This is page numbers 4369 - 4400 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd 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 know.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Honourable Premier. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I spoke about a shortage of RCMP staff in the community of Fort Smith. I would like to ask the Minister of Justice if he believes that a lack of RCMP staff would translate to a lack of overall public safety for the people of Fort Smith? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Justice.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Member's asking me for my opinion, I don't want to give my opinion about situations like this. I'm not a police officer. I don't know the ins and outs of the situation in Fort Smith. But the RCMP are aware of their staffing numbers. This is not the first time that they haven't had a full complement of officers in a community. And as the Member stated, they have sent someone in to that community. They have the ability to send in additional officers to that community if they feel that they need to. So I would say that the RCMP has this situation in hand, and if there's a need for additional officers temporarily, they have the ability to do that. Thank you.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us what the Department of Justice is doing to address the RCMP staff shortage that is currently affecting Fort Smith and other NWT communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And this is a national issue. This isn't just one community in the Northwest Territories. During the pandemic, the depot where RCMP officers are trained in Regina was shut down and it was not accepting new recruits and was not graduating new recruits. So we are now in a time where there's a shortage across Canada of RCMP officers because they weren't training. So this is an issue that everyone is feeling. However, this is part of the daily operation of the RCMP. If there's staffing shortages, they deal with them. And the department works with them to deal with them. We do have a contract with them. And we work through the mechanisms in that contract to ensure that they are providing the services that we are paying for. Thank you.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide a timeline or any further details for which he anticipates that all or most of the vacant RCMP staff positions will be filled in Fort Smith? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have that level of detail. But I can get back to the Member. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister assure me that the RCMP vacancies can be filled with casual members from other jurisdictions until the permanent staff are all in place? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have control of the operations of the RCMP so I can't make that assurance personally. But the RCMP is aware of the situation and they do have the ability to bring in other officers, as I've stated. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Justice.

In regards to my Member's statement, has the Minister of Justice considered ways in which women, children, and those in the LGBTQ2S+ communities will be impacted by this recent supreme ruling allowing for the self-induced extreme intoxication defence? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Minister responsible for Justice.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What the Member is talking about is a Supreme Court case. There's a recent ruling that changed the rules on defence and the types of defence that can be put forward. That doesn't really change the situation in the Northwest Territories however. The issues that we're facing are the issues that we're facing. This is a defence that would, you know, rarely be used. I don't know if it's ever been used in the Northwest Territories. But it doesn't change the fact that we face the levels of sexual violence that the Member has already stated. So the work that the department does is focused on those issues already. So this, you know, has the potential perhaps to exacerbate the issue but nonetheless that work is the focus of the department at all times. Thank you.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for that response, and I'm glad that the department is always focused on the issues that we have in the Northwest Territories.

So my next question is how will the Department of Justice ensure that women, children, and those in LGBTQ2S+ communities, especially those who are Indigenous, will be supported during any criminal process? And I guess this could mean during a process that's got to do with this as a defence or like sexual violent process. Thank you.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member's likely aware, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada recently established a sexual violence legal counsel team, and that's independent from the Department of Justice; I won't take credit for that. But that's a new development that's quite recent. And the department is also currently developing a new program to provide free legal advice and navigation supports for survivors of sexual, intimate partner and domestic violence, and assault. So we've secured funding to do that as well. So we are taking steps to address these very issues. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I too am an Indigenous woman of the Northwest Territories and have grown up here my entire life and have known of many other women, and even when I was younger, young girls who were being, you know, sexually -- had sexual violence against them, and the majority of the time the perpetrators were intoxicated. So my concern is with this defence, you know, and now that it's gone through the Supreme Court of Canada as possibly could affect, this could come out -- I mean, we will have defence lawyers that may try to use it if there are, so that's why I'm raising it here. And so I want to know how will the Department of Justice ensure that self-induced extreme intoxication defence will not be used to perpetuate gender-based violence against women in the Northwest Territories. We are already higher than -- the second highest in Canada. Thank you.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I know the federal government is likely going to respond to this decision by the Supreme Court, but we have no influence over the Supreme Court and the laws, the common law that they create, or the federal Department of Justice and the Criminal Code of Canada, or how the courts operate or the defence counsel or the prosecution service. So it is difficult for us to do what the Member is asking.

That being said, the case that the Member is referencing was a case where someone ingested a significant amount of psilocybin I believe, magic mushrooms. So it wasn't someone getting blacked out drunk. It was something else. And it's a different level than just being too drunk to know what you're doing essentially. It's not the kind of drunk you see perhaps at a party or something like that. It's a different level. And so I don't think that there's concern that this will now become commonplace in the territory. It is a very high threshold that people have to meet, and it's an extremely rare -- that people will meet that threshold. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.

Lesa Semmler

Lesa Semmler Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Minister, and thank you for your definition. And I -- you know, I've read there are three cases, and there were some hallucinogens that were the cause of the three cases. But the -- my concern is is that, you know, like I said, if it is -- if is being used, then -- then that's my concern, against the women and girls of this territory.

So will the Minister discuss some of the examples -- because there were some examples described by the Supreme Court judge that did the ruling, Kasirer, that they provided in their ruling with the federal minister. So will this -- will our Minister ensure that they raise this issue when they have their FPT and make sure that there is going to be some -- you know, something in place or where this is going, or are they are -- you know, just to continue this conversation so that way this is not end up in -- going backwards for women, you know. We don't need to be going backwards in Canada for protection of women, especially Indigenous women will be the ones that are in effect because they're less likely to even go to the court system as they do not trust, as I mentioned in my Member's statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every time I speak with a federal minister, I bring the concerns of the territory to that Minister. And this is a perfect example of an issue that I'd be happy to bring to the Minister and have those discussions to let them know about the unique nature of the Northwest Territories, the rates of violence that we see here, and the concerns that are being raised. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Jane Weyallon Armstrong Monfwi

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Question for the Minister of Education.

Can the Minister tell me what actions are being taken to address recommendation number 5 of the Standing Committee Report Number 15 of June 2021? What has ECE done to support the schools in small communities?

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.