Debates of Aug. 21st, 2019
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
- Oral Questions
- Members Present
- Prayer
- Assent to Bills
- Minister's Statement 237-18(3): Minister Late
- Minister's Statement 238-18(3): Seniors Report
- Minister's Statement 239-18(3): Housing for Vulnerable Populations
- Minister's Statement 240-18(3): Post-Secondary Education Update
- Recognition of "Buffalo" Joe McBryan
- National Pharmacare
- Land Administration and Management
- Land Rights Agreements
- Eligibility for Home Improvement Funding
- Child and Family Services Quality Improvement Plan
- Recognition of Gabe Hardisty
- Waste Resource Management and Single-Use Plastics Ban
- Arctic Sovereignty
- Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
- Question 839-18(3): Access to Health Services in Fort Nelson, BC
- Question 840-18(3): Single-Use Plastics Ban
- Question 841-18(3): Child and Family Services Quality Improvement Plan
- Question 842-18(3): Eligibility for Home Improvement Funding
- Question 843-18(3): National Pharmacare and the NWT
- Question 844-18(3): Fort McPherson Housing Units
- Committee Report 35-18(3): "Lessons Learned" Report of the Special Committee on Transition Matters
- Tabled Document 509-18(3): Draft Code of Conduct and Guide for Members of the Legislative Assembly
- Tabled Document 510-18(3): Draft Rules of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, August 2019
- Tabled Document 511-18(3): Capital Estimates 2020-2021 Tabled Document 512-18(3): Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 19-18(3): Report on the Review of the 2017-2018 Public Accounts
- Tabled Document 513-18(3): 2018 Annual Report - Office of the Fire Marshal
- Tabled Document 514-18(3): Report on Seniors Access to Government of the Northwest Territories Programs and Services Tabled Document 515-18(3): What We Heard Report - Continuing Care Facilities Legislation for the Northwest Territories
- Tabled Document 516-18(3): Northwest Territories Post-Secondary Education Strategic Framework 2019-2029 Tabled Document 517-18(3): Operating Plans for Northwest Territories Education Bodies for the 2019-2020 School Year Ending June 30, 2020
- Motion 41-18(3): Adoption of Code of Conduct for Members of the Legislative Assembly
- Motion 42-18(3): Repeal and Replace Rules of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
- Motion 43-18(3): Extended Adjournment of the House to October 24, 2019
- Motion 44-18(3): Dissolution of the 18th Legislative Assembly
- Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
- Committee Motion 237-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Private Interviews between Inmates and Indigenous Elders or Spiritual Advisors, Carried
- Committee Motion 238-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Needs-based Assessments for Inmates, Carried
- Committee Motion 239-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Prioritization of Work Programs, Carried
- Committee Motion 240-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Security Assessment Tools, Carried
- Committee Motion 241-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Victim Services, Carried
- Committee Motion 242-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Government Response to Recommendations, Carried
- Committee Motion 243-18(3): Bill 45: Corrections Act - Amend Clause 40.1(5), Carried
- Committee Motion 244-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Perceptions Held by Northern Businesses Toward the Government of the Northwest Territories' Procurement Processes - Procurement Advisory Panel, carried
- Committee Motion 245-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Perceptions Held by Northern Businesses Toward the Government of the Northwest Territories' Procurement Processes - Comprehensive Public Review of Procurement Related Policies, carried
- Committee Motion 246-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Perceptions Held by Northern Businesses Toward the Government of the Northwest Territories' Procurement Processes - Government Response to Recommendations, carried
- Committee Motion 247-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Protocols for Engagement in Development of Legislation, Carried
- Committee Motion 248-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Process and Criteria for Technical Working Groups, Carried
- Committee Motion 249-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Technical Working Group Recommendations, Carried
- Committee Motion 250-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Complex Bills of Significant Public Interest, Carried
- Committee Motion 251-18(3) Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Plain Language Materials, Carried
- Committee Motion 252-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Comprehensive Briefing on Legislative Process for Technical Working Group, Carried
- Committee Motion 253-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Process for Development of Regulations, Carried
- Committee Motion 254-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Collaborative Lessons-Learned Exercise, Carried
- Committee Motion 255-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Public and Stakeholder Engagement, Carried
- Committee Motion 256-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Exclusion of Bill from Technical Working Group Process, Carried
- Committee Motion 257-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Information for Standing Committee on Technical Working Group Progress, Carried
- Committee Motion 258-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Federal Concurrence, Carried
- Committee Motion 259-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Consistent Terms and Definitions, Carried
- Committee Motion 260-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Consistency in Public Information, Carried
- Committee Motion 261-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Preamble or Purpose Statement, Carried
- Committee Motion 262-18(3): Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Process Used for Devolution Legislative Initiatives - Government Response to Recommendations, Carried
- Report Of Committee Of The Whole
- Bill 34: Mineral Resources Act
- Recorded Vote
- Orders Of The Day
Committee Motion 238-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Needs-based Assessments for Inmates, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
August 21st, 2019
Page 6321

