Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Speaker, one of the goals and priorities of our department is to support the programs that we have with the schools and with the community. Yes, we will continue to support those areas.

Reiterating that, one of the priorities of the government is to look after the youth — the children of our communities — so we will take those into consideration as well. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I recognize four distinct individuals here in the audience. It’s as part of the Corrections awards that they were recognized this afternoon. I’d like to recognize, first of all, Anthony Beck on receiving the Lifesaving Award; Mr. Gordie Oystrek for receiving the Corrections Exemplary Service Award; Mr. Paul Pearce, also for the Corrections Exemplary Service Award; and last but not least, Mr. Quinn Groenehyde, also with Corrections Exemplary Service Award.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled Annual Report of Official Languages, 2006–2007.

Document 25-16(2), Annual Report of Official Languages, 2006–2007, tabled.

Mr. Speaker, we assist individuals in the communities, whether it be the two parents or single parents, based on their needs and their income.

I will have to get back to the Member on the net versus gross. I don’t have that information in front of me, but certainly, I can work with the Member on the specific area.

We do try to assist all individuals who are in desperate need of funding to cover their programs in the communities — the child care programs. Mahsi.

Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, yes, the Member is referencing subsidies for the communities. We do serve 33 communities on the subsidy of the child care services, early childhood programs and services.

Each community has an opportunity to apply for certain program dollars. They’re also entitled to our program dollars. There are federal dollars and Territorial dollars. The communities can apply on top of what we offer as a Territorial government. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to keep our Members informed of our progress, so I certainly will provide what information I have to date to the Member. Certainly, we’ll keep the Member posted on our upcoming meeting with the community next month.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to thank the Member for asking that question, because I did commit in the House that my department will follow up working with the community to remedy the issue of office space in the community for three different organizations. Since then, our department has been working with the organizations that have been highlighted here, with the Open Door Society and also the community library and heritage society.

We are making some progress in that area, Mr. Speaker, and there has been contact in the community. That’s what we’ve been doing since our last session. We will continue...

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Member’s commitment in this particular area, as it is a high interest in the communities. We have already received correspondence from the communities saying that education should not be cut from the budget.

Those are decisions that still need to be made, and we will certainly take those into consideration — the concerns and the issues that were highlighted here. It is one of the priority areas for this 16th Assembly government, so we will continue to push that forward as a priority item. Mahsi.

Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, the G.N.W.T. is in the process of making a decision with respect to supporting the 16th Assembly’s priorities and planning and the proposed budget that will be brought forward here in the spring.

Supporting the education of our youth is our top priority, Mr. Speaker. We do have a decision that is coming down on us that will involve the Members as well. We will be making a decision in terms of how we invest in our youth and also the schools at the community level. That will be one of our priorities that we continue to support. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, last week I met with my federal, provincial and territorial counterparts to discuss the upcoming review of the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the proposed amendments currently before Parliament. This federal law applies when a young person aged 12–17 is alleged to have committed a crime.

The act is intended to promote the long-term protection of society. It does this by addressing young offenders’ underlying issues that contribute to offending behaviour. It is intended to rehabilitate young persons and reintegrate them into society and provides meaningful consequences for their...