Yellowknife Centre

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 25)

Thank you, Mr. Chair, for putting me back on the list. Mr. Chair, I note that on page 5, $181,000 is allocated to AVENS. I wonder if the witnesses could tell us what the specific use of this money will be? Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 25)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to reflect on the debate we had a year ago about the introduction of junior kindergarten. Much of the discussion at that time concerned funding, but I also talked about the impact junior kindergarten would have on existing early childhood development programs. I was concerned that parents would have fewer choices for their four-year-olds. In fact, a year later, that is the case here in Yellowknife. I'm also concerned that pouring resources into JK has diminished what's available for children up to three years old.

Mr. Speaker, the introduction of junior...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 25)

Yes, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I am highly unhappy that we are being asked to authorize an expenditure for which we do not have a plan, despite the fact that a bilateral agreement has been signed. The Minister has been holding out on us in sharing this information, and now we know why. The spending that he contemplates does not further the mandate objective, and doesn't do anything about availability or affordability of childcare. So now that we have this information in public, I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment tomorrow. In the meantime, I would like to...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 25)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it's my understanding that there are three new positions, and obviously they wouldn't be worth $2 million, so what is the balance of this fund being used for? Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 25)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, it's my understanding that the school was anyway fairly full and then, once there were 50 or 60 junior kindergarten students added to that, then it was untenable. One of the good things about our system of government is that we can do supplementary appropriation of this kind and be a little more nimble in response to the school's needs rather than having to wait until the fall to the next capital plan, which then of course wouldn't come into effect until a year from now. Those are my comments. Nothing further. Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 25)

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, March 15, 2018, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Great Slave, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on March 15, 2018, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, May 24, 2018; and further, that at any time prior to May 24, 2018, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 24)

To refresh the memory of the Minister, this work was undertaken by a member of the Department of Executive. She was the paid government employee working on the evaluation of the campaign school. I wonder if the Minister could take that into account when she's asking the question of her staff about making the report public?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 24)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have a few more questions for my colleague, the Minister responsible for the Status of Women. I heard her say that the campaign schools were being offered by the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs in the short term. I'm wondering if she has prepared over the long term to commit to taking the campaign schools back to the Status of Women and asking them to re-tool the content so that it reaches people who are running for all orders of government? Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 24)

As I said in my statement, the Minister, of course, can ask the council for advice, including gender-based analysis.

Let's take a couple of these changes and break them down. Can the Minister confirm that the Wise Women Awards were not offered this year because the council is no longer eligible for the pot of funding that funded them?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 24)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. As I mentioned in my statement, the Status of Women Council's strategic plan doesn't anticipate the changes the Minister is now fronting, yet it was created in her term. Why has she now decided to make these changes? Thank you.