Michael Nadli

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Northerners aspire to further their education, there becomes different trails that students take, especially in regard to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. We all want, in the North here, to ensure that we have enough doctors, lawyers, management professionals, teachers, just to name a few, so our students can aspire to those positions.

In small communities there has been a trend in terms of our schools not doing well, especially our students compared to larger centres. Four out of 10 of our Aboriginal students compared to the non-Aboriginal students don’t...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has indicated that the Education Renewal Initiative is underway and primarily to try to address the achievement gap between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. That’s the main purpose of the Education Renewal Initiative.

Could the Minister, by this spring’s session, commit to giving an update to this House and indicate to us how and what kind of performance measures he will undertake to ensure that his department addresses that gap? Mahsi.

I’d like to thank the Minister for his response. They’re still at the discussion stage, which is reassuring that there’s time for input. However, going back to our students, again, there are always barriers in terms of some of the obstacles that our students have to go through. It’s not very common that you have students that are making the choice to basically separate themselves from their social friends and then make that choice to go back to school. We need to ensure that this government has the support mechanisms in place. Aboriginal youth are more likely to delay the transition to post...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. To have a real shot at success in university or college, Aboriginal youth need financial aid that matches the real costs of education. They also need transitional supports because they confront barriers at every turn.

The rate of post-secondary obtained is considerably lower than their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Only four in 10 Aboriginal students in the NWT complete high school. Lackluster school performance haunts them for life. For example, Aboriginal people are not fairly represented in the GNWT because they often don’t have the right kind of educational credentials...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank my colleagues. This initiative goes to the very heart of community economies. It has always been the standard of this government to try to develop the traditional economies of hunting, fishing and trapping of the smaller communities. This is a step in the right direction. If we support this initiative, then we’re supporting that very concept.

There are entrepreneurs out there who would like to work with each other or else at least get the northern spirit collectively in trying to look at partnership arrangements. Hopefully, this will set the stage for...

WHEREAS non-timber forest products, including wild mushrooms, can offer wide-ranging health and economic benefits;

AND WHEREAS world-wide demand for gourmet mushrooms is increasing, as well as awareness of their availability, nutritional content and value as a natural resource in the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS commercial wild mushroom harvest may represent a significant economic development opportunity for residents of the Northwest Territories;

AND WHEREAS a large crop of valuable morel mushrooms associated with forest fire burns is anticipated this year in areas accessible by road on...

Thank you. It seems that at this point – you know, sugar is a candy – and recent studies have indicated that if you consume it, at least for diabetes, and we have a high rate of diabetes here in the Northwest Territories. Recent studies have indicated that sugar intake on a daily scale could lead to some forms of cancer.

Would the Minister, perhaps in the next session, indicate to the House whether it could be probable for the Minister of Finance to categorize the junk food tax as a form of sin tax? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier I made a statement on the idea of a junk food tax. My question is to the Minister of Finance.

What level of taxing authority does the GNWT have in implanting indirect taxes on goods and services sold or bought in the NWT? Mahsi.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My question is in terms of fracking. I know that it’s a practice that is happening here in the NWT and now that we’ve taken responsibility from the National Energy Board, the functions of this act in terms of regulating control and activities related to oil and gas, I wanted to ask if there are any further advances that this government might undertake in terms of trying to add our further substance to the guidance document that this government has developed in overseeing fracking and practices and how it could be employed here in the North. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank the seconder of the motion, the Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Robert Hawkins.

I’m presenting this motion because there’s a growing interest in wild mushrooms. Northerners are interested in the harvesting of mushrooms as a business opportunity and livelihood that complements the northern lifestyle of the outdoors.

Recently, we are witnessing people coming into parts of the NWT and harvesting mushrooms. They are taking our natural resources and leaving the NWT. Currently, there are no regulations on wild mushrooms, on morels, to manage and regulate this...