Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Speaker, when we initiated our discussions back in let’s say in late fall, that’s the date that we had thrown around, possibly February or March, and now we have to engage the school boards, and in order to get feedback, it takes time to engage the school boards, the parents and, again, the grandparents and educators, so we will be waiting for feedback from them and then delivering the package as an action plan to the standing committee. I’m hoping that by May/June we have that final detailed information. In due time, I will be sharing that with the standing committee when the time is...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We first initiated the discussion with the Hay River DEA and, of course, the Commission scolaire francophone on the whole idea that we have yet to go through the appeals process with the court. It was just exploratory discussions that we’ve had, and obviously, my officials met with the chair of the DEA and the parents that represented the Hay River DEA. So those are the discussions we’ve been having.

From the board’s perspective, we’ll work with the community and my department. To date, we’re compiling the information on what the expenditure would be on the school swap...

I, too, would like to encourage those individuals to enter the workforce, and all of us here, 19 of us, fully support that. We want individuals to be successful in the Northwest Territories, throughout Canada, internationally, so we have to provide them the tools. Part of the tools that we’re providing them is productive choices within our income support division, and part of the productive choices is putting them on on-the-job training and preparing them for resume writing. All these different tools that we are providing them are there for individuals such as what Mr. Bromley is referring to...

Income support is not the only avenue that we provide funding to the most vulnerable that the Member is referring to. We work closely with the Department of Health and Social Services, the Wellness Program. There are all these different subsidy programs that are out there. Income support is just one area that we subsidize the most vulnerable. Yes, we need to prepare our community members and Northwest Territories residents, especially the young ones, for them to enter the education field and eventually graduate and to come back and be a part of the northern workforce. Those are the overall...

Once the information is available to me, then I will be more than willing to share that with the standing committee.

What I said is it is under review. As part of the whole inclusive schooling, it will be part of the education renewal. That’s what I was referring to. Inclusive schooling is currently under review. By 2013-14, the end of this year, we want to have the product at hand. We are, as a department, going through the review process, again, working with the school boards and the superintendents, the NWTTA, through their program support teachers, engaging them and providing recommendations. Those recommendations will be brought forward to my attention and I will be sharing that with the standing...

Again, we’re following the guidelines of what has been passed in this House. Yes, we changed those policies, we changed that legislation, the regulations in this House. At the same time, we have to follow the office of the Auditor General. Simply, there are strict guidelines for us to follow. Obviously, we don’t want to break those policies, those programs, those regulations that are in place. At this point there’s a reason for it. At the same time, the reporting mechanism is in place for various reasons. There are individuals who may be going through certain stages. We need to identify if...

Mahsi. When we talk about the income support division, it does consist of various programs and part of it is the seniors’ home heating subsidy, income assistance in general to support those individuals and providing assistance to residents 19 years of age and over for basic food necessities, shelter and clothing expenses and we have to attend to those most vulnerable individuals in the communities, the clientele. So, these are just some of the areas: NWT territorial workers supplement, NWT child tax, senior citizens supplementary benefits, SFA. All of these fall under income support. So, yes...

When I said no later than the end of 2013-14, I want to bring this back to session in the spring session, the May and June Legislative Assembly. That is my overall target and goals and objectives to deliver that. I have to get back to the Member on who has been hired as a contractor to deliver this review of inclusive schooling as part of the education renewal.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, the whole inclusive schooling is part of the ERI that we are moving forward and developing an action plan. We are currently in the process of reviewing the inclusive schooling directive and funding consultation, of course, engaging the education authorities. The review will be completed no later than the end of this year, 2013-14, because we want it to be part of the action plan as we move forward.

So, as I indicated, the education boards and the Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association will be part of the working group. We wanted to involve those individuals and...