were unacceptable. What about the other 58 per cent? What was the reason that they were dismissed? Thank you.

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, the information provided me by the RCMP indicated that 42 were third-party which were not proceeded with. I imagine the others were proceeded with because there was perhaps insufficient evidence or, possibly, the complaint was actually unfounded. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, I spoke around issues in accessing housing services, and I would like to ask the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation: Are steps being taken to renew the strategic renewal of the corporation? Are some of those going to be looking at online access to LHOs and the various programs? Are we going to look at making the Housing Corporation's programs more user-friendly for Northerners? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, definitely. The survey highlighted quite prominently that communication is an issue for the housing corporation, and part of communication is having people knowledgeable about the programs that we have and being accessible to be able to apply for that programming. Part of the communications plan is to deal with the accessible forms online, so, yes, we will be revising them.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister has said to me she is going to look into this issue, outside of the House and now in the Chamber. Can she commit today that there will be online access to all programs by the end of this calendar year?

It is difficult, I have realized, being in government now, putting an actual timeline on things, and we have huge amounts of policies, procedures, and programs that we are now going through, so I can't commit to a timeline. I can commit that, by the time that I have finished, after a four-year term, the initial application to access housing will be available online. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.