Jackson Lafferty

The market rent has been brought to our attention on a couple of occasions from the students and also directly from the MLAs. It was even brought up in this House. I did inform the Board of Governors that this was a concern that was brought to my attention. The Board of Governors came back and so they are looking at these areas as well. They know the pressure they’re on with the market housing. Once we complete our question period today, I will be addressing that again, the status of where we’re at with the market housing today.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There are 44 recommendations that have been brought to our attention, and 42 of them are either worked on or some of them are completed, and two are still outstanding that we are diligently working with the college. Since that recommendation came to our attention, we’ve been working very closely with the president of Aurora College, the Board of Governors and, more specifically, to deal with those matters that the Member is referring to, and other factors as well. Those are in the works and we will continue to keep the Members informed of our progress.

I believe it’s very important to have that dialogue with the students, even with the staff at the college. So, when the opportunity arises, we’ll certainly take advantage of it. While we’re in session it may not be possible now, but definitely after session I’d like to meet with the board staff and also the students who are available to air their concerns as well. So yes, again, we need to have that dialogue going. Mahsi.

Mahsi. Yes, unfortunately the board member resigned from the Beaufort-Delta. At the same time, we wanted to have a voice and a representative right away, so we did appoint Ms. Mary Beckett. She started January 23, 2015. It is a four-year term. So this is an agreement that has been brought to my attention as well. This individual has started already and they will be well represented in the Beaufort-Delta. Mahsi.

This is a very fundamental question that has been addressed to me, but we need to address being equally distributing programming into three campuses. My staff and my department are working, again, with the college to make sure that that happens. Not only that but we have been reaching out to the general public, what their real concerns are, and there’s been a lot of feedback on various programming that should be happening in some of the small communities. Beaufort-Delta is one prime example, and also the learning campuses that we have in the communities that we have. We need to expand on that...

The 44 recommendations are from the Aurora College assessment report that was completed in May 2013. Those are the recommendations that my department is working very closely with the college to make sure that all the recommendations are followed through.

Sorry, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, February 18, 2015, I will move that Bill 45, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, be read for the first time.

Mahsi. I will be sharing that with the Board of Governors. If this is an area that they can possibly build on their meetings that they have had on a rotational basis into their campuses, an open door policy perspective. So I will be sharing with the Board of Governors. Mahsi.

I need to work with the Aurora College Board of Governors. At this time, this is an area that we’re discussing. I don’t tell them what to do, but I work with them. I do have authority under me as the Department of Education, but at the same time I feel that working together will resolve a lot of these issues and they do have Board of Governors meetings on a rotational basis between the three campuses and even more going into the other communities as well.

So, this is an area that the Board of Governors is reaching out to those students that should be heard, and if not, there’s also a website...

I was going through my notes; I don’t have that specific detailed information. I will provide that to the Member. Mahsi.