Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister, you've already noted that the GNWT follows the Affirmative Action Policy and you are on par with the rest of the GNWT. Do you have anything further to Mr. Beaulieu's questions?

Mr. Goldney does.

Thank you. Mr. Goldney.

Thank you. Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'm wondering if corrections has anybody in the associate director program, the development program set up by GNWT to try to increase the number of senior managers with the priority one status in the GNWT. I'm wondering if this department, I'm not talking about the whole department, but particularly the section, whichever directors or managers or wardens, whatever the positions may be called, I don't know, but there is a program. The program development where they have associate directors.

Does this section have any of those positions placed in any of the corrections facilities that we have or the corrections headquarters, the people responsible for corrections who are not actually working out of the facilities, if any of those individuals exist in the department? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister.

I'm not certain whether we have any employees in the program that was referenced by the Member, but I know there are people on transfer assignments. I don't know whether Mr. Goldney wants to add anything to that. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Goldney.

Thank you. Nothing further from Mr. Beaulieu. Seeing nothing further, I will call this activity on page 281. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm sorry I didn't put my hand up earlier. A few questions. Again, I'm going to go back to aspects with regard to training. I don't think that the department takes this lightly in any way, shape, or form. I recognize that they understand the importance of matters that have gone on recently in terms of concerns raised by inmates as well as officers with regard to particularly the North Slave Correctional Centre. I'm going to make some degree of assumption in saying that there are some similar challenges in maybe some of our other facilities. In my view, it comes down to really how strong we're doing on our communications and on our training.

I don't think that my honourable colleague from Kam Lake went so far as to ask what types of training we actually undertake for our officers. I know that could be vast, but I mean can the Minister maybe start by explaining to us what the basic forms of training our officers require, and are our officers currently all up to date on that training? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Of course, training is an ongoing concern and a lifetime occupation. Some of the areas that in particular we have concentrated on recently is training in the area of de-escalation techniques, violence prevention, and responsibilities around the use of force. This training is ongoing. Of course, there is always regular training going on, but those are things that we've been concentrating on in addition to the regular training of late. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, I appreciate hearing that there is some training going on as it relates to arrest training and the use of force. I recognize that was a concern, that some officers were recognizing that there just seems to be kind of a culture to want to take an aggressive approach first rather than taking the verbal approach. How about verbal judo? Is this something that the officers undertake? Is that a form of training that is required? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I understand that verbal judo, as it was referred to, would be a part of de-escalation techniques. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Are all of our officers first aid certified? Thank you, Mr. Chair

Thank you. Minister.

I am not certain of the answer that. I don't think they would all have to be first aid certified, but I can get back to the Member on that. I don't have any exact information on that. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Vanthuyne.