Tom Beaulieu

I’d like to ask the Minister if in the early childhood development work that the department’s engaging in, if there has been some discussions with the teachers and the principals of the schools where there are preschools available and in schools where there are no preschools available. Thank you.

Along with the extra four hours a day they spend on travel to get their children to and from preschool, they would even pay up to $1,200 a month to have their children attend preschool.

I believe this government has made a commitment to increase high school graduates. Let’s start at preschool and I’m sure the benefits will be there in the future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to once again stress the need for daycare and preschool programs along with the facilities to operate these programs in Tu Nedhe.

In Lutselk’e there are many parents who wish to work but because there is no daycare, they have no choice but to stay at home. There are also times when parents had to give up jobs because they had difficulty finding a sitter for their children.

As for children who have no preschool experience, they start kindergarten not being school ready. This is a fact and in the screening process for school readiness for instruction in school...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Thursday, August 25, 2011, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that the following persons be recommended to the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories for reappointment as members of the Human Rights Adjudication Panel, effective on December 1, 2011, for a term of four years: Ms. Joan Mercredi of Fort Smith and Mr. Adrian Wright of Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister if there are any early indications that the attendance at preschool is helping the students as they enter into primary school, secondary and high school. Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the importance of preschool. I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. There seems to be a lot of people not only in the Territories but outside the Territories, in the country, that believe in the positive impacts of preschool. I’d like to ask the Minister if his department has done any studies or reports or looked at any sort of best practices to look at the success on high school graduates as a result of preschool.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the youth, and programs and infrastructure that are needed for the youth in the communities. I have questions for the Minister of youth. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister what this government is going to do to ensure that some of the much needed infrastructure that was built for the youth is going to continue on to the other communities that don’t have that infrastructure yet. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I see that the government has supported community-built infrastructure and supported communities for some programming money. The one piece of the puzzle that is actually missing is our actual youth workers at the community level. I think they have recreation workers. The money is flowing to the communities. In trying to make the government understand, I think that’s probably the most essential. Providing qualified youth workers working at the community level I think will gain the greatest results for the success of the youth. I’d like to ask the Minister again if that...

That’s a good response; I appreciate that. The infrastructure that I referred to, again, is there has been a good response from the government. But again, not all the communities have the much needed infrastructure. So I guess recognizing the fact that the communities have the capital dollars in their possession to do with as they please, spending it in their community. However, I’m wondering if the department, MACA, in response with the youth, has provided some sort of support to the communities to ensure that this start of the infrastructure, this $4 million in infrastructure that has come...