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Legislative Briefs

RCMP funding under negotiation

Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 08/02) - Funding for RCMP services in the city has not changed since 1991, when the population of the city stood at 10,000, said Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee.

Lee said downtown businesses coping with vandalism that occurs when the bars close cannot afford to wait for the completion of a policing strategy the government is working on for the entire territory.

Though he did not contradict Lee's claim, Justice Minister Roger Allen said the current agreement with RCMP was signed in 1991. Allen said the government is discussing police services with the RCMP.

The Yellowknife detachment last month issued a news release stating it would be cutting back on service because of a lack of resources. A few days later, Allen said the force would not be making cuts.

Northern resources, southern benefits?

The company building a gas pipeline and gathering system in the Cameron Hills is giving most of its business to southern firms, charged Hay River MLA Paul Delorey.

"The Northern companies are being known as the raven companies because all they're getting is the scraps," said Delorey on Wednesday.

Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development Minister Jim Antoine said the government will be tracking Paramount Resources' project.

"We will see what's going on there and make sure they live up to the type of commitments they made when they moved into this area," Antoine said.

Alcoholism costs

The $5.6 million the government spends directly on treatment of substance abuse is the tip of the iceberg in terms of the costs to the government caused by alcohol and drugs, said the Minister of Health.

Michael Miltenberger said the one treatment centre in the territories leaves the NWT with two to three times the national average per capita of drug and alcohol treatment beds.

The minister was unable to provide an accurate figure on how much more of a problem substance abuse is in the North than it is nationally.

"There is an element of personal responsibility when it comes to decisions to drink and do drugs," Miltenberger said.