Jackson Lafferty

This particular review has been undertaken for the last couple of months now and we will be going through until next year. We’re at the preliminary stages, so those are options that I can certainly take into consideration. Mahsi.

We agree that we need to take those goals and priorities into consideration and we are mindful of the cost factor, as well, when it comes to leasing. There has been an increase of 40 percent. We have to find ways of cost savings. This, again, is preapproved from the previous government. Now the 17th Assembly will be mindful of what the Member is referring to. He has brought up his concerns and issues, and even transferring the positions into the region has been talked about as part of our goals. We’ll have to be mindful of that within the departments.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to Student Financial Assistance it is a subsidy for post-secondary institutions, so college and university. In cases where upgrading has been brought to our attention on numerous occasions but there are other programs and funding, whether it be from local organizations or federal, there is also federal funding that individuals can access. I’m sure this particular area will be brought to our attention through the SFA review. Any concerns or issues that will be brought forward will be considered through the review process.

Mahsi, Madam Chair. My understanding is that through Public Works and Services and in consultation with ECE, this is an issue that they want to expedite as best as they could to remedy the situation within the school.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. We are talking about the infrastructure here, about how we move forward on capital. What the Member could be referring to is, as we move forward on the business planning cycle, to produce more arts in the buildings. Those are the discussions that we can have with my Cabinet colleagues. I need to get their perspective, as well, on this particular subject. We talk about the 1 percent and how it’s going to look overall within the GNWT buildings. I can definitely bring that forward and have discussion and see what the outcome will be.

Mr. Speaker, producing Aboriginal language teachers is also one of our top priorities, because we’ve heard from the forums that we’ve had on ASA, language immersion is their priority as well. We need to do that with qualified Aboriginal language teachers and language speaker teachers. With that, we’ve initiated the TEP program, ALCIP program through the Tlicho Community Services Agency a couple years ago. Now we’re initiating that in the Beaufort-Delta. The next step is also on the Hay River Reserve. Those teacher education programs and Aboriginal language instructors programs are being...

I’d like to thank the Member for raising that issue. He has raised that issue with us. We want to move forward on this. We did send out a letter back in the summer to Enterprise, to identify the process of establishing a school, the requirements that need to be met.

I’m glad to hear that the Member is referring to wanting to meet the government half way. Anything we can do to assist, my department will be there to assist the community of Enterprise to move this further along. It could be part of the capital projects as we move forward where the community does not have a school at this point.

Bu...

Mahsi, Madam Chair. We’re not talking about giving away free spaces. This is an area that we know there are a lot of NGOs out there, not only that, but other organizations, private sector and there are different buildings where there are vacancies. So what I stated was that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment does have some options to work with within the community, and when Mr. Bromley raised that issue that was just one area where we are exploring different discussions. I’m not saying that it’s going to happen; it’s just that discussion has been ongoing. So those are just...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Within Education, Culture and Employment, early childhood has always been a priority for this government and it is a priority for ASA now. This is an area that has been a prime focus when we visited all five regions plus the Yellowknife region, so six regions; discussion on our priorities. Early childhood has always been at the forefront of our discussions. Within our department we provide various funding, whether it be the daycare operations, the workers and subsidizing those individuals that are in the child care programming, the Head Start Program. We have partnerships...

Mahsi, Madam Chair. The school in Aklavik, as the Member indicated, is a fairly old building. We will be discussing that and we will be visiting the community as well. To be part of the capital projects, of course, the Member can I guess refer that matter to the capital process. So this is the time to start planning for the next capital projects. So we’ll definitely be mindful of that. Mahsi.