Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I, too, would like to thank the Minister of Finance. I don't do it very often, so I hope he is listening. I would like to thank him for the commitment of 200,000 extra dollars for the NWT Arts Council, and the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment for agreeing to undertake a review of arts programs. I just want to ask about the scope of this review. Is it to just review existing programs, or are we actually going to be developing a new arts strategy? The last one I am aware of dates, I think, from 2004 for ECE. What is the objective here, a new arts strategy or...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Just so I understand, there were some extraordinary costs related to personnel or human resources issues back in 2016-2017. It was like a one-time thing in one year? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I'd like to thank the Minister for that list of reasons why we can't get the bill in this sitting, but I hope she can go back to her department and work again on this. Maybe I'll start with: we don't even have a legislative proposal yet. I've looked at the Cities, Towns and Villages Act. The legislative powers are laid out in section 70(1). All that needs to be done is add one line in there about hotel levy and give the tax-based communities the authority to do it. I don't understand what's so complicated around this. Everybody I've ever talked to has been in...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. That is helpful to know. The shortfall for the two formulas for Aboriginal languages are $36,000, and the other one is $267,000. I know that is based on enrolments as predicted for JK. Is the Minister then going to be bringing forward a supplementary appropriation if he wants to increase the funding for Aboriginal languages to include JK students? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thanks to the Minister for that information. I can assure her, though, that I don't think I heard anything new from when I was involved in consultations back in 2010. I'd like to know if the Minister is finally finished with these consultations and when we're going to see a bill on this in the House?

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Once that directive is sorted out, one of the potential outcomes is to change the formula to include JK students? Is that what I am hearing from the Minister? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like to recognize and welcome three constituents in the gallery today: Judy Sharp, I believe she is with the NWT Council for the Disabled; Romeo Berube, who is with Northland Utilities; and Miles Welsh, who chairs Yellowknife Catholic Schools. I would like to welcome them and thank them for their work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think I understand that, but is this then the equivalent of actually changing the formulas that fund inclusive schooling to now include junior kindergarten students for all future years? Is that what this really amounts to? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Okay, thanks, Mr. Chair. That is better than taking it out of, clawing it out of, the DEA funding, so that is good news. So is this just a onetime allocation, or is it basically going to be added to the ongoing funding that is provided to the district education authorities? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I want to go back to this inclusive schooling amount. It was announced as additional funding in the budget address, and I guess what we are hearing now from the Minister is that, I guess on page 6 of the budget address, we are also going to direct an additional $881,000 towards providing inclusive schooling funding for junior kindergarten students. Is this new funding that is to be added to the base, or is it lapsed funding from decreased enrolment in JK funding? What is this funding? I cannot find it in the business plan. I cannot find it in the main estimates. Where is it...