Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the Minister of Education for his Minister’s statement today. It is good to see the creative and innovative approach that our government department of Education is taking in the education of the children of the Northwest Territories. As I said in my statement, we cannot expect that every method of education will work in every circumstance in every child’s life in every community in every home. I think back to my days in school and I don’t think my parents ever asked me once if I’d done my homework, yet I think sometimes we expect that support is there...

That’s all I have to say. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if teachers coming into the Northwest Territories who will be teaching in a cross-cultural setting, is there currently a formal training module, orientation to the culture of the North that is required to be taken by teachers who will be teaching in our communities? Thank you.

The education of a child I think we have to adopt the idea that it’s not all about the time spent in the classroom in that very, very formal setting. I’m glad to see the Minister has referred to mentoring. Again I only have my own experience to draw on, but harkening back to when I was a youngster in school, we had an opportunity to go out into the community and get involved in different things. I worked in the library, in the public library after school. I didn’t like reading the books but I just liked the books. It was a great opportunity to become involved in something in the community that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This being Education Week, I also would like to take this opportunity to recognize the educators in the Northwest Territories in our formal education institutions and Ms. Bisaro listed off a number of areas that people could serve in this capacity.

Mr. Speaker, it’s a challenging task that lies ahead of our educators in our communities here in the North. In any community anywhere, it is a challenging task. It’s something that I admire greatly in those who choose that profession, something that I know I could not succeed in just by virtue of the amount of discipline it...

Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today the committee would like to consider the operations and maintenance budgets of these departments in this order, please: Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, the Department of Executive, the Legislative Assembly and, time permitting, the Department of Finance. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One more time I’m going to stand up in the House and I’m going to speak to the accomplishments of Brendan Green, and this in the context of a day on Friday, February 26th, when Brendan will compete at the Olympics in the Men’s Biathlon Relay Competition.

Mr. Speaker, in honouring this and sending our best wishes to Brendan for this competition, people in Hay River in the schools, in the businesses and in many other places will be wearing something green on Friday. So, Mr. Speaker, although we are not allowed to have props in the Legislature, I would like today to also...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We would like to continue with Industry, Tourism and Investment today and then move on to the Department of Justice. And if time permits, we would like to also perhaps call up the Speaker and the budget for the... I’m sorry. Okay. So conclude Industry, Tourism and Investment, Public Works and Services and then, if possible and time permitting, we go on to the budget of the Legislative Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during my reply to the opening address last Friday, I stated that I would accept any ruling you made on the point of privilege made by Mr. Miltenberger. I do accept your ruling, Mr. Speaker, and had hoped to have a chance to address the matter immediately yesterday. Mr. Speaker, the issue of the Deh Cho Bridge is a serious and highly sensitive one, particularly for those of us who have watched the project evolve from the beginning.

During the in-camera briefing offered by Minister McLeod last week, I strongly urged him to issue a press release prior to the...