David Krutko

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister to use some ministerial discretion here, because I believe that we’re failing our students in the small communities who are dropping out, who are going back home because they are not fully accommodated for their education like other students in their home communities. I’d like to ask the Minister to take some direction on this and look at the resources that you’re giving to the education boards and give it directly to the communities that need that resource. I believe that is where the bottleneck is and I believe the Minister has to take...

Mr. Chairman, again, if it is rack price, we are definitely going to see a difference of what it was last week versus what it is this week. I think that is the vulnerability that we are under. If it is basically based on rack price, we are vulnerable. I think that, for me, having a locked in price and a long-term contract, again, if it is based on the rack price, that is my concern. I would just like to know, just using the scenario of what the prices were last week versus what the prices are this week, do we have any idea what that... I have to pull out the calculator here, but again, my...

Mr. Speaker, in regard to the policy, there are challenges implementing the policy, especially when we’re putting roadblocks in the way of the communities by way of student-teacher ratio. The system we have now is 16 to 1. The community of Tsiigehtchic basically has maybe 38 students. Because of the ratio, the most teachers they’re going to get are two. For me, that is the problem with the policy and being able to implement the K to 12 strategy of getting high schools in all our communities.

As the Minister, I believe that you have to take into consideration the unique situations and you have...

Again, Mr. Chairman, we find ourselves under the economic threat of what is going on in the world, especially coming to fuel prices as we have just heard in the news since just yesterday that the fuel prices have exceeded $100 a barrel in which they are talking of the possibility of what is happening in Lebanon and other places in the world in regards to the Middle East that affects southern Arabia and other countries. It could be in excess of $200 a barrel. Are we prepared for that? Do we have enough fuel products that we purchased and at what time did we purchase and are we vulnerable to the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister to keep us abreast in regard to where this is going and give us updates whenever possible. So I’d like to ask the Minister for ongoing updates on where the progress of this is going. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, can the Minister tell me exactly when you intend to conclude the study and maybe look at the possibility of either recommendations or consideration of implementing it or bringing it forward to either committee or Members of the Legislative Assembly so that we can see, again, where we are going to consider alternative fuel sources for communities? Thank you.

Thank you. I’d like to add to the Minister’s comments and I think it’s a question of timing, and more importantly, it’s putting the resources into it. I noted, looking at our budget, that we’re putting a lot of money into French immersion, and more importantly, developing French programs and services in the Northwest Territories. But I think by making those investments, we’re losing sight of the most important component of that in the history of the Northwest Territories and indigenous people that live here and their history. I think one thing that I find, being in this House for almost 16...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I was just asked by my colleague to ask a few questions in regard to the area of petroleum products but more in regard to as we realize the area of supply of wood pellets. It’s getting big in the Northwest Territories and I think that also because petroleum products does provide fuel products to our communities, have they considered by looking at other products that they can bring into the communities such as wood pellets to supply communities with not only diesel fuel and gas but maybe consider wood pellets as an alternative heat source for the communities so people can...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I too would like to speak on Education Week, and more importantly, dealing with the education curriculum that we offer to our students in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Speaker, I think it’s important that we develop a curriculum that’s meaningful to our students’ education and gives them an opportunity to learn the bright history, and more importantly, the knowledge that has been held here for thousands of years from their ancestors, regardless if its treaty rights, land claim rights, or even preservation of our language and culture.

Mr. Speaker, the Beaufort-Delta...

So does that mean we have about a 20 percent either way in operational costs since it’s projected costs, not the operational costs? Unless you actually operate, you won’t know what the costs really are, but do you estimate one way or the other, 20 percent higher or 20 percent lower or is it higher than that?