Alfred Moses

In my general comments to the department yesterday, I talked about the importance of early childhood development, and development is what we’re really discussing here and the critical years are zero to two, zero to three, and I think that a lot of Members thought that this department should have been the head lead on early childhood development and looking at that. Committee was supportive. Once again, as mentioned, we did try to bring in a motion for, I think, $1.2 million for early childhood initiatives which was also defeated. But I think we’ll put that on the agenda for standing committee...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would just like to welcome the Minister and his staff joining us today. I think you could tell by some of the discussions and correspondence from some of the Members here that there is still a lot of concern in this department, but before we get into some of the questions, I guess concerns that I might have, I just want to commend the department on the work that they’ve been doing with standing committee over the last three years and four months in terms of the onset of this government.

Over that period of time we’ve developed an Anti-Poverty Strategy, given some good...

Thank you. I’m glad to hear that. I’m sure Ms. Beckett will do a fine job in the position.

Early childhood development has become a priority for this government and the onset of this government. I’m wondering if the Minister, speaking with the Board of Governors and the executive, is working on developing an Early Childhood Development Certification Program at the campuses, at any of the three campuses so we can get qualified early childhood development educators in the system. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to continue my questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on some of these Aurora College concerns that we’ve heard. One big concern that we heard was in terms of child care and daycare services at I’m sure all three campuses. However, the one where we met with the students was only here in Yellowknife.

What has the department, or working with the Board of Governors and the executive, done to address the child care needs and daycare needs of our students that are attending post-secondary education? Thank you.

I can get more into the report, but I want to just focus on a couple of the issues that some of the students not only at the Yellowknife Campus but at campuses in Smith and Inuvik also had. That’s just paying market rent during the summer. Some of our students find jobs in the communities that they work in while they’re going to school and they want to continue working in their jobs, or their significant other has a full-time job in the community and would like to stay in that community. One of the concerns that were brought up was the terms of market rent during the summer when school isn’t...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There were a lot of recommendations that were brought up from standing committee in terms of meeting with students and staff at the Yellowknife Campus here. I guess my first question would be to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

What is the status and update of making any types of renovations or work to the Yellowknife Campus to make sure there’s enough space for our students and staff to do their work in and study in and get a quality education in a safe environment? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that standing committee has been working with the Aurora College Board of Governors, the executive and the Minister’s office and dealing with some of these concerns at the Aurora College here in Yellowknife. I think it’s a great opportunity now, since it’s Aurora College Week.

Does the Minister have any plans of meeting with the staff and students at the Yellowknife Campus and just giving them an update on the work that standing committee has been asking the Minister and Aurora College in terms of dealing with the issues and concerns that students have brought up...

On another point with the Aurora College and speaking to the Board of Governors, in the Beaufort-Delta region we did have our Board of Governors representative resign last year.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m really glad to see some of the progress that is being made but also commend the Board of Governors in terms of reaching out to standing committee and allowing members of standing committee to come to their Board of Governors meetings and bring up some of the concerns that we hear as standing committee and as individual Members of this Assembly.

I’d like to ask the Minister, in terms of a concern that I have with the Inuvik campus and looking at programs being distributed equally across the three campuses, has the Minister met with the Board of Governors and the...

I was making references to a letter that the standing committee had made to the Minister.

In terms of the 44 recommendations, can the Minister describe what report he’s referring to in terms of the 44 recommendations?