Tom Beaulieu

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 261-18(2), Northwest Territories Main Estimates 2017-2018 and we would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

---Carried

No one from Aurora College with their full autonomy is here to answer questions on why they are doing cuts, so I ask the Minister. Because the process is a longer process and we were looking at it last year, and we are looking at 2020 as to when the TEP program would end. That's not even in this government. Although they have autonomy, my understanding is that there would be some sort of a strategic plan in place. Prior to finalizing these decisions, if the strategic plan is completed by the college and there's some indication that this program could be saved, would the department work with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement, I spoke about the Department of Justice doing an integrated case management approach that they have completed recently. I was wondering if the Minister could tell me: what does the Minister think about piloting an integrated case management approach to poverty and health in our small communities, maybe to start with, on the pilot? Thank you.

I hope the Minister hasn't answered all my questions with the first response.

Laughter

Thank you. How does an understanding of poverty as a health determinant currently factor into the department's policies and planning?

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to move to item 11 on the orders of the day, replies to Budget Address. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Unanimous consent granted

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to expand on something I raised in my reply to the Budget Address last week. I reminded the House that: "People with low incomes and no jobs have a tendency to have poorer health. That is simply a fact -- not just here, but all over the world."

So our response to poverty doesn't only need social interventions like education programs or housing assistance and economic interventions like job creation. We also need health interventions. Poverty is a thief of dreams and opportunities, but it is also a thief of health, the socalled "life expectancy gap"...

I now rise to report progress. Thank you.

I recognize that this Teacher Education Program could be a little bit of a departure from the standard teacher education programs that may be offered in the South because many of the students are from the North. They're individuals who can be housed at Fort Smith. They have opportunities there that they may not see in the South. I recognize that there is a good SFA program. I'm wondering if the Minister could tell us how we would be able to get teachers to teach in the schools in a small community, which has proven to be very valuable, if this program gets cut?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Education on the cuts to the Teacher Education Program, although it is not recent and I know that the cuts were determined last year. However, it is now that the students are getting word that the cuts are there, that the program will be shut down in the future. What needs to happen in order for the department to reconsider cutting that program out at this point? Thank you.