Thank you, Madam Chair. So across the territory, including in Fort Liard, the crime rate is increasing. The number of calls for service from the RCMP are increasing. And so despite the fact that we have some community safety officers in this community, similar to how we have additional RCMP officers in some communities it doesn't necessarily mean the crime rate is going to be reduced. In many instances, they're fighting an uphill battle.

That being said, the community safety officers do do a lot of work. They responded to 600 incidents from September 2021 to December 2024, things like providing safe rides, mental health checks, supports for people who are intoxicated maybe just walking down the street. Those are important things that, you know, do impact the crime rate and public safety. They work with the RCMP on check stops. They've provided assistance during floods and wildfire evacuations, supporting elders. And so there's more to what this group does than just the numbers reflected in the crime rate. I just wanted to get that out there. Thank you.

Member for Monfwi.

Thank you. Yes, I know in many of the small communities we've been hearing lots since, you know, the drugs. We have a lot of drug issues, addiction issues. Before it was always alcohol but it's not as much. Everything is associated with drugs now. So even in my community, we have security, peace officer. I'm not too sure if they are being funded through territorial or through federal, but I want to ask the Minister -- or the Premier to see if there's a plan in place to extend this pilot project to other communities in the NWT in the future. Thank you.

Minister of Justice.

Thank you. So there's a couple of factors there. I don't believe those positions the Member referenced in her community are funded by the Department of Justice. But when looking at whether or not to expand this program, we need to look at how well it's working, and so there is the evaluation that will be undertaken. And we also need to look at available resources. And so right now I believe this is -- was initially 100 percent funded by the GNWT. The federal government did come in in 2023 and contributed 52 percent of the total cost, and so about a 50/50 split with us. We have just learned from the federal government that we will no longer be eligible for any federal contributions for community safety officers after next year. And so that sort of hinders our plan and ability to expand this program to additional communities. Thank you.

Member for Monfwi.

Okay, thank you for that information, Premier, or -- yeah.

Another one too is, you know, there's a lot of good programs in here that I know -- like, the men's healing program. There's a lot of programs here that I know my community access, that they use to help our young people even, like -- and I really do appreciate the friendship centre, Tlicho government, and then TCSA. All these organizations, they are doing their best to help our young people. Not just the young people, but the unhoused people, people with the addictions. So I'm sure -- you know, like, some of these programs here, we see it in the community, which is good. So with that in mind, like, some of these programs are there year-to-year basis, or is there a multi-year agreement for some of these programs? Because they are very useful and -- like, the men's healing program, we have that in our community. You know, like, we have that in other communities. And there's other things that the community are doing to help fight the crime, you know, especially against drugs and alcohol. And there's a lot of things that are happening in our small communities. And even with -- with what happened in the news recently, there was 33 that was -- a 33-year-old charged, you know -- it was in the news where pimping a 13-year-old or 15-year-old girl. So if that's happening, like what's happening in small communities, we are not too sure, but that's different topic. But it's just that many of these programs, it's very useful and I'm glad that the Indigenous government or organizations are implementing and providing programs that they think will work for their people instead of -- just like the Minister said that, you know, it's -- they're taking it all -- you know, they're taking it upon themselves of helping their people. So it's good. You know, I like that. But it's just that the multi-year, you know. Like, it would be nice if we had a -- like, a multi-year because I think there are some program that, you know, it goes from year to year and they're not too sure -- because they're doing so well that they're not too sure if they're going to be funded next year, you know. So that's what we're looking for is that, a multi-year to reassure the community that they can carry on and, you know -- because it says that, you know, according to the residential school survivor that to be healed, it's going to take seven generations. And I think we've passed some of the seven generations and -- so, you know, we don't know the stats. And when we look at it in a community, the problem is still there. It's beyond seven generations. So that's why I'm just asking if there -- if it's year to year and/or multi-year. I think the multi-year is more beneficial for many of the community members, organizations. Thank you.

Minister of Justice.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And for the most part, we have multi-year agreements. That being said, we do want to be flexible and sometimes communities only want a single year agreement. And so we are open to working with the communities to determine how to best support them. So, for example, we moved the men's healing fund to a multi-year agreement. And I know that's been appreciated for the reasons the Member has stated. And, yes, we're going to -- we'll continue to be as flexible as we can given any restrictions that the federal government might put on any of these funds that are part of a federal agreement, but thank you.

Member for Monfwi.

There's three legislations that's outstanding -- I know it's going to pass, but do you know, like, SCAN legislation, do you know when it's going to be introduced in the House to pass? Because I know a lot of people have been asking. A lot of people are -- even I'm sure the housing Minister have heard lots too, you know, like who are the tenants. And we've been getting a lot of phone calls too from tenants. So I think they want some action right away. They keep asking, like when is it going to be passed. So, you know, like, is there a timelines of when this legislation will be introduced and passed to implement? Thank you.

Minister of Justice.

Thank you. So right now the plan is to, in the spring, go and do public consultation and then produce a legislative proposal by the summer and after that is approved, we can start drafting a bill which means the bill could be introduced in the winter sitting of next year. So either the February/March or maybe the May/June sitting. And then it would be with committee. So it would be sometime next year hopefully that it would be passed. And it's -- you know, it is painfully slow often, the development of legislation, because it is complex, there's loss of research that needs to happen and, you know, we have limited resources. So I think that all of us would have liked to get some of these pieces of legislation done the first year. Unfortunately wasn't the case. Thank you.

Member for Monfwi.

Thank you. Can I still go on, or -- like, because I think my time -- yeah.

Next I have Member for Great Slave. Thank you.

I only have, really, one core piece of questions for the Minister on community justice, and he's aware I've been interested in this for many months, so I have -- I've had many questions from a constituent about this. And I really do appreciate his office working with me to understand the supports that are available for survivors of sexual violence, for folks who are offenders. But my interest is also in providing these services and availability to these services to folks who haven't offended but recognize that they need help.

The Minister has explained to me that in his other role that integrated service is working to connect residents with supports that they need. Those supports exist mainly in the health and justice spaces. So what I'm asking the Minister today is there a way that we can look for a more concentrated coordination of efforts around addressing trauma, which is one of our priorities and in the mandate, and include access to these programs for folks who are not yet offenders, but recognize that they need supports to not become offenders, to the programs that he has in justice? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Minister of Justice.

Thank you. And there's definitely a lot of overlap between, you know, all government departments, but health and justice in particular, and so there's types of supports for people who are not in the system yet or not yet -- are not offenders yet, those generally sit with health. We do have some examples in justice. For example, the men's healing fund, which in the last government I tried to put over to health because I thought it was more appropriate to be in health. But for the most part, we provide services to people in the system. That being said, I just spoke about proactive engagement with youth to try and keep youth out of the system. So the lines are sometimes blurred. But, yeah, I guess that would be an area I would just leave it that would be more suited to be with health. Perhaps the deputy minister has something to add, though. Thank you.

Deputy minister Doolittle.

Member for Great Slave.

Minister of Justice.