Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Student Financial Assistance Act to raise the maximum aggregate of the principal amount of all student loans that may be made by the Government of the Northwest Territories by $4 million for 2012-2013 and subsequent fiscal years. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Those are the types of discussions that we do have at the board chair level. The Safe Schools Policy of YK District No. 1, we can certainly utilize the policy that they currently have instead of reinventing the wheel.

What’s before us, if we can enhance that policy for other school systems then, by all means, we will definitely pursue that and have our discussions with my department and the YK No. 1 as well.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This particular subject is very important to our school system and especially with the school boards across the Northwest Territories. We did address that with the school boards and they’re fully aware of it. There are, as the Member indicated, potential partners that are involved, RCMP, NGOs, and also parents getting involved in this. There’s also a question of an anti-bullying policy into the schools. Those are the areas that we are consistently working on, and I’m glad the Member raised that issue because this is an area that is broad to cover all schools so we are doing...

Again, it is a case-by-case basis. Some cases are very unique. It will take some time. But it is a standard rule of up to five days.

This particular issue does come to the Cabinet table. We do have a standard rule that any information or concerns that are brought forward by Regular Members are responded to within five days. It all varies on if there are organizations that we have to reach out to to get more clarification. It will take some time in some areas, but our overall goal and objective is to get back to Regular Members within five days. Either to respond back saying we’re looking into it or at least respond back to them. As I’ve stated before, some areas will take some time as well.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Early childhood development and the early years of learning in kindergarten are a priority for the department. As we are all aware, healthy childhoods are the best foundations to develop healthy, productive adults.

The departments of Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services are revamping the 2001 Early Childhood Development Framework for Action. To assist with the work, the departments reviewed the programs and services called for in the framework. And we’ve looked at other Canadian programs, policies and literature.

As Members know, we are working to...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 69(2) and to have Bill 1 moved into Committee of the Whole.

---Unanimous consent granted

Before the end of session I will get back to the Member on the status, what my department is pursuing on this particular subject on the Safe Schools Policy and working with the YK District No. 1 and other research that we’ve done within Canada and will provide that information to the Members.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife South, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the first time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

All I can say at this point is that I can bring this information back to the French coordinators at the divisional education council and work with our colleagues in Alberta, as well, on this particular subject, and I can get back to the Member on the outcome of that.