In the first four days of operation of legal cannabis, there was about $129,600 worth of sales. $10,900 of this was online sales, and sales took part in all regions of the Northwest Territories.

It seems like a popular product, and it seems to be flying off the shelves. Can the Minister confirm if the supply notice that was provided, at the Yellowknife store at least, if that is in fact true, that they have no more supply to offer folks in Yellowknife?

My understanding is that they have run out of product. As I said earlier, they are looking at trying to bring more product in from the three suppliers that we have.

I have been reading the news, as well. I read the news every morning to see what is going to be raised in the Chamber today, and I know that this is an issue that is facing the country. They are having supply issues all across the country. Once the initial rush is off, we think things will probably stabilize a bit. I am not sure that we anticipated the level that was going to be needed, as far as cannabis goes, across the country.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's 30 kilos of cannabis in four days or six days. Again, it seems that the demand is quite strong in the Northwest Territories, and we don't know, at this point, if it is an initial rush or if this is a market thing.

Does this new market data give confidence to the Minister that there is a viable market for cannabis in the Northwest Territories, and how does that reflect on our current regulations for private sales? Thank you.

It is an indication of the use of cannabis across the Northwest Territories. I did expect that there was going to be a bit of a rush, and I thought that, once the rush was over, it would stabilize a bit, but early indicators are that it seems to be a product that is in high demand.

As far as the vendors go, it seems to be that there is a market for vendors. They may run into the same issues that we have. However, having said that, the regulations are out, so anybody who wants to be a vendor can put their application in. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about the Arctic Policy Framework and the NWT chapter. I have questions for the Premier.

Mr. Speaker, my first question is: how has the GNWT engaged with the federal government in the development of the Arctic Policy Framework to date? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. The Honourable Premier.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Arctic and Northern Policy Framework will be a federal document with the federal government making the financial decision on what is in it. With that said, Government of Northwest Territories officials have been actively engaged in the development of the framework document, working to ensure that territorial priorities are included.

We have also been sharing drafts with our partners on the intergovernmental council to seek their views. Their feedback has been very helpful, and, as agreed to by the IGC, GNWT officials have provided these views to Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the response from the Premier. Mr. Speaker, have the GNWT's concerns been addressed in the NWT chapter of the Arctic Policy Framework? If not, what are some of the outstanding issues?

I guess the biggest outstanding issue is the fact that the original timelines proposed by Canada would have had the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework completed by now. However, there have been a number of delays in the process.

The current schedule presented by Canada has the overarching part of the framework being released first, and then provincial, territorial, and Indigenous chapters will be developed following the initial release. Canada is also proposing that a governance framework and investment strategy will be released at the same time as these chapters.

I appreciate the response from the Premier. Mr. Speaker, does the Premier know when a draft policy will be released?

The federal government has used a co-development approach to develop the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework. It has not been without challenges, but the Government of the Northwest Territories appreciates the opportunity to work collaboratively with the federal government and the Members of the intergovernmental secretariat to develop the federal document.

The Government of the Northwest Territories is pleased with the progress that has been achieved by the new federal Minister of Northern Affairs on our priority files to date. We will continue to work with the federal government to advance these. As this is a federal framework, final decisions on timing will be Canada's. Based on current discussions, it is our hope that the substantial work that has gone into the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework will result in meaningful investments in the Northwest Territories starting with the federal 2019 budget.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the response and, as well, the timelines. Mr. Speaker, next year is an election year, and I hope, during the development and the final stages of this policy framework, that the Government of the Northwest Territories makes a big push to ensure that our sovereignty and our needs for infrastructure in the Northwest Territories are looked after.

Mr. Speaker, I am just wondering if the Premier would give us an update on any movements any time soon, in the near future, and down within the next 365 days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As we have committed previously, we are committed to providing a Northwest Territories chapter once it is in a suitable format that can be shared. At this time, we are still yet to achieve that because the chapter keeps changing almost on a weekly basis. We are still committed to sharing that information as soon as we reach that point.

Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Justice. Has the Minister met with the RCMP to discuss the police response to the woman who was taken to the cells after being sexually assaulted? Mahsi.

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can advise that, several weeks ago, the Minister responsible for the Status of Women and I had met with the commanding officer and shared our concerns about these matters with him. I believe he shared our concerns.

I'm glad to hear that meeting happened. Can you tell me whether there was any commitment to change on the part of the RCMP and how they handled women in this situation?

Yes. The Member opposite referenced the RCMP report which came out in December 2017, which advocated change on both a national level. I understand that the RCMP has increased training specific to sexual assault investigations, both locally and nationally.

Mr. Speaker, in order to encourage women to report sexual assault, the Family Violence Shelter in Whitehorse provides for third-party reporting. Kaushee's Place has staff trained to take statements from women about what happened to them and to collect medical evidence. Is the Minister familiar with third-party reporting of sexual assault in Whitehorse, and is he interested in having it here?