Norman Yakeleya

The Minister is correct that the DEA does have the discretion as to where they spend their O and M. In saying that, we have about 450 computers in the Sahtu that certainly need support, IT support. Right now there’s none in terms of unless the DEA takes a little pot here, takes a pot here, and there’s different programming that they also need to be funded. There’s no dedicated dollars going to IT support in the Sahtu schools and that’s something that I want to ask the Minister if that’s a true statement that there is no IT support in our schools for computers unless the education board...

I certainly hope the Board of Governors would make some concrete move in terms of working with our high school in our communities to implement a trades program within their term as governors. I hope Aurora College can do that for the people in our communities.

I also want to say that I hope they look at putting a trades school into some of our communities. I know this mobile program, Trades on Wheels, as the Minister talked about, but we need something more than mobile. We need something permanent, especially our communities that are against the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline route where there are some...

I want to ask the Minister, in terms of the mandatory cultural orientation for all teachers, if this item would be an item that could be part of the Collective Agreement on a going forward basis.

I appreciate the Minister committing to look at it. I’m hoping we can go one step further to make Norman Wells and Colville Lake communities that will receive base funding like any other college in my region and establish some base funding for those two centres. I appreciate the Minister’s commitment to poke his head in there and start digging around to find out what’s going on.

My point, Mr. Chair, is the funding here that’s been established, $1.6 million. My point is that this fund has been here for a couple of years, 2009-2010 was $1.4 million, we didn’t have any cultural orientations, not until we started pushing it in this House, in the communities. All of a sudden, okay, let’s do it, but where do we find the money. Now everybody thinks it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Everybody is benefitting, no doubt about it. I’m just saying why take it out of the Aboriginal achievement funding? This should have been done a long time ago. That’s what I’m pointing to.

I...

Mr. Chairman, I want to ask the Minister about base funding. I think two of my communities in the Sahtu are not eligible or not receiving base funding at the Aurora College operations facilities. I want to ask the Minister if this is an oversight. Tulita, Deline, Fort Good Hope receive base funding. Norman Wells and Colville Lake do not receive base funding for Aurora College programs like the other communities. I wonder why this special treatment for Norman Wells and Colville Lake.

Thank you. I find it very strange taking money out of the Aboriginal achievement funding to fund these professional teachers to take a course, an orientation course to learn about the students that they’re going to be teaching throughout the year. Shouldn’t they take it out of their own fund or through the Collective Agreement and leave that Aboriginal funding alone for what it’s supposed to be for? Why did this happen? Why are we taking money out of the Aboriginal achievement funding to do something that the teachers should do already in their professional development schedules?

I really don’t need the names. I’m very happy if you can provide by region or community. I’ll be happy to get those. I also want to ask the Minister if under this item here, is the department administering the USEP program for college entry for Aboriginal students.

Thanks for the flexibility, Mr. Chair. I wanted to ask a question on 10-19 on the NWT Teachers’ Association Professional Development Fund. We make a contribution to this development fund for teachers as part of their Collective Agreement. Now, I’m very happy that the department has initiated a mandatory cultural orientation week for teachers in the North every year. Is this part of their Collective Agreement funding?

I guess we need to have more discussion as to what the Minister is saying. Certainly it has been noted that is someone said that certainly if they can get up and walk to the income support office they certainly can walk to work. We have certainly changed our lifestyles in our communities. There are some young people who are really trying hard to make a go of it in life, there are other challenges that they have to put up with. Income assistance is one of them. There are also other people out there that know how to use the system and they think now that welfare is a right for them. We have...