This is page numbers 5255 - 5298 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was housing. View the webstream of the day's session.

Topics

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As I have said, we are having a look at this. There are a number of options that are available on the table and, if the Member has any solution besides just throwing money at this, I would gladly ask him to come down to my office and give me some solutions that will work on this, and any Member on the other side of the House. This is not an easy problem to solve. Sure, we may kind of make a laugh and a joke about it in the House, but this is a situation, as the Member said, that has been going on for a long time. It is going to take some money and some ingenuity and some innovation to figure out how we are going to solve this problem, and we will continue to do that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement earlier today I spoke about some of our procurement policies, in particular, the Manufactured Products Policy. I would like to ask the Minister responsible why some of these products are proved in general terms, like winch truck, which has no specifications for what is required in that definition, while others require exact specifications, such as steel garbage recycling containers, 52 inches by 54 inches by 71 inches, bear-proof top. These distinctions seem arbitrary and are applied inconsistently. At least, that is the perspective of my constituents, who are not procurement experts. I am hoping that someone who is an expert in procurement can answer some of those questions for my constituents and help us understand why some products have no requirements and others have very exacting requirements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To be honest with you, I can't answer that exact question, because this policy goes all the way back to the 1990s when the manufacturing policy was brought forward. That is exactly why this government has decided to come up with a new strategy and sit down with the Manufacturers' Association to have the discussion around how we can make our strategy and how we can make this policy better. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

I am not getting into that policy, which is not before the House at this time, and the Minister has already told us that. Is that an area that they looked at when they were developing it? Was one of their policy objectives to correct this inconsistency between product classifications?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

There were a number of issues that were raised by the Northern Manufacturers' Association, and I believe that this is one of them that we are looking at and trying to figure out a way to address it.

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you to the Minister. That is good news, and I look forward to reviewing that strategy. Looking to the manufactured products application form, it calls for "competitive pricing for the same product or products named above from a southern vendor." Why is it up to small businesses to do market research for the BIP bureau? Is this not something that the bureau could do themselves and then use that to inform the registration of these products? Can the Minister commit to at least changing that part of the application process?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As I have said, we are looking at a number of things. The strategy is in front of committee, and if the Member would like to make a comment on that when committee makes their recommendations back to us, I strongly recommend that he have a strong look at that section, but we are looking at this complete strategy to try to figure out how to bring more economic opportunities to the manufacturers of the Northwest Territories.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is always hard to wait for another strategy, but this one is with committee, so I will do my due diligence on that side. I would like assurances from the Minister that he is going to implement the decisions in that strategy, the specific actions, before the end of this government, and that it is not put off for another government to put on the shelf somewhere. Will he implement the strategy within the life of this government? Thank you.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

We will be tabling this strategy before the end of this Assembly, and I strongly believe in what we are doing in working hand-in-hand with the northern manufacturers to make this a better document for them with more clarity and figure out a way, as I have said, to bring economic opportunities to the eleven manufacturers that we have in the Northwest Territories and hopefully grow that.

There are a number of meaningful ideas that have been put forward in this strategy to help them realize these opportunities. We have worked very closely with the Northern Manufacturers' Association and, as I said in the House the other day when we were talking about this, we had a couple of committee members who actually participated in that. This document is in front of committee right now, and I am sure that they are going to be making some strong recommendations based on what their feedback is as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Question 659-18(3): Gladue Reports
Oral Questions

March 7th, 2019

Page 5259

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Justice. As I said in my statement, the Yukon government is piloting a program to train people to write Gladue reports. The purpose of these reports is to inform the court of the Indigenous offender's background so that the judge can take this information into consideration for sentencing. My question is: has the Minister given any thought to funding a report-writing program like the one in the Yukon here in the NWT?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Justice.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Section 718.2(e) of the criminal code requires courts in sentencing to consider all available sanctions other than imprisonment and additionally to pay particular attention to the circumstances of Aboriginal offenders.

Now, the Supreme Court, in the case of Gladue from about 20 years ago, directed sentencing judges to undertake the sentencing of Aboriginal offenders individually, but also to consider the unique circumstances by examining some factors, including the unique systemic or background factors, which may have played a part in bringing in the particular Aboriginal offender before the courts and the types of sentencing procedures and sanctions which may be appropriate because the offenders are of Aboriginal heritage and connection.

For the judge to get that information, generally case-specific information is required from counsel and also a pre-sentence report. In our jurisdiction, these reports are done by probation officers, and I am confident that they are getting the information that is needed before the courts. Thank you.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I appreciate that the Minister has done his homework on this. However, it is my information that pre-sentence reports are written with a different focus than Gladue reports, and so my question, again, is whether the Minister has thought about funding a writing program like the one that they have in the Yukon to produce Gladue reports.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

I know that in our jurisdiction there is a specific section of a pre-sentence report that refers to factors related to the accused as an Indigenous offender, including the legacy of residential schools and other contributing circumstances. That information, which is important, is actually a section within the pre-sentence report. The attention of the maker of the report, the probation officer, should be drawn to that section if it is applicable. Obviously, we are always looking for better ideas, and I understand that the project in the Yukon, which is a pilot project, has been going on for approximately one year. We are interested in progress. Certainly, we could look at ways of improving. We are always interested in that in the courts.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I am delighted that the Minister is interested in better ideas. I think that there it is, right next door in the Yukon. Among the benefits of the Yukon program is the collaboration between the Council of Yukon First Nations, Legal Aid, and the government. Does he see a way that this kind of collaboration could be replicated in the Northwest Territories for the production of these Gladue reports?

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Obviously, the lawyers who appear before the courts and the probation officers are well aware of the issues and the necessity, in certain cases, of Gladue principles being brought before the courts. Again, we can always improve, and certainly I could be looking at ways in which our systems could be improved and would be looking at new and innovative manners of proceeding.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I am wondering if the government is interested in another of the benefits of the Yukon program, which is that it trains Indigenous people to be Gladue report writers. Could the Minister get behind that kind of an approach here in the NWT and not wait for the Yukon pilot to finish in two years in order to start it? Thank you.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

As I say, we are always interested in what is going on in other jurisdictions to see if we can improve our methods. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, the probation reports here are prepared by probation officers, many of whom are Aboriginal themselves. I don't know whether it's most; it could well be. Again, we are always looking at ways of improving, and we will be looking at the Yukon pilot project. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Sahtu.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Now that Phebie and David are retired here, Mr. Speaker, using innovation and current community inventory and low-energy efficiency programs would result in improving our community market with renovated homes. My first question to the Minister: if we have units sitting idle in our communities, would the Minister support a pilot project to single out a unit in Fort Good Hope, Tulita, and Deline to develop the necessary applications to various sources, renovate, and showcase a low-cost home in these communities?