Thank you. I will hand it over to the deputy minister. Thank you.

I'll go over to the deputy minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The short answer is, yes, we know that there are a number of federal programs that were announced. The policy parameters, some application-based, others different methods of disbursement of funds, some funding for Indigenous governments, some for provincial, territorial governments, some for NGOs. So there really is a bit of work to do to explore what that looks like. We are watching closely as the federal government negotiates with other provinces already around how to make that funding easier to access. So we're looking to embark on those conversations essentially as soon as this legislative session is concluded. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So I definitely look forward to continuing these conversations and ensuring that we continue to actually implement the recommendations in the Homelessness Strategy. That's it for now. Thank you.

Thank you. Any further questions, Members? I don't see any hands up. I'm going to continue on.

Thank you, Members. Please return to now to the department summary found on page 123 -- oh, hang on. Sorry, seeing no further questions, committee, I will now call the department summary, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, operations expenditures, total department of 2024-2025 Main Estimates, of $24,253,000. Does the committee agree?

Okay, I'm going to go back to the Member from Yellowknife North.

The motion is in order. To the motion.

Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried. Consideration of the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs, operations expenditures, 2024-2025 Main Estimates, total department, is deferred. Thank you.

---Carried

Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Committee, we will now move onto the next department.

Okay, thank you, we'll continue on. Committee, we have agreed to consider Tabled Document 93-20(1), Main Estimates 2024-2025. We will now consider the Department of Justice.

Minister of Justice, please proceed with your opening remarks.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm here to present the 2024-2025 Main Estimates for the Department of Justice. Overall, the Department's estimates propose an increase of $3.8 million, or 2.6 percent, over the 2023-2024 Main Estimates. These estimates support the mandate objectives for the department while continuing to meet the GNWT's fiscal objectives to prioritize responsible and strategic spending.

Highlights of the proposed estimates include:

• Forced growth funding of $1.9 million which consists of additional policing resources for Fort Providence, the establishment of the RCMP "G" Division Territorial Crime Reduction Unit, and the implementation of a full-time Emergency Response Team for "G" Division;
• other adjustments of $5.1 million, which includes $3.3 million for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program Framework Agreement, $985,000 for Technology Service Centre chargebacks; and, $889,000 for various federal cost shared agreements;
• Reductions of $2.9 million, which includes the closure of the Fort Smith Correctional Complex Men's Unit and a reduction in the Office of the Children's Lawyer;
• Initiatives funding of $270,000 which continues funding of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Shared Services office;
• Transfers of $854,000 for the Integrated Case Management office to the Department of EIA;
• Sunsets of $747,000.

These estimates support the priorities of the 20th Assembly and the vision of Budget 2024 by contributing to a strong economic foundation, working together with partners, and to keep communities safe and deliver accessible programs and services to residents. Thank you.

Thank you. Does the Minister of Justice wish to bring witnesses into this House?

Yes, I do.

Does the committee agree?

Thank you. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witness into the Chamber.

Thank you. Would the Minister please introduce his witnesses.

With me I have Charlene Doolittle, deputy minister of the Department of Justice, and James Bancroft, director of corporate services. Thank you.

Thank you. I will now open the floor for general comments on the Department of Justice. Do any Members have general comments? I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm hoping this can be a bit of a Q and A because I'm interested to hear from the Minister how we can build better on-the-ground outreach services that integrate or work with law enforcement and teams of social workers, health support workers, to ensure that we have a better way of addressing social issues that are not necessarily criminal in nature but that often get, you know, punted to the RCMP out of lack of having other places to call. And so my understanding is that the Minister's interested in this idea but I don't see it in the business plan so far. But can the Minister explain how we might start going about putting an approach like this in place and what his plan might be for it? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.

Thank you. So that's a pretty big question. The puck has dropped so I will try and keep things short. But there are -- when we talk about crime and crime reduction, and I always say, you know, enforcement is just one part of it, and the department is responsible for enforcement but also looking at other ways to address those issues. So one program that has been running a few years, although, you know, interrupted with many of the events we have seen as a territory, is the Community Safety Officer Program. So that's one where it is not an enforcement unit. It is community members who work with individuals to help, I guess, avoid situations where the police might be involved. And it could be -- the thing that always sticks in my mind is just giving people a ride home from a party. If there's a woman, instead of having her walk home perhaps intoxicated, they might give her a ride. So those kind of little things in the community can go a long way. Of course, there's other departments who are involved with things like funding the Street Outreach Program. We talked just recently about integrated service delivery in the Department of EIA and how that can assist individuals stay out of the criminal justice system. We also provide funding for men's healing program to help prevent men from committing acts of intimate partner violence. So there are a number of ways. But the question is bigger than the Department of Justice. It is cross-departmental and going forward, like I've said before, we've added RCMP across the territory every year since I have been Minister. I think it's now time to look at how can we supplement the services they offer with some of those more social services by partnering with other organizations. There's nothing -- the business plan doesn't speak to that or the mains at this point, but that is the path that I'd like to see us go down. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Yellowknife North.