Charles Dent

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this week is Apprenticeship Week and on Thursday, apprentices and occupational candidates from all regions of the Northwest Territories will be given awards of excellence. These awards are given to the individuals with the highest marks in each specific working area.

Mr. Speaker, developing trades people and certifying occupations is essential to ensuring that future developments in the Northwest Territories benefit northerners first. For our people to get the most out of the diamond mines, oil and gas development, and other projects, they need to have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Friday, February 11, 2005, I will move that Bill 22, An Act to Amend the Education Act, No. 2, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure of the exact criteria. I would expect that the college would require people to be conducting courses that are within the law, that would not be personally offensive to others and the standard sort of requirements that you would expect for use of public space. Anybody is entitled to go to the campus director and propose a course and say here is what I propose to offer, here is how I propose to do it and if the space would otherwise not be used for something else, it can be made available if there is enough public interest to see such a course proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the report is being done by corporate human resources and I believe that the Minister responsible, Mr. Floyd Roland, has briefed committee and did tell them that they would receive a copy of the information the Member just requested. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I am aware of that fact. I know some teachers who have not been able to find employment. The Premier’s guarantee and the one that this government is standing by is one that a position will be offered; not necessarily in the community to which the person is interested in applying though. So we are convinced that the positions are available across the Northwest Territories, but not every graduate is prepared to go to every community. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can’t say the exact number of teacher graduates since 2001 off the top of my head, I’m afraid, but I do believe we’ve had a very good success rate of finding positions for people who are interested in teaching the Northwest Territories once they’ve graduated from the program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will take a look at that report and see whether or not it is possible to do that by way of a letter to the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That must have been done before my time as Minister. I have no knowledge of that report; I’m sorry.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it was a government response to the coalition’s recommendations, so outside agencies weren’t necessarily invited to be full partners. However, an invitation was extended on numerous occasions to the executive director of the NWT Status of Women to attend and be briefed on the status of the development of the response. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I apologize; I don’t have a copy of the report in front of me and I can’t name off the outside organizations that were invited. So I don’t have that information in front of me right now. Sorry, Mr. Speaker.