Daryl Dolynny

Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report progress and I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I know it’s been a long day and a long couple of weeks, so I appreciate everyone allowing good debate on this. I want to thank the seconder, Mr. Moses, for allowing this debate to occur today and I want to thank all the Members here who took the time to speak towards this motion and provided some good ideas and some great thoughts. Of course, I want to thank Minister Miltenberger for again addressing it and I’m encouraged by his words today. I’d also like to thank the many residents who e-mailed and called in support of this motion in the last...

WHEREAS alcohol abuse is a prevalent problem in NWT communities and is evident on Yellowknife streets and in the downtown core;

AND WHEREAS in 2011 Yellowknife ranked third out of 238 Canadian cities with a population of over 10,000 people for the severity of its crime;

AND WHEREAS alcohol abuse is one of the biggest challenges to policing in communities across the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS the enforcement of liquor laws can help to curb instances of open liquor, public drunkenness, underage drinking, the use of alcohol while operating a motor vehicle, and infractions under the Liquor...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m rising here today and supporting the motion. I’d like to thank Mr. Menicoche for bringing it forward.

Again, I’m always disheartened when I hear the Cabinet will always abstain on something that they truly believe in and have actually worked on in this initiative, but that’s neither here nor there.

Yesterday when we talked about this in the House, I brought some very startling information, statistics. By the time a student gets to Grade 4, they’ve missed already half of a year of school, and by the time that same student reaches Grade 10, the average NWT student...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know that question we all asked our Grade 11 teacher: When am I ever going to use this in the real world? Well, today that question is being put to the test.

I am pleased to say that I took statistics in Grade 11 some 30 years ago, and with this ancient knowledge my office took the liberty to evaluate statistically how well Cabinet responded to Regular Members’ oral questions from October 17th to November 4th of this year.

You’re probably wondering why this Regular Member would go through such trouble. This is a good question, and in truth, the science geek in me...

I’m looking forward to hearing more about that in due course. Can the Minister indicate what role are parents, educators, administrators and our elected community leadership playing within this new framework to address poor attendance in our schools?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like many of my colleagues today speaking on the recently tabled report, Education Renewal and Innovation Framework: Directions for Change, it is abundantly clear that our education system is in need of a shakeup. Of course, with any initiative report of this magnitude, we are hoping that this truly serves the department needs for the next 10 years and that the report does not collect dust on a shelf.

Although I don’t want to overshadow some of our successes, it may appear our failure rates as leaders, educators and society pales in comparison to our students’ low test...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, November 8, 2013, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that this Legislative Assembly recommends that the Minister of Finance undertake discussion and amendments to the Liquor Act or other legislation, as required, to provide municipal enforcement officers with the authority to enforce liquor infractions;

And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.

I’m encouraged that the Minister is encouraged. Elders play an integral part in teaching us many life skills, or at least they should be. These role models serve as mentors for our youth and could assist with attendance issues.

What is the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment doing to facilitate more elders in our schools?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today in my Member’s statement, I referred to a passage in the recently tabled Education Renewal and Innovation Framework, and it stated: “by Grade 4 the average NWT student has already missed half a year of school, or two full years by Grade 10.”

Truancy or attendance concerns are not only unique to the NWT but are a critical barrier to our students’ success and their achievement. My questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Admittedly, upon review of the ECE framework, it only dedicates one page of this truancy concern in its...