Mr. Speaker, I have a return to the written question asked by Ms. Green on June 1, 2017, regarding unfounded sexual assault cases.

Mr. Speaker, senior members at "G" Division conducted a review of all unfounded sexual assault cases from 2010 to 2016, including the evidence in each case file. As I've reported to this Legislative Assembly previously, the review indicated that a number of cases were miscoded as unfounded in the last step of closing the file. This seems to have been a common issue across the country and data quality concerns about the imprecise use of this code instead of other options such as not cleared or unsubstantiated led Statistics Canada to stop analyzing its use several years ago.

The code is intended to indicate that a report has been fully investigated and that a crime did not occur or was not attempted. It does not indicate the way the case was investigated, only the way it was classified in the RCMP's internal computer system at the end of the investigation. The proportion of sexual assault complaints in the NWT deemed as unfounded after this review was reduced to 18.7 per cent. Of these, 42 per cent had been reported by a third party, meaning the report came from someone who had seen or been told something that led them to believe someone else had been sexually assaulted. Police would typically not contact a third-party complainant to explain the reasons a case was coded in a particular way after the investigation concluded. A victim who reports an assault should always be kept aware of the progress and results of the investigation, and can contact the detachment at any time to speak with the member in charge of the file or the member's supervisor. During the file review initiated by "G" Division, there may have been instances where complainants were contacted by the investigating officer.

The significance of reporting that 42 per cent of the unfounded sexual assault complaints were third-party complaints is only to provide some context to the statistics. These complaints are not first-hand from a victim of sexual assault, but by someone else who had seen or been told something that led them to believe a sexual assault has occurred.

The information from the review has been sent to National Headquarters, Ottawa, in order to help the RCMP to develop a force-wide response to the issue. At this time, I do not have any additional details on the review, including the results of the review in specific communities.

The RCMP has consulted with national and international law enforcement agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations and government partners regarding sexual assault investigational practices, policy, training, and public engagement. I have been informed that the RCMP will make clear recommendations to address gaps identified by the review and external consultations, in a report that will be made public.

Given the RCMP's unique jurisdictional mandate providing police services to provincial/territorial and municipal contracting partners, they must ensure that an appropriate, coordinated national response is put in place, and I've been informed that this response is currently in the final stages of quality assurance.

I look forward to the RCMP's national response to this important issue, and to the recommendations regarding the organization's sexual assault investigational practices, policy, training, and public engagement, and how that will impact policing in the NWT. In the meantime, Chief Superintendent Zettler has assured me that the RCMP have taken steps to ensure RCMP members are provided with everything they need to fully and properly investigate allegations of sexual assault, while remaining considerate and sensitive to the experience of the person coming forward. We all recognize that it is critical that everyone has confidence that when sexual assaults are reported, that they will be thoroughly investigated, with victims treated with care. The recent attention to how these investigations have been previously classified has highlighted and reinforced this concern. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to the written question asked by Mr. O'Reilly on June 2, 2017, regarding the School Funding Framework.

In the 2016-2017 school year, there were 86.5 full-time equivalent students enrolled in junior kindergarten and 7, 701 FTE students in kindergarten to grade 12.

Junior kindergarten was offered in the following 20 communities: Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Ulukhaktok, Tsiigehtchic, Tuktoyaktuk, Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, Wrigley, Kakisa, Jean Marie River, Colville Lake, Deline, Fort Good Hope, Normal Wells, Tulita, Lutselke, Ndilo, Detah, Sachs Harbour, and Nahanni Butte.

For the 2017-2018 school year, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment projects 475.3 FTE students to be enrolled in JK and 8,107 FTE students in K-12, for a total of 8,582.3 FTE.

Later today at the appropriate time I will table the calculations made using the 2017-2018 School Funding Framework that show the incremental amount under each funding category comparing K-12 funding and JK-12 funding. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I have a return to the written question asked by Mr. O'Reilly on June 2, 2017, regarding the consultancy contract with Earnscliffe Strategy Group.

Earnscliffe Strategy Group (Earnscliffe) was contracted by Executive and Indigenous Affairs to provide as and when requested:

● Intelligence on government policy and legislative agendas at the international, national, provincial, and municipal level;

● Ongoing monitoring of key developments on files of interest to clients;

● Design of core narratives for the purpose of building or reinforcing clients' public branding;

● Developing of unique communications programs to build awareness and exposure of clients and their interests;

● Development of key messages for meetings, interviews, and editorial board meetings;

● Facilitation of media opportunities, promotional initiatives, and awareness-building events to promote clients, their brands, and interests;

● Identification of the appropriate decision-makers/contacts in the Prime Ministers' Office and in key Ministers' offices and departments of government, as well as intelligence on their priorities and views;

● Design of core narratives for client issues that navigate political, bureaucratic and private-sector dynamics;

● Identification of alignment opportunities between clients' objectives and federal government priorities, initiatives and the legislative process;

● Insights into Cabinet, Caucus and Standing Committee processes and reviews and their roles in effective political, policy and regulatory strategies;

● Road mapping stakeholders and engagement plans to help clients approach government at all levels; and

● Development of government and parliamentary submissions.

Mr. Speaker, you will note from the list above that Earnscliffe was not hired to plan and coordinate GNWT trips to Ottawa.

Mr. O'Reilly asked me if any of the seven Cabinet Ministers and 15 staff members participating in the trip to Ottawa meet with any representative of Earnscliffe during the November 2016 trip to Ottawa, and I can advise the House that representatives of Earnscliffe met with Ministers to provide a briefing on federal legislative and policy priorities. Ministers also participated in group and individual media training provided by Earnscliffe during the November 2016 trip to Ottawa.

In response to the Member's question about why the Earnscliffe Strategy Group invoiced the GNWT for a total of $30,450 for October, November, and December 2016, I can confirm that Earnscliffe, as is common for contracts of this nature, Earnscliffe bills on the basis of a monthly retainer covering the range of services listed above.

The Member from Frame Lake also noted that the Federal Lobbyist Registry describing the activity of Earnscliffe on behalf of the GNWT says Earnscliffe, arranges meetings with the federal representatives and asked why the GNWT did not take advantage of those services while in Ottawa. Mr. Speaker, Earnscliffe's registration pre-dates this government and was done in case there was a need for them to undertake activities on behalf of the GNWT that would have to be reported on the Lobbyist Registry. Three communications on the GNWT's behalf were reported on the Registry in January and February 2015. No lobbying has been undertaken by Earnscliffe during this 18th Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.