Charles Dent

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The best indicator we have on immediate returns is the number of students who are achieving remissions on their loans and that is almost all of them. So we know that most students come back in the first instance to qualify for remission and do stay in the Territories through the remission of their loans.

We do also an occasional survey to try to follow up with people who have received funding to attend post-secondary institutions. While I don’t have those numbers with me, we have tabled in the past the post-secondary indicator book and that is available on our website...

Perhaps, Madam Chair, I could have Mr. Barbour answer that question.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I say, it’s an application-based fund. So a student can fill out an application form and from that application form, it will be determined if they qualify for some of this repayable loan funding. The sort of factors that come into play are children and childcare costs, the cost of a program that is being taken and the Member talked about whether there is any money in the bank. There is an assumption with the SFA program that you will earn some money during the summer break. So that sort of expectation is factored into the calculations. It is a formula that is...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The intention is to make that sort of definition in the regulations. That will happen after consultation after the act is passed and before it is brought into force.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That’s correct. It’s not necessarily something that follows on after a student has used up all of their 12 semesters if they qualify for 12 semesters of remissible funding. There are many students who access needs assessed funding. This funding is all needs assessed. You have to apply for the money and demonstrate a need for it, but that can be available to you beginning in the first semester if you have a need for the extra funding. So this money is over and above the basic grant and the remissible loans, yes.

Yes, Madam Chair, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The department needs to, on a regular basis, ensure that our program is in line with getting a graduate or post-graduate degree. So I think it is imperative that this sort of change take place on a regular basis. I expect that it would probably be a good idea to take a look, as we just did with the Employment Standards Act, making it possible for the government to make this change in regulation rather than come back to the House and do it in legislation.

It wasn’t something we had time to do in the life of this government, but it is something that should be considered...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled The Feasibility of Whistleblower Protection in the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I won't admit that. This government has invested considerable time and energy in developing an NWT Arts Strategy. After the first strategy was developed and tabled in this House, we also brought the people who helped develop it, along with others, back together to review the strategy and advise us on how to further develop it. Both ECE and ITI have, over the life of this government, increased funding into the arts; ECE specifically into the funding that goes to the NWT Arts Council. That has seen an increase during the life of this government. Thank you, Mr...