Michael Nadli

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. About 17 years ago the Aboriginal Head Start program in Fort Providence was established, like other existing Aboriginal Head Start programs in the North. At that time it was the communities and the schools that worked together and basically developed a proposal to Health Canada and made a submission. That’s how the Aboriginal Head Start programs were started. It was basically a community initiative at that time.

I wanted to ask the Minister, can the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment explain...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to waive Rule 93(4) and move Committee Report 9-17(5) into Committee of the Whole for consideration today. Mahsi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been paying attention to the debate about junior kindergarten. At this point several things are clear, but the debate is like a puzzle with a few missing pieces. It’s clear that junior kindergarten is just one component of the Early Childhood Development Action Plan. It’s being delivered without new funding by addressing the pupil-teacher ratio. It will be free and optional, providing alternatives for parents who need daycare. This is especially valuable in small communities where no daycare options exist. I get all of that, Mr. Speaker.

What I’m concerned about...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bob Bromley, for moving this motion forward. I stand in support of this motion. What the motion asks for is refrain from supporting fracking until a full and public assessment, and if fracking could actually happen within the public scope of the existing regulatory system and public opinion.

It’s timely that the ITI Minister has committed his department to develop regulations on fracking. I would like to encourage him with his leadership to really think about how this would be done. It could be done within the regulatory...

In terms of the next steps for the Energy Action Plan that the government is contemplating and in development, what can we expect in terms of this series of steps that could come about within the year in terms of advancing the plan? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I made a statement on just some of the challenges that our people have in terms of meeting their challenges to heat their homes. My question is to the Minister of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

Could the Minister explain how the NWT Energy Action Plan could provide immediate relief for increasing fuel prices and our dependency on fossil fuels? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In response to Motion 12-17(4) of the Legislative Assembly, the Standing Committee on Government Operations wishes to table a document, entitled “Establishing an Office of the Ombudsman for the Northwest Territories.”

The Standing Committee welcomes public comment over the summer and anticipates further discussions during the fall sitting of the Assembly. Mahsi.

The question that I have is the Energy Action Plan outlines the potential expansion of the southern goods from the South Slave region. I wanted to see and to know whether there has been any regard or consideration for the benefits that communities in and around that area could derive from the expansion of the grids, especially at the end of the day the consumers that have to contend with the high and increasing rate of fuel.

How would the communities benefit from such an expansion? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last week, Members and I have spoken to the issue of high costs of living in NWT communities. The high cost of living is directly linked to the cost of fuel. It has become clear that the only way to reduce fuel cost is to reduce fuel use.

The NWT Energy Plan was an important piece of policy work for the 17th Assembly. It lays out a framework for how we will supply energy to our communities and industry. The planed proposal ties Kakisa and Fort Providence into the hydro grid and expanding hydro power to create the NWT grid.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support these...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations reviewed Bill 8, Write-off of Debts Act, 2013-2014, at a meeting on May 29, 2014. Following a clause-by-clause review, a motion was carried to report to the Assembly that Bill 8 was ready for consideration by Committee of the Whole.

This concludes the committee’s comments on Bill 8. Individual members may have comments or questions as we proceed.