Michael McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the budget session, I spoke to the desire of the Children First Society in Inuvik to have their needs incorporated into a new school being built up in Inuvik. Today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak on the work that they continue to do.

I believe theirs is a worthy cause, Mr. Speaker, and I will continue to be an advocate for the society. Mr. Speaker, the society has put together an excellent proposal to justify their position. Over 30 businesses and agencies have given letters of support and close to 300 residents have given their support by...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do have a copy of the proposal here and I would be glad to share it with Minister Dent. This proposal was given to me personally by the Children First Society. I will share that with Mr. Dent as soon as we are done here. I would like to ask the Minister if the department has done any work into estimating additional cost of housing childcare programs in schools. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the budget session, I asked questions of Minister Dent on the early childhood facility that they were hoping to incorporate into the new school in Inuvik. The government leases buildings, we look for office space, we try to build office space and the people of the Children First Society come forward with a good business case and I believe the government should build this facility and lease it back to them. They are willing to do that. They are willing to give the government back some money. The Minister, at the time, committed to go back to his FMB...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do have a copy of the proposal here and I would be glad to share it with Minister Dent. This proposal was given to me personally by the Children First Society. I will share that with Mr. Dent as soon as we are done here. I would like to ask the Minister if the department has done any work into estimating additional cost of housing childcare programs in schools. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the budgets for this year have already been set. I would have to take that under consideration and review the situation with each community. Each community has unique needs and we have historically dealt with the communities and tried to address the issues that are causing them concern and will continue to do so, and if there’s a mechanism of working some kind of fiscal arrangement, then we’ll explore those options. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the budget session, I asked questions of Minister Dent on the early childhood facility that they were hoping to incorporate into the new school in Inuvik. The government leases buildings, we look for office space, we try to build office space and the people of the Children First Society come forward with a good business case and I believe the government should build this facility and lease it back to them. They are willing to do that. They are willing to give the government back some money. The Minister, at the time, committed to go back to his FMB...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, there is and some discussion has already taken place. There is discussions and concerns brought forward by the two associations that we work with and have working groups with. We have had discussions with the community. We’ve been alerted of areas of concern. For the most part, the communities have come back and informed us that the funding formula is okay but the funding amount may be not adequate. So they’re asking us not to change the formula, but maybe look at the amounts that are allocated through the formula and that maybe we need to do...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the budgets for this year have already been set. I would have to take that under consideration and review the situation with each community. Each community has unique needs and we have historically dealt with the communities and tried to address the issues that are causing them concern and will continue to do so, and if there’s a mechanism of working some kind of fiscal arrangement, then we’ll explore those options. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m pleased to recognize my daughter Kim and my son-in-law Raymond Wainman and, Mr. Speaker, I’m proud to introduce Rylan James Robert Wainman, my grandson.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, there is and some discussion has already taken place. There is discussions and concerns brought forward by the two associations that we work with and have working groups with. We have had discussions with the community. We’ve been alerted of areas of concern. For the most part, the communities have come back and informed us that the funding formula is okay but the funding amount may be not adequate. So they’re asking us not to change the formula, but maybe look at the amounts that are allocated through the formula and that maybe we need to do...