Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi. We’ll do what we can to expedite the process. As I stated, there hasn’t been a committed individual to take on the broadcasting as we have done in the past, but we are focused in those areas, and with reshuffle of the Executive communication area now, we need to identify an individual that can take on the task again. So we are committing to that.

With respect to the five Aboriginal languages, we need to work with CKLB on what could be delivered in that time frame and also in that area. We have done so, successfully, in the past. Obviously, we want to reach out to our communities too. So...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. CKLB, the Aboriginal broadcasting, is very important to this GNWT, more specifically when we have to reach out to the most isolated communities. There have been other partners as well. There is ECE and also federal contribution towards this. We feel that we need to invest in this area.

With respect to advertising and also the air time, we have contributed approximately $3,400 a month towards broadcasting. We did continue to do so until March. Unfortunately, due to the reorganization and the Executive communications staffing vacancies, it was discontinued. But we are in the...

Again, we are providing the programming through ECE to the communities, to the organizations to deal with those challenges that we’re faced with. Again, interdepartmental, that we are working towards a solution towards this and we’ll continue to stress that. It is important to us and it’s one of our priorities. We will be reaching out to the communities that are most impacted.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. What I can offer is the programs that we currently deliver into the communities, whether it be to the organizations. Part of the programs that we offer, of course, is income security. Within income security there are all different programs, as well, whether it be Productive Choices, individuals that can access the income security. We also offer other areas such as, again, through my department, the Labour Market Agreement. I know the Member is referring to specifically the food area, but we work closely with the Health and Social Services department, and also the Minister...

What I can do as Minister responsible is, again, work with the two Ministers, but at the same time, with our programming, as we speak, my department is doing the research within those communities that are impacted, the challenges that we’re faced with and what can we provide. If we need to improve in those areas, we’ll continue to do so in our programming. This is what I can provide to the Members, that my income department area will be going to those communities from a regional perspective and provide solutions to the challenges.

As I indicated, there are approximately three departments working on this particular project and we are aware of it. To the extent of the challenges, we need to work together in collaboration and identify solutions, because that’s where we’ve been focusing on as a department, and we will be informing the Members as we move forward on resolving this issue. That’s our prime mandate. As my Department of Education, Culture and Employment, we’ll do what we can with the programs in existence to offer a remedy to these situations.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is dedicated to providing relevant curricula and improving educational outcomes for all students of the Northwest Territories.

At the Truth and Reconciliation Commission meeting in Inuvik last year, Nunavut Minister of Education, the Honourable Eva Aariak, and I committed to developing a comprehensive curriculum on the history and legacy of residential schools. We developed it in partnership with the Legacy of Hope Foundation, through much research, interviews with residential school survivors, archived materials and collaboration...

What I can do is present this to the committee of the GNWT and put it as part of the priority for my department, but at the end of the day, $75 million is the number we’re working with.

Again, the hospital and other sectors that are out there are in desperate need, the schools and so forth. Those come into play, because we are talking about education factors as well. We talked about early childhood earlier. We need to heavily invest in early childhood too.

It is a pressing issue that we’re faced with. What I can do, again, as the Minister responsible to deliver that as part of the priority for...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This particular stand-alone campus has been in the works since I became Minister of Education back in 2007. It has been in discussion before me as well. What it has come down to is the resources that we have in the capital. The $75 million a year that we have for capital infrastructure can only go so far. We talk about the new hospital, we talk about renovation at the hospital, over to the Aurora College stand-alone campus. Some of those areas that we have been working towards that are critical need as well.

When I presented in the House about the capital infrastructure, I...

The Auditor General’s report and the recommendations brought forward deal with various initiatives that we need to start working on, start implementing, and we have done so. We’re going to follow through with each and every recommendation, such as the daycare inspections, the report, the scheduling and so forth. Those are just some of the areas that we will be embarking on as we move forward.

The high cost of living is a challenge in the communities. Within our Education, Culture and Employment there are programs that support, whether it be the start-up costs of a child care facility or partial...