Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Speaker, the Temporary Worker Program, again, is a federal funding, but also federal programming. The Nominee Program, we also administer that with the federal government. Part of the process is to monitor and evaluate the program itself. With the actual numbers which I don’t have with me, the detail, but I can share with the Member all the transactions that have taken place since we took over the program with the federal government until today and how we are planning to integrate that with the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. First of all, we’re not the lowest in Canada, and even the interest paid, it does go back to the general fund. But I will get Ms. Saturnino to elaborate, and she’s been actively involved in this, as well, with the remissible loans. Mahsi.

I agree that that is part of the process with early childhood development, the overall framework. When we talk about early childhood development, it is a mega piece of work across the Northwest Territories. Junior Kindergarten is just one piece of it. We have all these different initiatives on the go. Recommendations are brought to our attention as part of the action plan. Now we’re currently working on those on what we can do immediately, the short-term/long-term plans.

So, yes, we’ve considered all those areas. It came from the parents, grandparents and educators. Based on that, we are...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

I would just like to recognize and I appreciate all the Pages working with us. I appreciate their work ethics and just for being here with us. One of them will be Sahara Sadeh Lafferty. Sadeh stands for my sunshine. She’s also my girl, Sahara Sadeh Lafferty. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. Part of the process is that the loan to be remissed are those individuals need to come back to the North and live in the North. They don’t necessarily have to work in the North, but they have to be living in the North.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This particular programming, Junior Kindergarten is part of it. Head Start program is another one. We have eight Head Start programs across the territory through federal funding. Obviously, yes, we have approached the federal government on numerous programs such as Head Start and other early childhood delivery into the communities. We’ve been told over and over, it’s your own jurisdictional deliverance. We have to work with that, but every opportunity, yes, we have met with the federal government not only on the education part but other labour market development agreements...

That is detailed information that we don’t have at the tips of our fingers here, but at the same time, we can provide that information to the Members.

Again, when I met with the school board chairs on the 13th of May, we gave them an extended week until the 23rd of May to go back to their communities and regions and identify how many students would be registered. So they had until May 23rd to give us the actual enrolment numbers, so it was based on the fact that we’re producing these numbers. It was corresponding with the school boards. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I stated earlier that the surplus is at the discretion of the school boards, how they want to spend it, but we’ve always encouraged them to spend it on educational programming. It is up to the school boards to spend on programming in their communities and region. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I’m glad the Member is referring to taxpayers’ money. It is public money, the surplus that’s been accumulated. Some are substantial amounts and those monies should be expended into educational programming, so we support that as well.