This is page numbers 6289 - 6352 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 assembly.

Topics

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to add to the Minister's opening comments about some of the substantive changes that were negotiated and agreed to in the clause-by-clause review. As one of my colleagues mentioned, there were 32 motions, and it is certainly not my intention to go over all of them.

Some of the significant changes to the bill included a statement of purpose for the bill and guiding principles, a statement of victims' rights, and the inclusion of the development and offering of both general and rehabilitative programs that would be offered to both sentenced and remanded inmates. This was really a key demand of all those letters that we received, as referenced earlier, from inmates in the fall of, I think, 2017.

The bill also established minimum living standards for inmates. It talks about the use of force and security assessments. It now makes a distinction between separate confinement and solitary confinement. The difference there is that solitary confinement has a disciplinary element. It provides for adjudicators for disciplinary matters and also a complaints process. We will be seeing, going forward, an annual report from Corrections on a number of different matters that are contained within this bill.

This is a better bill from having worked together, and with the witnesses here, especially the deputy Minister, I would like to express my thanks for their problem-solving approach to this bill. I think that we all ended up with a better piece of legislation as a result. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Sebert.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

I would like to thank committee Members for their comments today. An awful lot of work did go into this, and that is why we have the improved product that is before us today. I, too, would like to thank the staff who worked so hard on this and the committee Members who contributed significantly. As I say, the bill is much better, and it is something that we all can be proud of. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Sebert. Ms. Green.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Nothing further. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Next on the list, we have Mr. McNeely.

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, for one, am glad to see the old act being changed, taking into account the number of problems and concerns and phone calls and interactions we have within our smaller communities particularly, in the areas of social development and victims of abuse. As my colleague from the Deh Cho had mentioned earlier, trauma experienced during the residential school, that environment really adds to program delivery, as mentioned in the summary of the act or the bill, with the statement: the new act focuses less on punishment and more on rehabilitation and community reintegration of the offender. What is missing there is reconciliation during incarceration, and I feel comfortable by the opening comment by the Minister that there will be a wide range of improvements to the current framework of the corrections system in the area of programming and counselling.

One of the many things that I continue to support is on-the-land programming, as the department has had programs in the past, and, from what I have heard, there were a number of success stories on the offenders coming out of these on-the-land camps, connecting themselves back to their culture under that environment and moving ahead. At the appropriate time there, I would like to talk a little bit more about one of the experiences on the establishment of the Gladue Report. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Minister Sebert.

Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Again, I would like to thank the Member for his comments, and I don't want to repeat what I have already said again. We are proud of this piece of legislation. Thank you.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Sebert. Any further questions from committee? Seeing none, does committee agree that there are no further comments?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you. Committee, we can proceed to a clause-by-clause review of the bill. Does committee agree?

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, committee. We will defer the bill number and title until after consideration of the clauses. There are 60 clauses in the bill. We will consider clauses in groups. Please turn to page 10 of the bill.

---Clauses 1 through 39 inclusive approved

Mr. Thompson.

Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6325

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that Bill 45 be amended by adding the following after subclause 40.1(5):

(6) On appeal under subsection (5), the Director of Corrections may confirm, quash, or reduce any period of separate confinement imposed by the adjudicator.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6325

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. A motion has been made. The motion is being distributed. Ms. Green.

Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6325

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you. The Director of Corrections wanted to retain the ultimate authority over discipline in the correctional facility, which we understand. What we have here is an independent adjudication process. It will receive oversight by the Director of Corrections, but the key phrase here is that the director "may confirm, quash, or reduce" the periods of separate confinement, but he cannot or she cannot increase it. So this is a way to meet the needs of both the independence of the adjudicators and the need for the correctional facility to retain the ultimate authority over separate confinement. Thank you.

Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6325

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Sebert.

Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Louis Sebert

Louis Sebert Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Cabinet will be supporting this motion. Thank you.

Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6325

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Sebert. Any further questions from committee? Seeing none. The motion is in order. To the motion.

Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Some Hon. Members

Question.

Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

Thank you. To clause 40.1 as amended, does committee agree?

Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you.

---Clauses 40 through 60 inclusive approved

We will now turn to the bill number and title. Bill 45, Corrections Act. Does committee agree?

Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6326

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.