Jackson Lafferty

Yes, Mr. Chair.

I do believe we are making some changes in our curriculum, as long as it benefits the communities, benefits the schools, benefits the students. If we do it for one, we have to do it for all jurisdictions, not just one region. So, Mr. Speaker, those are the areas that we continue to have with the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative. There is valuable information and discussions taking place. Each of the regions are well represented and very fruitful discussions are happening. So, Mr. Speaker, all the issues addressed here today are being addressed at those particular committee meetings...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my understanding is that it is totally committed to the YWCA. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, the amount of funding that we provide to education councils, it’s to their discretion on where to disclose the funds, whether it be to the elders or to the Mentorship Program. Some of the school districts are providing mentorship to improve student attendance using various examples. So it will be up to the Sahtu education council to provide that available information.

Mr. Speaker, although this is a small initiative that we’ve initiated, we are already making progress, we are seeing some changes in student attendance going up a bit. Mr. Speaker, on a going forward basis, this...

We are doing research in other jurisdictions as well. That should be completed and a discussion paper should be available within the next six months to the standing committee. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, we are currently developing a framework for the whole Northwest Territories, but each jurisdiction has their own orientation package. Again, I’ll refer back to the Tlicho Community Services Agency where they have the On-the-Land Barren Land Program where newly recruited teachers go out on the land with the elders. It has been a very successful program, but that’s one jurisdiction. We’re looking at the cross-cultural throughout the Northwest Territories as an orientation package. Mr. Speaker, we are developing one and we’ll certainly get back to the Members on that. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is a very special day for our Territory as we celebrate Northwest Territories Day at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Throughout the day there will be events and activities at venues like Canada’s Northern House to promote the people and culture of our Territory. In the evening our northern performers will take centre stages at B.C. Place in the heart of downtown Vancouver. This will be the main event of the Northwest Territories Day Victory Celebration. During this event, the Northwest Territories Performing Collective will reveal, through traditional...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Government of the Northwest Territories Response to the Standing Committee on Government Operations Report 1-16(4), Review of the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 Annual Reports. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this has been brought forward at the national table, as well, where we had an incident in Hay River, a bad incident, and also a small community in Nunavut. So this has been brought forward and the discussion has been that we need those officers, new recruits, with a mentor that may have five to 10 years’ experience. So those are the discussions that we’ve had with the RCMP “G” Division, the importance and the relevance of it. So, yes, this is clearly a priority for us that we continue to recommend to the RCMP “G” Division. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It is possible for a posting to be extended within the RCMP “G” Division, but there are certain factors taken into consideration. Whether it be the needs of the community, the needs of the force overall in the particular community and the overall force, and also the timing of the request. They have to give advance notice if there’s going to be a staffing plan for “G” Division and it is done well in advance. But it is possible for an extension at the community level. Mahsi.