Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. I’d like to ask the chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure if he has comments. Mr. Ramsay.

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. Committee has agreed to deal with Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Local Authorities Elections Act. I’d like to ask Minister Robert McLeod if he has opening remarks.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my questions to the Minister of ECE.

I just want to start by saying that I appreciate the Minister’s commitment to update Social Programs on what he’s hearing on the Aboriginal student achievement review, but that’s not what I was asking. What I am seeking specifically, recognizing that true early childhood development can be the cornerstone and perhaps the most important cornerstone of this achievement initiative, will the Minister commit to offer, at the earliest opportunity, a briefing on how the two reviews, ASA and early childhood, will be...

I certainly agree that these are two very important processes and will result in important documents. My concern is the schedules do not permit the integration that’s needed. Again, I didn’t hear the Minister mention daycares, day homes, child care centres, Healthy Families program coordinators, family literacy experts. Will the Minister commit to involving all of these early childhood providers and stakeholders before making any decisions under the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initative related to early childhood development for children aged zero to six?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are in follow-up to my Member’s statement earlier and directed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I stated in my Member’s statement I have questions regarding the Minister’s vision for promoting Aboriginal student achievement through a seamless transition from early childhood development programs. I’m particularly distressed in question period to hear him state to my colleague Mr. Jacobson that the department is finalizing the package on Aboriginal student achievement. This is well before we had the insights of early childhood...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Bill 8 and would like to report that Bill 8 is ready for third reading. I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A critical missing connection must be made between the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative and the planned review and renewal of the Early Childhood Development Framework. The Education Minister informs me that a draft discussion paper on the ECD Framework is planned for June, with working group meetings in September. Stakeholder consultations will begin in January 2012, with the final product for the 17th Legislative Assembly. Meanwhile, the Minister’s Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative is well underway, with a product likely in this Assembly.

This puts the...

Does committee agree to the bill as a whole?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are following up on my Member’s statement yesterday on the report from the Coalition Against Family Violence. They are for the Minister of Health and Social Services and Deputy Premier. Recent statistics, sadly, show that family violence continues to get worse. Two hundred and thirty-eight women and children came forward to violence shelters for the first time in 2010-11; that’s new incidents. NWT women seek escape from violence and shelter at five times the national rate. Ninety-two percent of 27,000 people responding to the 2007 survey said more...

I guess I would call on all of the House to ensure that the Auditor General’s guidance is reflected in that policy before it’s approved.

Just my last question here. Given that $17.4 million has been spent and the development costs for the project were estimated to be $20 million, we’re now over 80 percent expended on the budget for developing the project. Although it’s on hold, I understand from the chairman of the Power Corporation that development, or perhaps the Hydro Corporation development, is still proceeding or explorations towards a restructuring and so on. Again, presumably that would...