Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. At the end of my Member’s statement, I also invited the Minister to come and tour Highway No. 7 and speak with the chief of Fort Liard. His first reaction was I’m glad there’s a new Minister, but that Minister must come and ride Highway No. 7 probably closer towards the springtime if we can organize it. Can the Minister do that? Thank you very much.

Thank you. Just in terms of chipsealing a section of Highway No. 7 from the B.C. border towards Fort Liard, it’s about 36 kilometres. Twenty kilometres of it has already been reconstructed, so we’re looking at reconstruction of another 16 kilometres. Residents are looking for chipsealing some of those kilometres, the ones that have already been constructed, about 20 kilometres. Is that in the plan? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is directed toward our new Minister of Transportation. It’s just to let him know about my two favourite words in this Assembly: Highway 7.

I would also like to welcome the Minister to the file. Seriously though, my constituents want to be sure that their new Minister knows just how valuable Highway No. 7 is to the Deh Cho. Road conditions are always at the forefront when it comes to local and territorial elections, federal engagement and budget debates.

Highway No. 7 is the gateway to the North. The highway makes our living and brings work...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services. When we’re talking about devolution, we’re talking about resources, we’re talking about expanding our Northwest Territories, having our own power, but I think the most important resource is, of course, our people and our children and them learning as well. We all know, and it has been shown, that student performance in small community schools has been nothing short of appalling.

Can the Minister provide assurance that this education renewal will address these very specific shortcomings and what will...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

---Unanimous consent denied

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. While I know it’s probably impossible for the Minister to be in each of our 33 communities, can he commit to at least participating in the roll-out at least once in each region or at least make as many appearances as possible? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Straight from the record, as health and social services. The questions were directed to the Minister of Education. Just further to rolling out the plan, I will ask the Minister how he will be rolling out the plan in regions and communities. In my constituency we have six small communities and I’d like to ask the Minister, is part of the plan to go to each of those small communities and roll out this plan. I think it’s very important for them to hear from the students, hear from the parents and hear from the teachers that are on the front lines in the small communities. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of hundreds of concerned parents in my constituency, I’m delighted to see the government moving forward with the Education Renewal, but I have two tough-minded messages for the department that’s heading up the overhaul. The first message is that parents want to be involved. The majority of NWT schools are in small communities and the Department of Education needs to be listening to parents in these places. Their hearts are broken when they see their children’s poor results.

Their grief is deep when they discover their child’s high school diploma is...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, November 8, 2013, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, that this Legislative Assembly recommends that the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) set and publish concrete targets for early childhood and student achievement within a prescribed time frame, and describe actions to be taken to achieve the targets;

And further, that ECE and the Department of Health and Social Services substantially increase and improve community-based, GNWT...

I’m glad that the Minister agrees with me that it certainly is a must. I’d like to know when he rolls it out, I know they already have a plan and a strategy in place, but should there be some unique ideas out there, are the department and the Minister willing to amend their plan. I heard one parent in my constituency talking about what students are being taught is not what they’re expected to learn, which means that they are failing the Alberta achievement exams because what they are being taught is not the standard.

How will the communities, how will the parents, how will the teachers effect...