Tom Beaulieu

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Mr. Speaker, over the past four years I have made many Member’s statements in this House on the subject of youth and the need to invest in our youth. Mr. Speaker, our youth are our biggest and our most important resource. The youth are our future leaders, and by investing in them, we begin to teach and instil in them this fact from a very young age. This government must realize that in order to set the path so that our youth are one day able to take over from us, this government must make it a priority to invest in such a possibility...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, will be supporting this amendment to the act. I think it’s important for the safety of other drivers and pedestrians on the road that you’re not distracted while you’re operating a motor vehicle, so I would support that. Both talking on the cell and texting on the cell while driving seem to be unsafe things to do. This would restrict that, so I support the bill. Thank you.

Does this government plan on moving forward with any transitional document to try to provide support for the communities to hire qualified youth workers? I think that if we have some program dollars, or we have some infrastructure, the one piece of the puzzle that seems to be missing is qualified youth workers who work with the youth so that they have programs that are viable at the community level.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me why the client service officers that are already located in the small communities don’t deliver the program as opposed to using the career development officers, which are mainly in the larger communities? They are in some small communities, but mainly in the larger communities. I just want to know why the client service officers would not be able to deliver this program. Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me if there are actual increases and individuals hired in the small communities as a result of this program? Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

I talked many times during the 16th Assembly about the important issue of employment in the small communities in the NWT, specifically the low employment rates in the small communities. Although the GNWT has established the Small Community Employment Support Program Guidelines which came into effect April 1, 2011, to date I have not seen any marked improvement to the employment rates in Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution.

In my last Member’s statement on this issue, on May 13, 2011, I said that the three employment programs should be...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a quick question. Given that we’re advancing this project ahead of schedule, is there any opportunity for savings on infrastructure costs here? Thank you.

Can the Minister tell me if this government is ensuring that the Employment Support Program is being delivered at the community level? Not regional level or YK, but actually delivered at the community level. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the Education, Culture and Employment programs for small communities, the Employment Support Program. I have questions for the Minister of ECE on that Member’s statement.

Can the Minister tell me if the Small Community Employment Support Program -- I think there are three programs tied together -- has been rolled out to the communities yet? Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. As a representative from a small community, we were seeing one program in the Housing Corporation, the programs, I’m sorry in the Housing Corporation, are there to address all the housing concerns across the Territories, whether you live in a larger centre like Yellowknife, Hay River, or Fort Smith. That same program is used to address the issues in small communities. I would like to ask the Minister if in the transition document, the Minister could ensure that there is a different set of programs for small communities versus larger communities contemplated for the next...