Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to provide opening comments on Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly Retiring Allowances Act and Supplementary Retiring Allowances Act.

Mr. Chairman, as Members know, every four years the Assembly reviews its pension legislation with a view to ensuring that it remains current on pension trends as well as to make changes that are recommended by our pension plan administrators. This bill reflects the result of our review of the existing legislation.

Mr. Chairman, this bill makes a number of changes to the pension plans. One of the most significant...

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

Today I would like to talk about contaminated sites in Tu Nedhe. As we are all aware, there is a lot of resource activity in the Tu Nedhe riding. In fact, all the diamond mines and many other exploration activities currently underway are in Tu Nedhe. In addition, there are many sites within the community boundaries that must be cleaned up by various GNWT departments as soon as possible. Also, there are sites inside and outside the communities that must be cleaned up by the federal government.

The people of Lutselk’e and Fort Resolution...

It appears as though the money is...all the other money that the Minister is speaking of is allocated to other programs. This money for the Food First Program was scheduled to be one-year money, that is true, but it’s been such a huge success that I’m wondering if the department would look at actually replacing this program. If this program is going to end regardless on March 31st, then would the department find a program that’s similar that they can achieve the same results that this program has achieved since its inception?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the Food First Program in the schools. I would like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment questions on that. Would the Minister thoroughly examine the ECE budget with the staff to find money to continue the Food First Program?

[English translation not provided.]

Today I would like to talk about the Food First Program and its positive impacts on the two schools in Tu Nedhe. The Food First Program in the schools has allowed schools to ensure that kids have at least one good, healthy meal per day. The program has even allowed the parents to become more involved with the students by coming into the schools and preparing breakfast for the students in Lutselk’e. In the Deninu School in Fort Resolution the school has combined the Food First Program with the Kids in the Kitchen Program to prepare a good, healthy breakfast...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister then direct an evaluation of that program to look at all the positive impacts that program has had on all the schools across the North? Would the Minister then direct his staff to do that evaluation immediately?

I’d like to thank the Minister for that response, however, it appears as though the Food First Program that’s essentially feeding the kids in school is going to discontinue on March 31st. Could the Minister check right now with the department and see if it’s possible to find money to at least continue the food program in the schools until the end of the school year? That’s three more months, that’s it.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize two constituents of mine: Alizette Lockhart, who received a Wise Women Award, and Theresa Dolly Simon from Fort Resolution. Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Although this is a constituent of mine that brought the issue to my attention, there are many other students with similar problems. Would the Minister commit to going to Fort Smith to meet with the student body on this issue of child care prior to the end of April? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the particular issue I speak of is not really a student financial assistance issue but rather an issue with the subsidy pertaining to child care. The Minister is right; the needs seem to be met through student financial assistance, because rents subsidies and other things are given to the students at a lower cost than the other people that are just in the community. However, what I am hoping that the Minister would do is examine the child care subsidy and consider how it accommodates the students. Thank you.