Alfred Moses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know, as I mentioned and I’ve said in the House before, that the cost of travel and the cost of doing business in the Beaufort-Delta is a lot higher than it is in other regions across the Northwest Territories mainly because of the high costs of travelling between some of the coastal communities and the community of Inuvik, and also the high costs of food. I know in our Education Renewal and Innovation Strategy that we’re developing, we’re putting new food and breakfast programs into place and whether those things are all taken into consideration with the high costs...

I am glad to hear that the Minister has mentioned that over the last 25 years we have been funding our schools and education authorities across the Northwest Territories the same way we have for 25 years and we’re actually making changes now.

Can I ask the Minister, are we going to be seeing increases in some of the funding that we are giving to the schools and the authorities, and where are we going to see the most significant increases? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize and acknowledge all our inductees into the Education Hall of Fame. I appreciate all the work you’ve done over the years in your position as an educator, as a volunteer, as a contributor to your community.

Ms. Marja Van Nieuwenhuyzen wasn’t able to join us today because she is in Holland attending her mother’s 90th birthday celebrations with her family and friends. So, on her behalf, I’d just like to say thank you to the Department of Education, as well, for recognizing her. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’d like to ask the Minister, in developing this formula funding for the education authorities, were the actuals in the budgets of our schools and our authorities taken into consideration when we were developing this formula funding so that the schools actually get funding that will offset what they are spending each year?

Have the actuals been taken into consideration when we’re developing this formula funding?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Seeing as how we just did an induction into the Education Hall of Fame, I am going to have some questions today for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment in regards to some of the Education Renewal and Innovation Strategy that his department has undertaken over the last few months.

Mainly in terms of the funding formula, I know there were discussions about how we fund our education authorities and I would like to ask the Minister, at what stage are we in finalizing and working on this new funding formula on how we finance our education authorities? Thank you...

I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment establish an accountability framework for the funding provided to Aboriginal language communities under the “new approach” and provide the standing committee with progress reports and a copy of the framework when completed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I know, in the Housing Corporation, it’s always hard to house people who are single. That might be an option, is to have a single-unit facility or also multi-family units that can be built. Moving forward, I know there is a long list of people on the housing list, people who are in market rental units.

Would the Minister be open to having a community consultation with key stakeholders as well as concerned residents on what we should be putting on that land? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been a long budget process and, as I mentioned, one of the concerns that were brought up, talking to some people at the Skills for Success conference symposium that’s going on, were some of the barriers. One of them is housing. In Inuvik we do have a Blueberry Patch and I know it’s getting demolished, possibly this summer. I understand that that responsibility has shifted to the Housing Corporation from Public Works and Services.

I’d like to ask the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation when he expects the demolition of the Blueberry Patch to start and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee does have some concerns about the funding model under this new approach with the delivery of Aboriginal languages revitalization. I think the committee pretty well agrees that it is a good idea to have our Aboriginal communities and our experts try to revitalize language with their own community plans. In terms of accountability, particularly in the event that goals established by the language communities are not met with the funding that’s provided is a concern to community members and that possibly dollars not be, I guess, distributed to the best cause to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Everybody knows the Blueberry Patch was used for family housing units for the Aurora College.

Has the Minister been speaking with the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment on creating family units to replace these ones being demolished? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.