Wendy Bisaro

Just to follow up, I can appreciate that it’s been a relatively short period of time since you’ve, sort of, started to implement the policy, but can the Minister tell me when they will do an evaluation and whether or not Members can get the results of that evaluation?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Residential Tenancies Act of the Northwest Territories was first enacted about 25 years ago, in 1987. It was modelled on legislation that was in effect across Canada at that time. It’s been amended over the years since, but only on a piecemeal basis. There are three areas of the act in particular which require some amendments: rent increases, the lack of power in the rental officer position, and coverage in the act for residents in transitional housing. Today I want to talk about rent controls.

The Residential Tenancies Act does not currently control the amount by...

I’d love to pin the Minister down to a specific time and date, but I appreciate the answer. Thank you very much. I look forward to the interim document in six months’ time. I think that’s going to be something which is needed and I think it will be much appreciated by our employees.

The other couple of questions I wanted to ask are around persons with disabilities and duty to accommodate and so on. The department has recently done a survey of persons with disabilities. I haven’t seen anything that indicates that that survey is done or that there have been any results from that survey. I wonder...

Thank you, Madam Chair. My question has been asked and answered.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. I did forget to mention to the Minister we’re going to go through all general comments and have you respond at the end. Thank you very much. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you. Committee, I now open the floor to general comments on the Department of Human Resources. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not he would like to bring witnesses into the House.

Alright, committee. We have finished general comments on the budget. We will move on to departments. Does committee agree that we will review the Department of Human Resources?

I have to disagree with the Minister. I mean, what I’m hearing the Minister say is that we have students with special skills and we have students who are very proficient in French, and we are penalizing them. We’re not allowing them to get an extra course. For some of these students it’s the one credit that they need to get them into the particular course that they need and we’re saying, no, I’m sorry, but you can’t do that. Go back and take the whole course and then maybe you’ll get the credit.

I really feel that the Minister is suggesting that students who already have these skills shouldn’t...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister for Education, Culture and Employment. I highlighted in my statement an unfair situation, I believe, which exists within the Department of Education relative to students being able to challenge a French second language exam.

I’d like to initially ask the Minister what the rationale is for this particular policy change. Our curriculum is allied with that of Alberta, and Alberta made the change and changed it back to the original. We’ve maintained this change in policy, and as I’ve said, I think it’s unfair, and I’d like to...