Jackson Lafferty

The information that I did receive – and I will be going back to WSCC for another follow-up meeting, because whenever a concern has been addressed by the Members and the general public, I usually meet with the chair and the president.

With respect to this increase in assessment rates for 2013 of 16 percent, this has been in the subsidy area. A subsidy has been provided for the last 10 years and now WSCC has taken that back. In return is an increase in assessment rates. That information was brought to my attention. It is the subsidy that has been provided is now taken back by WSCC due to the...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I did meet with the board chair and the president and I did share some of the concerns that were brought to my attention. Part of the reason why this rate is going up is due to the fact that their investment at the national stage has had a downturn in investment in the environment, and also the rising cost of health care across Canada. Given that there have been subsidies given to these businesses across the Northwest Territories for the last 10 years, it has basically taken back the subsidy and put that into an increase in assessment rates. So, swapping that. That was my...

When this was first introduced for 2013, the increase of 16 percent, I did indicate to the president and the chair that they need to work closely with even the smallest contractor on what the implications would be. What kind of subsidy are we providing? Is it in replacement of a subsidy to increase the assessment rates? It was assured to me that it was in replacement. I told them that we need to have a long-term mechanism to highlight the implications and potential impacts. I will be sharing that information with the Members once it is available to me by WSCC.

Mr. Speaker, I got the facts here from WSCC and it is in between. It’s not 6 percent or what the Member is alluding to; it is an increase in 2013 of 16 percent. That’s the number I have from WSCC, in replacement of the subsidy that’s been provided over the last 10 years.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize two Aurora College students who are here with us today. They are second year social work students in the Social Work Program. They are attending on behalf of their Social Work 469 Canadian Social Policy class. They are Kelly Bothamley and Jacq Brasseur. I’d also like to recognize Jane Arychuk, the interim president of the college.

That has been the process for quite some time now within the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. We are following the process and we’ll continue to follow the process as well. There may have been some discrepancies in the past where recommendations were brought forward by consultants, issues with the consultants, so we had to make sure that there is a management response to deal with that matter. We have gone through some hiccups along the way, as well, with this process last year and this year. We just want to make sure that we have the right document going out to the general...

The department will bring forward the project for Mildred Hall for consideration during the 2014-2015 capital planning process. The outstanding work that’s been in play with the previous major renovation that was undertaken, some of the work hasn’t been completed. So those are some of the areas that could be identified through this capital planning process. I will get my director, Mr. Devitt, to elaborate more on the technicality of the process. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I already committed that I will be tabling the document in the House.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. We did have a lively debate earlier on Trout Lake, and I do understand where the Member’s coming from and I’m seriously looking into this, as well, with my department. I’ve already indicated to my deputy that there are certain schools that we may have to seriously look at. There’s been an increase in enrolment. History shows us that the enrolment has been increasing, so that’s an area that we can definitely look at and start planning, conduct a planning process for the Charles Tetcho School in Trout Lake. I will be committing to working with the Members and also the standing...

There are, let’s see here, approximately 18 recommendations within that SFA that was brought to my attention. I can share that with the Members as well as the standing committee. This is an area where there is a management response to SFA, the review of the final report. I can share that information. We are focusing on which priority areas we need to start implementing and it will be brought to the standing committee, as well, as an information item as we move forward.