Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are certain factors that are very important in dealing with estates; certainly, the size of the estate and whether there is a will or not. Now, the public trustee, in certain cases, will assist. Generally, however, they will accept administration of estates where the only beneficiaries are children, the beneficiary is a spouse and a senior citizen. It says over the age of 65, I think, on the website, but they will go as low as 60 in age. Or the beneficiary is mentally incapable or there are significant assets and no next of kin can be found. In other circumstances, generally, the next of kin should contact a lawyer.

If those criteria are met and some other factors come into play, if the deceased person stated in his will that the public trustee was to administer the estate, more commonly, the person dies without a will and there is no one else looking after the estate or the next of kin of the deceased stated in writing that they consent to the appointment from the public trustee as administrator and they have searched but are unable to find a will of the deceased, the public trustee can assist in those circumstances, those criteria that I set out.

I mentioned the size of the estate as being important. Now, estates having a value of under $35,000 fall under a simplified process. The outreach clinic can be of assistance to residents with this simplified process. It is a trying time for families, but there can be help either through a lawyer or the public trustee in some cases or the outreach lawyer. Thanks.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River South, that Bill 58: Justice Administration Statutes Amendment Act be read for the third time. Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my time as Minister of Justice, I have often spoken about the Corrections Service and the important work they are doing to improve the programming and supports available in our facilities to help address the needs of individuals in our corrections system.

I know that Members of the Legislative Assembly share with me the hope that people in our care are able to return to their communities on their way to becoming healthier members of our society. Over the past four years, we have made fundamental changes to the programs available to inmates, have been investing in our correctional facilities, and have been advancing legislative changes to better position inmates for success.

Knowing that some of the most prevalent risk factors for incarceration are substance abuse, violence, and relationship violence, evidence-based programs have been implemented that address these root causes of why some individuals find themselves in contact with the criminal justice system.

By working in close collaboration with elders, traditional liaison officers, and Indigenous staff, our Corrections Service continues to take special care and attention to ensure that programs delivered in our corrections facilities recognize the importance of Indigenous cultures and traditions. We are also delivering a suite of programs aimed at supporting inmates to become better aware of the triggers that lead them to engage in unhealthy and unsafe behaviours. Specific programs include Substance Abuse Management, Living without Violence, and the Respectful Relationships programs.

More recently, the Corrections Service has implemented the Northern Addictions Sessions at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre. Work is also under way to develop a northern module to be included as part of the Living Without Violence and Respectful Relationships programs, as well.

Mr. Speaker, changes have been made to the release planning process to ensure that case managers are considering which community programming options for inmates are available upon release. Where possible, clients are matched with similar programming that they received while in custody so that they can continue to build the skills that they need to become successful once at home.

We also recognize the importance of offering programs and opportunities to inmates so that they may advance their educational goals while in our corrections facilities. Inmates have access to adult literacy, basic education and upgrading, high school and exam preparation, trades exam preparation, life and employment readiness skills, and assistance with pursuing post-secondary studies.

Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the critical role that the men and women working in the corrections field do to provide the high-quality correctional programming and care to inmates we have put so much effort into developing in the Northwest Territories. The reality is that there are few others in our society who are closer in contact, on a prolonged basis, with members of our society who are facing such challenging and complex social issues than those working in the Corrections Service. As the NWT Corrections Service has evolved to find new and innovative ways to better support inmates, it is the dedication and professionalism of our corrections staff that has been, and will always be, key to our current and future successes.

Hand-in-hand with modernizing our legislative framework and improving our programming and supports, we have also focused on modernizing our correctional facilities. Later this month, the grand opening of the newly constructed women's unit of the Fort Smith Correctional Complex is planned, with building occupancy scheduled for later this fall. The design for this facility reflects the current and future needs of adult female offenders in the Northwest Territories. Access to family support to aid the healing process and to improve reintegration of inmates into their communities; access to northern-developed and northern-specific programming; and limiting access and connection with southern inmates, where gangs, drugs, and organized crime are prevalent, are all factored into the design and creation of the new women's unit.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to advise that our government is moving forward with work to transition the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre in Hay River into a facility that operates under a Therapeutic Community model. Under this model, substance abuse is seen as a symptom of much broader problems and, as such, a holistic approach is used that touches on every aspect of an offender's life. With an emphasis on social learning and mutual self-help, individual participants take on some of the responsibility for their peers' recovery. Providing help and support to others is seen as an important part of changing oneself under this model.

The transition of the facility to this new model is anticipated to take place in the spring of 2020 and, in the coming weeks, officials with the Department of Justice will be making presentations on the Therapeutic Community model to the Town of Hay River, Indigenous governments, and community groups.

Mr. Speaker, the people of the Northwest Territories have been clear. They want inmates prepared and ready to rejoin their communities. The programming, facilities, and legislative changes that we have worked hard to advance during the 18^th Legislative Assembly have laid a strong foundation for an improved NWT Corrections Service. Through the efforts of our dedicated staff and the continued partnerships that we have with other departments and stakeholders, our Corrections Service is making a difference in the lives of Northerners and helping to create safer and healthier communities throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you for the question. I really don't have that kind of information in front of me. All I want to say, though, is that the way that these fees are set up, if you were remortgaging at $300,000, you will pay a certain fee. If you are remortgaging at $250,000, you will pay a smaller fee. That is how the system is set up. Again, I don't have the kind of information that the Member is asking me about as to the number of these types of transactions and so on. I simply don't have that information. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Of course, if the value of your house is a lower amount, then the fees are lower, too. A fee on a $300,000 house is higher than it would be on a $250,000 house. If you bought at $300,000 and paid a fee then and then someone else buys the house or you buy another house at $250,000, you are going to pay less than you would have. The point is the fees are based on the value of the property or the size of the mortgage. If the market is in decline, we will be collecting fewer fees. Thank you.

I see from my notes that the fees became effective in 1994, so it is approximately 25 years. Yes, this is an increase in fees, but it is nowhere near the land transfer tax that was contemplated earlier. I think this is a reasonable compromise. It is a fairly low increase over a period of three years, and clearly, if you are buying a more expensive house, you pay more fees. I think that is fair. I think this is, as I say, a reasonable compromise. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Well, I'd like to deal first with the issue of the $500,000 of which I spoke of and which was referenced earlier. It's not as though this will all come from Yellowknife; land transfer in Fort Smith or Hay River would likely also be effected. We didn't want to have a revenue shock, if I can put it that way, on the consumers who would be paying this, so that is why it was decided that a most reasonable approach would be to phase it in over time. As I say, the rates had not been changed in approximately 25 years, maybe slightly more, slightly less, but it has been a long time with no change.

Approximately 25 years.

They were already not cost recovery; they were revenue. Thank you, Mr. Chair.