Jackson Lafferty

Part of the changes that we make from time to time are reflecting on high cost of fuel or high cost of, let’s say, food in the community. With respect to this seniors home heating subsidy, there is an increase in the cost of heating, the fuel. That will reflect on the zoning which we did a couple of years back. We increased the $10,000 on each zoning. From time to time we will be making those changes. I appreciate the Member referring to this important piece of work that we will continue to monitor. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, we did add the zoning, I believe, a couple of years back, by $10,000. We are always exploring areas that we need to improve our programming. I did instruct my department to look at some options to deal with those individuals, children or grandchildren that are living with their grandparents, how we can remedy the situation so they can be eligible for home heating subsidy. We are exploring those areas. I believe we are at the final stages of going through those options. I will be presenting that to the Members once that is available.

There will be various consultations that will take place with the stakeholders, prior to putting forward the legislation to addressing the bullying. From December 2012 until January 2013, the consultation will take place, and they will consist of, of course, Regular Members, their input, and also those involved within the education field. The NWTTA, divisional education councils, district education authorities, superintendents, principals, teachers, the parents, and also those parents, students and Members of the Legislative Assembly, Corrections Division, Justice, RCMP. A variety of...

I would like to thank the Member for that specific question, because it is an important one. With respect to the income security framework, there are productive choices as well. But at the same time, we realize those individuals are looking for employment opportunities. At the same time, we provide those labour market agreements. A labour market agreement is reflecting on those individuals that don’t qualify for EI, so we provide training programs to those individuals.

Yes, I agree with the Member that we need to continue to provide those subsidies, the training programs that are productive...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the employment across the Northwest Territories, it does fluctuate in the communities, but we do provide programs into our communities such as the Small Community Employment Program and the others, the Labour Market Agreement and the Labour Market Development Agreement as well. We work with the community organizations to deliver those successful programs and we will continue to do so.

I will provide the Members with the stats of the current status of the labour market in the community, how we can address those areas and what kinds of programs are being...

The school board that we work closely with, especially the superintendent and the parents, to identify the students and where they should be staying and identifying the home boarding, the place of residence. Most especially the teachers have been closely monitoring where the students are staying. Eighty percent of the students we’re home boarding completed in the school year as well. There is a mechanism for teachers to closely monitor where the students are staying, if their homework and attendance are accurate, and continuously monitoring that.

When it comes to the students that are home...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize the members of the Aboriginal Head Start Council that are here with us in the gallery. First, from Inuvik, Teresa McNab and Amanda Bernhardt; from Paulatuk, Alice Thrasher; from Fort McPherson, Stephanie Ross and Marion Greenland; from Behchoko, Louisa Richardson and Marlyss Richardson; from Ndilo, Robin Gladstone, Pam Abramchuk, Fred Tsetta and Reanna Erasmus; from Fort Providence, Joyce McLeod, Belinda Sabourin and Sabrina McLeod; from Hay River Reserve, Rene Squirrel and Trudy Coutrie; from Fort Smith, Janine Rommel. Also their...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents, entitled GNWT Response to Committee Report 3-17(3), Review of Languages Commissioner’s 2010-2011 Annual Report, and GNWT Response to Motion 5-17(3), Early Childhood Development. Finally, further to my Return to Written Question 4-17(3), I wish to table the following document entitled GNWT Safer Advantage Claims Cost Experience and Penalties. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

I did touch on some of the programs that we are currently delivering. We work closely with the regional career development officers, and although we may not have them in all communities, those communities that are without it, we do contact through the regional representatives and they deliver various programs at the community level. I will provide the breakdown of various programs that are being delivered at the community level, whether it be the Deh Cho riding, as well, and then the current activities that are happening, whether it be the training that’s currently being delivered in the...

I believe we are open to proposals that may be before us when it comes to opportunities to deal with these students. We’re more than willing to work with the Gwich’in Tribal Council, if that’s the case. I will be meeting with the board chairs, as well, in December, to talk about the complexities of the home boarding and other educational factors that are before us, such as early childhood and other ASA and Aboriginal Languages Strategy. That is the discussion that we will be having. This will be part of the discussion that will be put on the table in the December meeting as well.