Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over two years ago, as Members reviewed the 2012-13 capital budget, we debated a $1 million infrastructure contribution to an NGO. As part of the capital budget, Cabinet had proposed this considerable contribution to the Children First Society in Inuvik for a new early childhood care centre. I opposed that project, not because I did not see value in the project, and not because I disagreed with the intent of the building. No, I opposed approving the funding because it was a one-of-a-kind budget item and there was no government policy to guide how this type of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my great pleasure today to be able to recognize former Commissioner John Parker and his wife, Helen Parker. I knew them as parents when I was teaching and I’m really glad to see them here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding was when this committee was established that the periods when they would meet, the frequency of their meetings was established in the terms of reference for that committee. Can the Minister advise me whether that is so? Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister for that update. The committee was supposed to meet in October. It’s gratifying to hear that they did meet at the time they were actually supposed to. It doesn’t happen all that often.

I’d like to know from the Minister, they met in October and they are going to bring results forward to the Minister in the new year, so when is the committee supposed to meet next. How often will they meet and consider minimum wage? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier for itemizing those priorities. I agree with those priorities, but I have to again ask, when an NGO comes forward and is looking for infrastructure, construction money, what are we going to do? The Premier mentions that there’s a process. I’d like to know if he would put that on paper and provide it to me and to committee. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I’m struggling to understand this process. I know we have a capital planning process and it works very well, but this is a situation that has not occurred before.

I’d like to know from the Premier what is in the policy that he referred to. He said there is a policy. I don’t think it has come to committee. I would like to know what’s in that policy that references infrastructure contributions to non-government organizations. Thank you.

We need to not only be fair but be seen to be fair. Cabinet must develop a policy and criteria for that policy. In order to qualify for funding, organizations must meet that criteria. Right now, in the absence of any policy and criteria, decisions to fund or not to fund are highly subjective and politically influenced. That is not fair to our hard working NGOs, nor is it fair to our residents who benefit from the NGO’s hard work.

I will have questions for the Premier at a later time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’m still confused and I’d have to say, and I spoke in my statement and I need to tell the Minister this is not working. From the perspective of school boards here in Yellowknife, but also other school boards in the territory, the Inclusive Schooling Program funding that they’re getting is not working.

I want to know from the Minister will he commit to doing a study of inclusive schooling funding and a study of the Inclusive Schooling Directive and make some revisions? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my statement and I have some questions today for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

I spoke to a review of inclusive schooling, which we had been advised by the Minister was being done. I’d like to first of all ask the Minister for an update on that inclusive schooling review. Has it been done and when will it be made public? Thank you.

Some months ago, the Minister promised the department would do a review of the inclusive schooling funding formula, but there is no evidence to date that that has been done. It’s time to revisit and redefine the funding formula for inclusive schooling. The entire inclusive schooling directive must also be revisited, revised and redefined. Both of these must be done in consultation with education stakeholders, developed with them, not designed by the department and then presented to stakeholders for comment.

We spend a lot of money on inclusive schooling. We must evaluate how we are spending it...