Jackson Lafferty

When I recognized those social work students in the gallery, I did have the opportunity to meet with them out in the foyer as well. This is an area we are all working with the college and with southern institutions that currently deliver diploma programs and also degree programs. Some students, of course, told us that they don’t want to leave the community. They want to finish their degree here in the Northwest Territories. I did share that with the Board of Governors of the college and also the president. Mr. Chair, this is a discussion that we’ve had and we will continue to move that forward...

I can have my department work with the DEA on this matter. The Member has brought this to our attention on a couple of occasions now. We’ll definitely work with it and with the Member as we move forward. I’ll definitely agree to having my department work with the DEA.

Mr. Chair, inclusive schooling is also being looked at by a committee. It is in the works. There are changes that will be coming down and then we will definitely notify the Members. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. I think the Member touched on that already. We utilize school facilities or other facilities in the community for the time. As you know, the federal government has allocated community learning centres to three communities just last year and we’re hoping that other communities will be identified as well. We’ll clearly continue to make that noise. The small communities that do not have community learning centres or an establishment that we can utilize or certain on-site equipment, this is an area that we need to continue working with either the school boards, the community...

Mahsi. This program that we deliver through the Nominee Program, it is available to those immigrants in the Northwest Territories, and we do provide various programs, as well, to those individuals, such as a Skilled Worker and Critical Impact Workers Program, Entrepreneur Self-Employment Business Program, through various interdepartmental as well. I work closely with the Department of ITI to assist in those areas to fill and also give them the opportunity to work beyond just being a cab driver. So that information is available to them through our department. Also, there is a website as well...

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. That category would be due to the new initiative, the Small Community Employment Support Program.

Mr. Chair, this area would allow for coordination between my department and also Health. The Member discussed the health-related issues, that there’s been a waiting time. We need to seriously look at our policy as well. The three-month waiting period is questionable, the 48-hour turnaround, and if it’s emergency cases, doctor’s note. So all those need to be taken into effect, but I will be working with my colleague, the Minister of Health and Social Services. Mahsi.

Since last year, we went through some options and we shared that with the Members and with the various school boards as well. Those options have been pushed forward, but there are other pressing matters that are before us as well within the GNWT. We are not giving up on this. We are also continuing to examine this through our next capital planning process. So this is geared for next year because the lease is expiring next year, so we need to plan. We have been planning this fall for an extension. So we will be exploring those areas for the next capital planning process, Mr. Chair. Mahsi.

As the Members know, there is a community learning centre going up in Lutselk’e. The existing building that is in place right now, I guess it has been surplus to the community on the CLC, the community learning centre. The money that’s been operating with the existing building will be transferred to the new facility. If the community wants to take over the facility, the operating cost of the building will be on the onus of the community. That’s part of the reason.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. We did take a good look at the overall evaluation that’s been brought to our attention. Based on the students taking the accredited programming, we’ve identified -- let’s say I can use the Phoenix School -- the operation costs we’ll cover and the number of students that are enrolled. The overall cost for a teacher to deliver those programs to a number of students that we’re going to cover. We also stated that if there are additional costs that they can substantiate, then we’ll seriously look into that as well for additional costs. That’s what we’ve done. We’ll continue to...