Kevin O'Reilly

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Well, that was a long series of questions to get to the basic answer that the formulas are going to be changed. That's great for inclusive schooling.

I want to refresh the Minister and his staff's memories, then, about Tabled Document 42318(2) on September 19, 2017. I have got extra copies here if the Minister and his staff need them, but this was a table that showed the formulas for funding schools where junior kindergarten was not included and then the shortfall if junior kindergarten students were included.

I have just heard now from the Minister that he is going to...

Merci, Monsieur le President. Last weekend the NWT Association of Communities met in Hay River for its annual general meeting. A resolution calling on the territorial government to pass amendments to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act that would empower tax-based communities to collect a levy was passed in 2010. That is eight years, or two Legislative Assemblies, ago.

The City of Yellowknife has requested this change countless times. In October 2016 council passed a motion calling for the change and wrote the MACA Minister to strongly request action. What we are really talking about here, Mr...

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Okay. That is not what I think I heard last time from the Minister. Just to be crystal clear, this $881,000 addition for inclusive schooling to presumably cover junior kindergarten students, that will be added to the ongoing funding that is provided to the district education authorities not just in 20182019, but in all future years. Is that correct? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks to our ECE colleagues for that explanation. So, that $881,000, is it entirely from this lapsed funding or is some of it an internal reallocation of contributions that go to the district education authorities? What is the proportion if it is mixed up? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, again I just want to thank the Minister, then, for confirming that the scope of this is not just going to be a review of existing programs, that the Minister is open to looking at how it might be restructured to make this a more effective and efficient approach to the arts on behalf of all of our residents. Thank you very much, Mr. Minister.

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?