Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Speaker, through this early childhood programming, we provide funding for programming. Not only that, but a portion of mortgage and also rental expenses for providers that operate on the premises and also Early Childhood Program that consists of start-up and operation costs. Those are the funds that we provide currently through the ECE department. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, those are areas that we need to identify within a community. There are other reviews that have been undertaken as well. They could capture that. It may have captured it in the past or not, but child daycare standards regulations does come early this year or next year. Also, the Member is referring to a temporary placement. Those are the areas that my department, ECE, needs to work with the DEA and also the Member identifying those matters at hand. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize Aurora College students currently enrolled in the Introduction to Government class here in Yellowknife. The students are: Tuan Tran, Nichelle Hernblad, Delores Lacorne, Arisa Komi, Sean Erasmus, Warren Mpofu, Karen Horn, and also the instructor, Arthur Osborne. Welcome.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. There has been a lot of discussion from the Members and I appreciate that, and a lot of good ideas, some concerns, so I will have to work with that. There has been talks that there shouldn’t be any cuts to the breakfast program and, as you know, the schools provide those programs and have been very successful, so we will continue to work with the educational authorities in that respect.

The teacher housing subsidy that was raised in the House earlier, in Tuktoyaktuk, this is an area that there has been agreement with the NWT Housing Corporation for a number of years...

Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would be pleased to share some information with the Members on the Member for Sahtu for bringing this motion forward on the high school staffing funding formula. Small high schools in the Northwest Territories, as you know, are funded through the school funding framework. We are talking about approximately eight communities. Once communities have reached 10 students or more, then there are options that have been referred to as grade extensions. That’s an option that we have been working with and has been very successful.

The Member also stated that 2.26 teaching positions...

I did make a commitment. It may be soft but, as I indicated, my department will work closely with the DEA. I understand there’s been some correspondence on the playground equipment, the cost of it. The Member has alluded to $60,000 for the playground. That’s the number that we need to work with. How much the fundraising initiative of the parents group will be initiating still remains to be seen, but as I made the commitment, let’s work with this and work with the community of Fort Simpson to see what will come out of it.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. First let me commend the parent group for their tireless efforts in fundraising. This will definitely go a long way. As I stated when I was visiting Fort Simpson, I’m willing to work with the parents and willing to work with the DEA. There has been some correspondence between MLA Menicoche, myself and the DEA that we need to collaborate together. Working with the parent group, I must say that they are kick-starting this fundraising initiative and I’m willing to work with that.

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.