Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This particular policy on the Seniors Home Heating Subsidy Program is intended to assist, as the Member stated, low-income seniors. If there are also other individuals living in the household, as well, that are earning an income, they should be contributing towards the actual cost of fuel or food in the household as well.

We’ve heard in the past, our ancestors, our grandfathers, that we have to share within our household, share within the community, and that’s what should be happening with individuals that are living in that particular household. They need to share their...

Mr. Speaker, that is part of the plan to have full-fledged emergent programs in schools. We may not be able to cover all schools at the beginning, but that is part of the long-term plan, part of the ASA and also Aboriginal Languages Strategy. We are going through a business planning cycle. We need to identify those funds. Those two documents that I have highlighted, it is a big document. It is a long-term strategy. We will be rolling out those programs. Mahsi.

Those are discussions that we definitely need to have with language experts from the region and communities because I need to hear them out. It won’t be coming from the top down to say this is what is good for you. I will be working with the Member and also the language experts at the community level. We did form a committee to deal with the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative that is part of that and also Aboriginal Languages Strategy.

There are certain languages that are almost on the verge of extinction. At the same time, we need to protect all languages. If we need to identify Gwich...

Mr. Speaker, I can definitely find out from the Aurora College – they are arm’s length from us when it comes to program delivery – and find out exactly what kind of program has been offered in the region pertaining to the Member’s request. I can get back to the Members as well. Mahsi.

Those types of discussions I believe are happening in the Sahtu region. Part of the committee, the Sahtu Regional Training Committee that deals with the five-year plan, I’m sure those types of discussions have occurred. I will find out from my departmental representatives if there has been discussion in that capacity with respect to the Member’s request of a tech in the Sahtu region. Those types of discussions and also a lot of the training needs of the regions are part of the five-year training plan that’s been produced by the region. Mahsi.

I like those direct questions. I’ll try to give him a direct answer. The direct answer is that we’ve gotten out of long-term lease agreements on the housing for staff. Now we’re talking about the Shelter Policy that’s before us. It’s under review and there will be discussion that will take place with respect to housing for staff, housing for community members, and there will be more discussion with the standing committee. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Recently MLA Blake and I visited Fairbanks, Alaska, to learn about the Alaska Native Language Program. The trip had both an education and a language focus and I think we can learn a lot from their retention and revitalization strategies, and language acquisition and teaching methods. I believe these significantly complement our approaches in the Northwest Territories.

We met with faculty staff at the Alaska Native Language Centre and the College of Rural and Community Development at the University of Fairbanks, Alaska. The university incorporates indigenous knowledge and...

I would say yes. We need to work with all communities to deal with the housing for staff, especially the teachers. That’s under my portfolio. Education is one of the goals and objectives of this Assembly, and I’ll definitely work closely with the NWT Housing Corporation to identify the needs of the communities when it comes to housing for staff. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This particular program is under review within the NWT Housing Corporation and that information will be shared with the Members once it’s available. But it is under the Housing Corporation, the $25,000 earmarked for those particular programs. Mahsi.

We’ve had consultants work on various school projects, whether it be evaluation, the status of each school, and there’s been a highlight of minor or major repairs that need to be initiated. There’s been some minor capital infrastructure that has been identified for these two schools. So it is currently in the works, and in moving forward, if there are other issues that we need to discuss, then the capital plan process will be the opportune time. Mahsi.