Shane Thompson Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Justice conduct needs-based assessments for all inmates;
and further, that the assessments be conducted in a manner that is timely relative to an inmate's release eligibility;
and furthermore, that the assessments take into account Gladue and other factors such as an inmate's disabilities;
and furthermore, that the department explore additional measures to encourage all inmates to participate in suitable programming, including offering new incentives.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 238-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Needs-based Assessments for Inmates, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6321

The Chair Daniel McNeely
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. The motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. Ms. Green.
Committee Motion 238-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Needs-based Assessments for Inmates, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6321

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The background to this motion is that we wanted to expand the kind of information that was taken in for assessments so that it was not just the security risk that the inmate posed to the facility and the staff but also what were their own capacities and limitations. Gladue, for example, is the set of factors that courts take into account in sentencing inmates, that recognizes that they may have disabilities and they may have factors in their lives that have caused them trauma and difficulty which have really formed their character and need to be taken into account, and so we thought that broadening the assessments to take into account the Gladue factors and other important elements of an inmate's life would give them a better experience of the programming that is offered in the correctional facilities.
We recognize that the assessments of people on remand and the programming opportunity for people on remand are not always the same as they are for inmates, so the idea of offering incentives for programming is to have those people on remand engage in programming which may address some of their most fundamental issues and steer them away from a repeat visit to the correctional centre. That is the background on this motion. Thank you.
Committee Motion 238-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Needs-based Assessments for Inmates, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6321
Committee Motion 238-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Needs-based Assessments for Inmates, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6321
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 238-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Needs-based Assessments for Inmates, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6321

The Chair Daniel McNeely
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 239-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Prioritization of Work Programs, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6322

Shane Thompson Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Justice prioritize work programs that are responsive to community needs, subject to necessary safety and security restrictions. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 239-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Prioritization of Work Programs, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6322
Committee Motion 239-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Prioritization of Work Programs, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6322

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In our public consultations, we heard community members speak positively of inmates doing work in their communities when they were incarcerated, that they were part of work programs and they did good volunteer work in the, or it was not necessarily volunteer, but good work in the community. It could be cutting lawns. It could be shovelling sidewalks. It could be stacking tables after a public event. The public consultation also indicated that people felt that was a very positive thing, to connect the community and the inmates together around a constructive activity, and they lamented that this program has really fallen off in recent years. We learned that the major reason that it has fallen off is that many more inmates are on remand rather than sentenced.
The corrections staff has said that they posed some security risk on remand that is not the same as when they have been sentenced, and so this component of programming has really been reduced in recent years. We heard clearly that people would like to see it come back, subject to necessary precautions. The background to this committee motion is to reflect what we heard, that the work programs were useful and that people would like to see them reinstated. Thank you.
Committee Motion 239-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Prioritization of Work Programs, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6322
Committee Motion 239-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Prioritization of Work Programs, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6322
Some Hon. Members
Question.
Committee Motion 239-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Prioritization of Work Programs, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6322

The Chair Daniel McNeely
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
---Carried
Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 240-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Security Assessment Tools, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6322

Shane Thompson Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that the committee recommends that the security assessment tool used by the correctional service be objective, structured, and empirically defensible, and that a risk assessment tool that considers the unique realities of Indigenous inmates be developed and used. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee Motion 240-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Security Assessment Tools, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6322

The Chair Daniel McNeely
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. The motion is on the floor. To the motion. Ms. Green.
Committee Motion 240-18(3): Standing Committee on Social Development Report on the Review of Bill 45: Corrections Act - Security Assessment Tools, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 6322

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Security assessment tools are standard practice in correctional facilities, and the concern that this particular recommendation addresses is that the assessment tool be particularly inclusive of the realities of Indigenous inmates, that, particularly, corrections staff look for security assessment tools that are culturally more appropriate than a standard tool that may be developed and used on a Caucasian population. We recognize that there are different tools, and we are encouraging with this motion that corrections finds and tries tools that may be more appropriate to the NWT inmate population, which is overwhelmingly NWT Indigenous peoples. Thank you.
Help us improve OpenNWT
Please only include contact information if you would like to hear back.