Steve Norn

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to deal with, one, Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, and, two, Tabled Document 5-19(1), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures and Borrowing Authorization), No. 3, 2019-2020, in that order. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. My questions are in line with my Member's statement earlier. I just wanted to make a quick comment. The Member for Deh Cho already addressed one of those questions, also. I want to say mahsi cho.

Anyways, my question for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment is: what initiatives do the Minister and his department have in place to address low school attendance rates in the small communities? Mahsi cho.

Mr. Speaker, the 19th Assembly's mandate items addresses this issue specifically, which states that one of the desired goals of this Assembly is to increase student education outcomes of the same level as the rest of Canada.

Well, Mr. Speaker, we have a long way to go in achieving educational parity on each of the fronts that I have just mentioned, but if we want the NWT to achieve true educational parity compared to Canada's national average, I believe it is imperative that our government redouble our efforts in the smaller communities because that is where the education outcomes need to...

Mahsi cho, Madam Chair. I move that the chair rise and report progress.

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

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that, on Thursday, Dec 12, 2019, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment:

Mr. Ronald Bonnetrouge, the Member for Deh Cho;

Mr. Kevin O'Reilly, the Member for Frame Lake;

Mr. Jackie Jacobson, the Member for Nunakput;

Mrs. Frieda Martselos, the Member for Thebacha; and

Mr. Rylund Johnson, the Member for Yellowknife North.

And further, that the following Members be appointed to the...

Again, just to follow up with that, I'm just trying to wrap my head around this. What concrete changes within the NWT Housing Corporation have occurred since the last audit? Mahsi cho.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Since coming to the office in this 19th Assembly, I have noticed a number of common issues that people seem to be encountering when dealing with the NWT Housing Corporation. In the multiple housing-related constituency issues I have already begun dealing with, it's become quite apparent that there exist some very noticeable cracks in the infrastructure of the NWT Housing Corporation, which many people, mostly vulnerable populations, are falling through.

I believe part of the reason for this, Mr. Speaker, is that too many of our government policies have become overly...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Appointments to the Standing Committee on Government Operations.

WHEREAS Rule 89(2) requires that Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Government Operations;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Hay River North, that the following Members be appointed to the Standing Committee on Government Operations:

Ms. Lesa Semmler, the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes;

Ms. Caitlin Cleveland, the Member for Kam Lake;

Ms. Frieda Martselos, the Member for Thebacha;

Ms. Julie Green, the Member for Yellowknife Centre; and

Mr. Rylund Johnson, the Member for...