Jackson Lafferty

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.

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.

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 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.

Yes, that is part of the plan. The staff grant will go directly to the staff. As you know, some of the staff have worked over 20-plus years. This will be an incentive for them to be more committed and further their education if they want to. We provide the incentive for them primarily focusing in those areas. We provide the funding directly to the staff so there’s no implication on organizations, whether it is expenditures or budget planning process. This has been already indicated. We spoke with numerous workers, as well, and they are fully aware that this money is available to them. It’s...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Monday, February 16, 2015, I will move that Bill 45, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, be read for the first time.