Jackson Lafferty

I would also take that into serious consideration, because we have to deal with early childhood matters. The programming that we currently deliver, as you know, there are always changes that occur in different programming and different policies. As I stated, there is a review undertaken so we’ll closely monitor that, and if we need to make changes as we listen to the Members’ concerns, it will reflect on that as well. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, that is the very reason why we’re doing this initiative. Concern was raised by the parents, the community members, the leadership, the educators in the communities, all communities of the Northwest Territories. That’s when the Aboriginal student achievement has been undertaken. That’s been identified where the students’ attendance is an issue and the quality of education has been brought to our attention as well. There is a strategy that’s been developed through the action oriented coming from the people of the Northwest Territories. It’s not my department saying this is good for...

Mr. Chair, those services will be based on an application basis. We haven’t identified the communities yet. We’re still waiting for applications to be submitted, so we are just waiting. Mahsi.

Mr. Chairman, the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, as you know, is still a working document. We are still visiting two more regions. There may have been a shift to focus on literacy for community library coordinator and libraries in the communities. It is based on the input that we received from the general public. We are moving forward on the recommendations. It is not us as a department saying this is what is good for the communities. Next year it could be in a different format. It could be early childhood that we need to focus on.

Mr. Chairman, once we started the initiative, we...

The information I have is that the recommendations that were brought to our attention, some of those recommendations will be covered through this budget process. The others will also be covered in next year’s budget as well. What the Member is specifically highlighting is also an area that we’ll need to monitor as well. So some of the aspects of the detailed information on the recommendations will be part of this budget that’s before us. Mahsi.

Mr. Chair, I agree with the Member; I think that this is a given that we need to consult with those organizations that are involved. Definitely, we will be consulting with them as well. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I will commit to working with the Member and also the DEA. At the same time, there is the Early Childhood Program for start-up and also contribution funding that is available to those individual organizations. We need to deal with the matter, the detailed information that the Member is referring to. If I can get that information, I am willing to work with that and also with the DEA through my department. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There is funding allocated to the communities that have early childhood programs or daycares. There is funding such as funding for equipment and material purchases that the Member may have alluded to in that area, and also funding for other areas such as mortgage expense or rental expense on the premises that are not owned by the GNWT, but I need to work with the Member on the specifics on that particular situation in his community. We also need to work with the local DEA, as well, as we move forward on this particular matter. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. That $272,000 that was earmarked for 2010-2011 and funding from Human Resource and Social Development of Canada, the federal funding to support early childhood programming is due to sunset March 31, 2011. So it was the federal funding.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. I have with me Dan Daniels, the deputy minister of ECE; and Paul Devitt, director of strategic and business services. Mahsi.