Alfred Moses

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I just have one question. If there’s anywhere that I can place it, is under the directorate. It’s in regard to e-learning and seeing how this department provides overall management planning, communication and administrative support.

I believe the staff did get a briefing and presentation from the Beaufort-Delta Education Authority representatives on how successful the e-learning program that’s been happening in a couple of communities in the Beaufort-Delta region and some of the successes that they’ve had in terms of students that are passing the advanced level for...

Mr. Speaker, I also understand that the Aurora College is proposing a Northern Farming Training Institute through the Aurora College as a program. To take this further, we can actually look at probably creating that type of curriculum in the schools.

Inuvik has been doing a fantastic job. They’ve already planted in the fall. They have everything prepared over the summer. They actually go into the greenhouse, when the greenhouse is available, and it allows the students to continue to volunteer.

Looking at that type of curriculum and working with the Aurora College on what they’re looking at...

We do know that healthy nutrition and active lifestyles go hand in hand, but sometimes it’s the nutrition that kind of takes a side to the active living and we have to start educating our students on healthy eating, but also teach them how to start producing their own foods such as this Growing Food program in Inuvik. Is there any other possibility that we can start creating this Growing Food program in other schools in other communities across the territory? Has the Minister looked at that? Also, I am aware of the no junk food policy that all the schools have.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, during question period, I had asked the Minister of Health and Social Services some questions about something that has come out in the news recently. That was that obesity rates are at historic levels, specifically for the Maritimes but even more so for the Northwest Territories.

That got me further into research and I found that in 2004 red flags were raised, and yet nothing was done. The Member did mention that they did start a program in 2003, yet we are still at these historic rates today.

I did a little further research into how we can address this or look...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the news today I read, in the most recent study, that obesity rates are at historic levels in Canada. So that kind of got me going, especially after discussions yesterday with the Department of Health and Social Services. Then, upon further research, I saw in the Stats Canada 2004 report, there were red flags that were showing that over the past 25 years, since 2004, there was a dramatic increase in obesity rates. Now, nine years later, the Northwest Territories and the Maritimes are recognized in this report as having the highest rates of obesity and they’re at...

Thank you. In regard to hearing from our vendors and the subcontractors, what would be the right way of getting that input from our subcontractors? Is there a complaints process or is there a process for concern, either on the webpage or a file or application that they would have to submit to government? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. He did mention working with Education. Our Minister of Education has mentioned trying to bring elders into the schools. Would the Minister of Health and Social Services look at the options of possibly bringing fitness instructors into the schools to create some type of fitness programs that can be done during lunch times, before school or after school? Thank you.

Thank you. That report that gave us the red flag came out about 2004. We do have the Healthy Choices Framework to try to address it, but where are we at right now in the Northwest Territories? We’re at historic rates and I’d like to ask the Minister, what is this Minister doing to work with his federal counterparts to address these historic rates so that we can start taking care of our residents as obesity leads to a lot of chronic disease. As I mentioned yesterday, 70 percent of all deaths are related to chronic disease. What is the Minister of Health and Social Services doing to work with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to say today that I’m very honoured to be wearing my pink shirt on Pink Shirt Day. I would also like to thank Minister Lafferty for providing us with this pink carnation for Anti-Bullying Day. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the children and their educators for coming out today and showing their support, creating awareness in bringing this very hot topic to the forefront of Members here in this House as well as residents of the Northwest Territories. You should be very happy and very proud of what you did today.

Last night, when we were done here...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I welcome the Minister and his colleagues and his staff to the House today. As I have done earlier with other departments, I just want to highlight some of the concerns that came out of the Beaufort-Delta Regional Council meeting where our Minister’s staff was in attendance.

First of all, just the high school in Sachs Harbour. The leadership of the region was concerned and wanted to see how we can get graduates in Sachs Harbour right out of Grade 12, rather than having to send them to Inuvik to a boarding school. It is the same with Paulatuk. They want to try to increase...