Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister a very similar question to my last question, and that is: why are we proposing a P3 as opposed to going straight to the National Infrastructure Fund? The National Infrastructure Fund, if approved, would be 75 per cent funded by the federal government. Also, it would be something of national significance because, eventually, Slave Geological Road could end up joining up with something from the Port Road of Nunavut, so it is definitely significant nationally. I was wondering why they don't move to the National Infrastructure Fund...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister if he could tell us which positions were cut, one position in Beaufort Delta and two in the South Slave, if he could just tell us what those are? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Chair rise and report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 261-18(2), Northwest Territories Main Estimates, 2017-2018, continuing with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

That is not what I am hearing, but in any event, if there is work being done, what type of work is being done? What direction has come from this Minister to other Ministers under the departments that are amalgamating to ensure that Affirmative Action Policy is being followed when they are reducing positions?

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Human Resources. Mr. Speaker, the government has proposed three separate amalgamations in this upcoming fiscal year and Infrastructure and the amalgamation of the Executive DAAIR and also Finance, Human Resources. My question for the Minister of Human Resources is: is there work being done with those departments that are amalgamated by him, as the Minister of Human Resources, to ensure that the affirmative action is being followed if there is to be any reduction in positions? Thank you.

Anti-poverty is a big issue in the NWT. What new money is being invested and targeted to anti-poverty in 2017-18?

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement I talked about poverty. I'd like to ask the Minister responsible for Poverty a couple of questions on that.

The federal Minister of Family, Children and Social Development has said that provinces and territories have provided ideas on how to engage the federal government differently. How will the Minister, our Minister, ensure the needs of the Northwest Territories are represented in the new Poverty Reduction Strategy under development at the federal level? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, just a few items that I also want to speak about in my opening remarks on this department. First, the one that's having the greatest impact upon the communities I represent is junior kindergarten. The Minister has indicated that it is fully funded, but the amount doesn't fully fund junior kindergarten. At the outset, there was $2 million taken out of the school boards' funding to address junior kindergarten the first year of rollout.

That $2 million doesn't seem to be in the framework anywhere anymore, and I believe that these decisions were made by the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not necessarily talking about filling positions. What I am referring to is, during the amalgamation, sometimes when you amalgamate you get two positions at the same level. When those positions move forward and there are two positions of the same level moving forward, does this government apply the Affirmative Action Policy when they figure out which one of the two candidates is going to be receiving that position? Thank you.