Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 45, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, be read for the second time.

This bill amends the Workers’ Compensation Act to replace the definition of listed disease in Section 14. (1) in order to add five additional forms of cancer and to clarify the French version.

Mahsi. When the decision was made October 30th, the decision was that we’ll continue to deliver junior kindergarten this year and next year on the phase one approach with the existing funding that was allocated in working with the school boards. So that will continue, the decision that was made by this government. So that’s the process that we’ll continue to follow for next year. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When the decision came down by the government in this House on October 30th not to proceed with the second and third phase, the 23 communities that were in the process of delivering junior kindergarten, we reached out to them and they provided a written response by the end of last year in December. There were some communities that decided to opt out. Out of 23, there are 19 communities that decided to continue with junior kindergarten, a majority of JK deliverance in the community for this year and also next year. Next year will be around 18 junior kindergartens being...

This is a contribution through the organization that I spoke of earlier, and we can certainly look at those options as well. My Department of Education, Culture and Employment works closely with the NWT Arts Council and we will continue to support those organizations that submit their applications for these particular activities.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Kole Crook Fiddle Association has been very successful to date, since its inception in 2002. Since 2004, Education, Culture and Employment supported with funding through the NWT Arts Council, a Support to Northern Performers cultural contribution with a total of close to $250,000 since 2004. This averages $20,000 a year. We will continue to provide that valuable contribution to that organization. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House that the Territorial Nominee Program has been greatly enhanced to better meet the needs of employers and to advance the population and economic growth objectives set by this government.

Economic growth in the territory is creating opportunities for employment and investment in many sectors, particularly in the non-renewable resource sector. To continue to build a strong and competitive economy, this government has committed to increasing immigration as a component of the broader economic and population growth work while maintaining our priority to...

Mahsi. It is approximately $1.8 million to deliver junior kindergarten, and with the downsize to 19 and 18 there’s a small reduction that’s going back to the school boards. I must reiterate that the October 30th decision that was made by this House uses an existing fund that we’ve allocated. So, we’ll continue to go with that process, as well, for next year. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 45, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, be read for the first time.

Mahsi. Aurora College is developing their two-year strategic plan, and the ECD programming, early childhood development programming has been brought to the attention of the president, the Board of Governors chair, because we are serious about developing programs. This is one of the GNWT’s priorities as well, ECD. So, it is in the works, part of their strategic plan. We’ve been pushing with the college. So we want to see this particular programming at our campuses. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This is an area that was, again, brought to my attention with the campuses that we have across the Northwest Territories. More specifically at the Yellowknife Campus, and also Inuvik as well.

Since I brought this to the attention of the Board of Governors, they’ve been developing some options to deal with these matters at hand. I need to get the latest status from the Board of Governors. I don’t have that detailed information here from their organization, so I will provide that to the Member. Mahsi.