Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister if there are any, outside of the mainstream, classroom support available for students with behaviour problems any place else in the Territories. Specifically, are there alternative education opportunities for children in Yellowknife who have behavioural problems, which preclude them from participating in a mainstream classroom in the public schools? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week in a Member’s statement I raised the issue of constituents of mine who have children who have been suspended from the public school system who are now at home with very little opportunity for education in the community. I didn’t have a chance to follow up with questions to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, so I’d like to do that today. My question for the Minister is what education opportunities are available for these children who cannot be accommodated in the public school system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, throughout the Northwest Territories we have many organizations and volunteers who work tirelessly to improve the lives of others. As a government, we do what we can to support the needs of our people. Above and beyond that, non-government organizations, service groups and volunteers contribute work and results of immeasurable value. In Hay River this past Saturday night, we again saw a vivid demonstration of that dedication to communities. Each year, for the past 20 years, the Hay River Knights of Columbus have hosted a lobster fest. Hundreds of live...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are some children in our schools today who, for a variety of reasons, have ongoing behaviour problems and just are not able to function and learn in a regular classroom environment. Unfortunately, in some cases, schools are dealing with this by suspending the students, often for long periods of time. The parents of the students are concerned about what kind of education their children will get if they are forced to be absent from school on a regular basis. Parents and teachers are also concerned about how distractions created by these students with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report progress and, Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee today? Before I ask that, I think we will call a break.

Sorry, I wasn’t here for the conclusion of Committee of the Whole yesterday. I am sorry. I thought we were still dealing with something. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you. The motion is in order. It’s not debatable. All those in favour of the motion? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Mr. Speaker, I will ask a question of the Premier. Is the Premier willing to take responsibility for the conduct of his Cabinet Ministers and remove Mr. Zoe’s portfolios from him in response to this incident which took place, which is very well known in the public? Will the Premier take action?

Thank you. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the Minister’s witnesses in.

Mr. Minister, for the record, would you introduce your witnesses, please?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So what I was hearing earlier today was that this sounds like it was an isolated incident, and Mr. Speaker, I don’t believe this is an isolated incident. I think that this is something that there has been a series of incidents around, and if the Premier, Mr. Speaker, has already warned Mr. Zoe about this, I am not quite sure I understand what the purposes of the "if it ever happens again." What is the purpose of that? Why are we waiting for another incident before we do something? It’s within the Premier’s purview to do something about this. Why isn’t he doing...