Caroline Cochrane

As we all know, this Assembly is coming to an end at the end of the month here, so I can't commit that the program will always continue. I can certainly say that that program has been successful. I want to, again, thank some of the MLAs on the other side who have come forward to actually get it funded more. It is successful, it is working, and I am hoping that future governments will carry it forward into the next Assembly and in Assemblies to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would love to be able to say yes, I will do that right away, but I would rather, actually, just because I know how busy we are, if the MLA could send me an email with the request, then we would be more than interested to get the staff to action it. We will work with both the Departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Infrastructure because there is also money under the small business employment fund that maybe we can use to get people to actually do some brush cutting in the trails. There are other resources that we would like to be able to support, so, yes, if the MLA will send us...

Mr. Speaker, our culture is our identity, and throughout the North, we have many individuals and organizations working to preserve, revitalize, and promote our cultural practices. I want to recognize the recipients of the 2019 Minister's Culture and Heritage Circle from our ceremony this morning.

For the Youth Award, we have Mr. Corbin Sinclair from Fort Smith.

For the Individual Award, Ms. Karen Novak of Yellowknife.

The Elder Award goes to Alfred Taneton of Deline.

The Group Award goes to the Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre in Fort Smith, represented by Ms. Rachel Dell.

The Minister...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to also take a moment, even though they're not in my riding, to recognize Felix Lockhart, Rhonda, grandson Tristan, and even though she's not here physically, I'd like to recognize Sandra Lockhart. She was one of my best friends and, while she was ill at the end, I told her to write her stories and what I did get was I got to read her last published story in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Inquiry Report, and I will treasure it forever. So, Sandra, you're not here physically, but you are here in my heart forever. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Again, it was just today that I realized that this was an issue, at all. I started out here four years ago. When I did a speech in the House about getting in to become a Minister, I talked about my experience in accreditation, not knowing anything about politics, only about best practices. Best practices in accreditation talks about evaluation, it talks about data, it talks about measurable outcomes, so I have carried that right through my whole four years. I did that with the polytech education act about quality education based on best practices. It would be foolish for me to stand here at...

We just finished the consultation pieces on the action plan, people from throughout the Northwest Territories on what their ideas are. We are just compiling that information right now, and we will developing a "what we heard" report, just like we always say. The reality is, after that report is done, actually, we need to meet together, all departments that are involved in this action plan and in the identified actions, because I do not even know what they are going to say yet, and any department that has some kind of action that will be required, we will be working together to make sure that...

My direction to my department was, "Get down there, figure it out, work with them, get it solved." I can't really say exactly what was said in those meetings. That was my direction: get her done.

I'd love to be able to stay here and say what was stated, but I can't do that. What I can say is that my concern, again, and the MLA brought it up outside the House, actually, outside this Chamber, actually, and was talking to me, and he is absolutely right. He talked about low-income families and children not being able to afford to get there. Twenty-five kilometres is not acceptable. I don't care if...

The basic, quick answer is yes. The district education councils and the district education authorities, under that, are responsible for deciding where they're going to use their funding, the best allocations of their budgets, but it was just last year that we realized that there were huge surpluses within our education districts all over the place so, in my opinion, that's not good. It's not good to have surpluses, huge surpluses, when we have children education services in need. I said that the other day. We need more resources. Part of getting the resources is, if we have money sitting out...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also want to take a moment to recognize a Page of Range Lake, Mr. Dexter Edjericon. Thank you for being here, and to all of the other Pages, thank you for all of the work that you provide to us. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 48, Post-Secondary Education Act, be read for the third time; and, Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.