Steve Norn

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to say that I was really pleased about the amending of the policy to the NWT Housing Corporation to allow appropriate home business opportunities with their units. I mentioned during our roundtable before we were assigned our portfolios that we have to help those single parents out there. This is a perfect one. I talked a little bit about humanizing our policies. This is it here. This made me really happy. I am glad that we are moving in that direction, and hopefully we see more of that from the department of housing and the department of health, but that's...

Mahsi cho, Madam Chair. It sounds like, earlier, you got another promotion there. I really like this mandate item, as well. I really got a good sense of it when we sat around our roundtable in October with all the regions. That was so powerful, just hearing them. What really surprised me was they were telling us that they had never met with us in that forum before. It blew me away. I think that needs to happen more, that collaboration. We need to work with each other. For too long, I think there was that division between the GNWT and the regions. I feel like the regions felt ignored. We are...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. This question is directed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I spoke a little bit about budget surpluses in my Member's statement, and my question is: in the spirit of getting our district education authorities more budget autonomy, will the Minister commit to let any DEA surpluses in our riding to roll over this year? Mahsi cho.

Madam Chair, I request that the chair rise and report progress.

Mahsi cho, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 16-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2019-2020. Mahsi cho, Madam Chair.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today.

---Unanimous consent granted

I don't know if there is any foreshadowing here, but did I just get a promotion to Minister? No? I just want to make sure. Thank you to the Minister for his response. I just want to make sure that there is more communication as well, and to have more meetings with our DEAs, just to make sure there is the open line communication, to make sure that I don't have to come back and ask these questions, and to work as a team.

My next question: would the Minister be open to working with our DEAs to grant their wishes and find ways to keep their surpluses?

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. We are at a time when schools are facing budget shortfalls and need to either cut services or programs. I really do not understand why ECE does not allow for budget surpluses to be carried over and utilized by schools at the start of a new fiscal year. Presently, when the fiscal year is coming to an end, and there happens to be monies left over that was not spent, it is mandatory for all school boards to hand back all of their money to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, or to the FMB, depending on the surplus amount.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly disagree...

I move that consideration of Tabled Document 16-19(2), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures) No, 3, 2019-2020 be now concluded and that Tabled Document 16-19(2) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS Tabled Document 12-19(2), 2019-2023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories has been tabled in this House;

AND WHEREAS the 2019-2023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories requires detailed consideration;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Hay River North, that Tabled Document 12-19(2), 2019-2023 Mandate of the Government of the Northwest Territories be referred to Committee of the Whole for consideration. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.