Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Those are the areas that we need to explore with each department. Each department has their own mandate. They have their own goals and objectives to deal with the communities, whether it comes to apprenticeship or training on the job at the community level and also employment. So we need to gather that information. I can definitely share that with the Member as well. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, again, that process is before us. I will be informing Members of the update on that. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure how I can get around this. I did commit in the House that this is part of the process of the new initiatives that are coming up. I do support the students in the education system 100 percent. Definitely, again, I have to reiterate that Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative strategy will guide us through that venue. Mr. Speaker, we will do what we can because this is the voice of the Northwest Territories. It would have handprints of the people of the Northwest Territories. It is not coming down from the top down as the face-to-face meeting and getting their...

This is, as I stated, the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative is a great strategy that’s out there and is getting a lot of positive feedback from the community members. Again, it’s for the whole Northwest Territories. It will reflect on how we deliver programs in the Northwest Territories on the education factor, whether it be junior kindergarten or other areas. It will give us some guidance within our department to move forward on various initiatives.

Again the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiatives focus is on the sector of what’s happening within the education system. I’d like to find out the results of that discussion at the forum. That gave us guidance as we explore different areas. Whether it be junior kindergarten that the Member is referring to within the schools in the Northwest Territories during the summer as an option, those are the areas that we will likely explore once we get the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiatives finalized and then recommendations will come out. It does reflect overall on the department as well.

Whether it be the tournaments, the Vancouver demonstrations -- and we’ve sponsored those participants to be at the function to demonstrate what the hand games are all about so we can show the world -- those are areas we can sponsor through the GNWT as a whole that we’ve done.

With respect to the Dene hand games in various regions, in the past those organizations have been very successful conducting those events with or without the help of organizations or sponsors. Like the Member has stated, they have raised money. This is an area especially with the youth that I like to focus on those areas.

Mr. Speaker, with any request that comes forward to our attention, we do look at our policies and we make changes to the effect where it benefits the communities. This is an area respecting the seniors fuel subsidy. I made a commitment to look at that piece of work. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This has been brought to our attention within my department and we did raise this issue in the House yesterday. I’ve committed in the House that I’d like my department to look at this area and how we get around it so that the elders are not penalized. We talked about the residence issues where individuals may be there for short periods of time. We also talked about other areas where elders are probably 90 years old and more, and how we can get around the system. I will follow through with this within my department.

This may have been addressed by the Rural and Remote Communities committee along with other departments. I can follow through within Education, Culture and Employment on what kind of dialogue has been transferred in that area and transpired in that area. I’ll have to get back to the Members on that. Specifically if there has been discussion on what the Member is referring to.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This particular area has been discussed amongst the departments and through the Rural and Remote Communities committee that has been dealing with this particular initiative. Through that we have identified funding for small employment into the communities. That’s an area that we have targeted and we continue to push forward with that.