Robert Villeneuve

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I just want to reiterate some of the concerns raised by my constituents in regard to the new expansion of the Taltson hydro project being negotiated by this government. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to ask the Premier what options and consideration will this government give to the residents who will be seeking compensation and benefits from the new hydro developments on the Taltson hydro system that this government is currently embarking on?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One last comment on the subject of schools. I wonder where this school wood pile remediation is going to be of $2 million. I have a lot of constituents that would be qualified as instructors in any school that deals with wood piles.

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just to top up on that question. I know in a lot of communities there are high incident rates of teen pregnancies and what not. I know that it has always been a conundrum for district education authorities to try and tackle and find ways to resolve and educate youth in that area. I was just wondering if it is a DEA role whether a school incorporates a program like that, Healthy Relationships and such.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Would there be any change in the levels of funding for these programs?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to ask the Minister if he would be supportive of an initiative that would develop some kind of an endowment fund, something like the Chair was referring to in a different department, that industry could contribute to and education would support and work to develop some kind of a revolving fund, an endowment fund, that would allow students to seek career development, higher education, in other countries. Institutions would specialize in areas of real professional development and expertise.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am just going back to some points that the Minister had made during some questions on his opening remarks on this education budget. The Minister had noted that the level of the number of students that have been enrolled in high schools in the NWT has declined over the past few years. I am wondering if the Minister can elaborate a little more on that in the context of are these students…I don’t see an enrolment change per se or a drop in population, but is the Minister aware that perhaps a significant number of families are now considering sending their students who...

Madam Chair, I thank the Minister for his passion in this topic.

---Laughter

Moving on to page 3 of the statement, I'm just wondering if the Minister could just give me a short briefing on what the department is talking about when they want to expand student assessment activities in relation to the aboriginal languages and culture-based directive.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the Minister and his colleagues for meeting with us today. I just have a couple questions with regard to the opening remarks by the Minister in the new program reductions and reinvestment in key areas. I was pretty sure that Mr. Delorey had stole my notes somehow, because he pretty much asked most of the questions that I was going to present, so I guess it's going to be pretty short. Again I can't stress any more than a lot of my colleagues who have already stressed the importance of the early childhood development initiative as far as development kids in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m just wondering if this government is going to develop any plans that would address the levels of compensation and benefits of residents, some of whom would be more directly affected than others by this hydro project? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my previous statements I spoke about the seniors of the NWT and their ever-increasing role of importance in the success of many of the various programs and services of this government and of the many benefits to our society. Today, Mr. Speaker, I will speak for persons on the other end of the spectrum who cannot hear their concerns in this House yet.

Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to speak about our children and the three-year early childhood development framework for action funding which comes to an end March 31, 2004. Mr. Speaker, during the past few months I have...