Bob McLeod

I would think that we could come up with some sort of a framework that we could have a discussion with committee. For example, I think we have $350,000 in it and every time we call for applications it’s oversubscribed by $1 million or so. So I think that if we put our minds to it we could come out with a process and also look at how it would be tied into our existing planning processes, because we are talking about public funds. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We would welcome the opportunity to do so. We have a number of processes that we can use to do that and we also have the business planning processes and we always welcome all the good ideas from the other side of the House. We’re quite prepared to look for those pots of money, but we obviously would need the support from the other side of the House as well. Thank you.

As a government we’re very concerned about any reductions in any kinds of jobs in the Northwest Territories. As a matter of fact, it is a priority for us to focus on getting more people to live and work in the Northwest Territories. We certainly want to make sure that we keep the jobs that we have, and as a matter of fact, even increase it.

I have already written to the Government of Canada, asking for specific information as to quantify the cuts and also how the Northwest Territories will be affected.

I welcome comments and they do give good ideas on the other side. Thank you.

Over the years we have made a number of attempts of doing so. I think in the last government we looked to find ways to find funding that we could use to fund strategic initiatives and I think I understand what the Member is talking about, I think on a much smaller scale, to look at specific funds that we could use to meet some immediate needs and I think that we have a number of processes that would allow us to do so. I think it’s just a matter of us getting together, talking about it so that we can give some specific direction to our senior management, so that we can find ways to identify...

As in any good government, we put our own stamp and our own brand on those two recommendations, and those were identified as priorities by this 17th Assembly, although perhaps under a different name or a different recommendation.

With regard to the treatment centres recommendation, we are actively working on that and our Minister of Health and Social Services will be tabling a Mental Health and Addictions Strategy very soon.

With regard to a counsellor for every school, we have recognized that, as well, as an area that we need to look at, and through our Aboriginal Student Initiative we are...

We are always looking to become more effective and efficient, and we do have youth as a priority, and we will continue to find ways to interact with the youth and to make sure that their voices are heard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m very familiar with the report that the Member is referring to, although it was undertaken in the previous Assembly, in the 16th Assembly. But with your new approach, we are definitely following up on the recommendations that were put forward in the 16th Assembly. Thank you.

Although perhaps it didn’t make it on the priority list, this is part of the ongoing work that this government does that we work with youth. Normally, we would like to have our own brand, so we would continue to work with youth and perhaps not under the auspices of what was done in the 16th Assembly, but I would expect that we would want to work with something, perhaps a better, more improved version, I would like to think, so we would commit to continue to working with the youth.

We are trying to do that through bilateral discussions with the Aboriginal governments. We have been meeting with the Tlicho. We have been meeting with the Dehcho and, unfortunately, we were weathered out on a meeting this Thursday. It’s our intention to meet with them to see if we can find a way forward, and we are planning to have some high level discussions.

Similarly, with the Akaitcho we had a meeting planned for this past Tuesday but one of the elders from the Akaitcho passed away, so those meetings were deferred. It’s our expectation that we will continue to have discussions to try to...