Charles Dent

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, since 1999-2000 to this year, the amount of funding that has been provided to divisional educational councils to fund programs for children with special needs has gone from just over $6 million to over $16 million. So there has been a pretty dramatic growth in the amount of funding in the past four years. It has more than doubled. That I think indicates that there has been some commitment on the part of this legislature to provide funds, and I guess what we are going to have to find out in the next little while is whether or not that increase has been...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it’s in all our interests to make sure anybody who is capable of getting a higher education in the Northwest Territories is given a hand to get that education. So the department is constantly reviewing the programs that are offered and looking at ways to improve them. I would say that as part of our regular reviews we will continue to do that and make sure our programs are offered in the best way possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to reinforce what the Member said in his statement. This is a federal program and we deliver it in the Northwest Territories only for the convenience of our residents to make sure that it’s easier for people to get it, rather than having to write to someone farther away to get it. We don’t set the terms and conditions. What the residents of the Sahtu will have is access to the same programs that residents have across the Northwest Territories, which in general are very supportive of education and training. If the Member has some specific issues, I would...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would agree with Mr. Delorey that we should try and minimize any expenses in these sorts of situations and maximize the payments that would be going to affected individuals. I will certainly look into whether or not we can, in the future at least, find a way to use government properties for storage and I’ll report back to the Member what my findings are. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I don’t know if I can answer all the detail of the question the Member has posed. However, it’s not uncommon for this government and most governments to charge fees for services that they provide to the public. For instance, if you go in and want to register a document in court registries, there is a fee. If you want to get a driver’s licence, there is a fee for that. When the public asks that a service be performed that isn’t being provided to everybody, it isn’t unusual that there would be a fee charged. My understanding is that that’s the situation also with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to provide an update to Members of the Legislative Assembly on the Department of Justice’s work to implement the Protection Against Family Violence Act.

This act, passed during the 14th Legislative Assembly, provides for 24-hour access to emergency protection orders when there is an act, or threat of family violence. It also provides victims of family violence with long-term protection orders.

Anyone who has lived, or is living, in a family or intimate relationship with the accused will be able to apply for protection under this act. For example, this could...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Weledeh, the Bill 8, Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2004, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have known Mr. Zoe for a while. We served together in the 12th Assembly. Shortly after the election I met with Mr. Zoe, we went for a coffee and talked about our aspirations. He told me at that time that he wanted to be on Cabinet. Mr. Speaker, I told him that things have changed, and that attitudes towards alcohol use had changed significantly, that there was no longer any tolerance for alcohol abuse by Cabinet Members. I told him that I expected to hear from him that he understood that things had changed, and that he could live with these new...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure. I guess it depends on the nature of the behavioural problems. I suppose, for instance, that a territorial treatment centre might be a facility that could be used for situations like that. But again, without knowing the specifics of the behaviour issues, it's hard to know. It may help the Member to know that I have advised the DEC Chairs that by this fall I will issue a directive that will stipulate what is acceptable use for the funds that are provided to deal with special needs. I am not certain that the school support funding has been spent...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, each individual situation is going to require a unique solution, so it is difficult to answer it in a general way. There are in every instance monies available for dealing with children who have special needs given to the divisional education councils, which in turn funds the district education authorities to provide the services. So the legislation in the Northwest Territories requires that the councils provide an appropriate level of education for all students, and that may take the provision of an individual’s support in a classroom, or it may take...