Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been a tough six months for our territory. We have lost many of our residents to illnesses, accidents, desperation and old age. We had one recently, as you mentioned earlier. Some we have lost years before their time; some a bit before their time; and some who left us after a life well lived. All had contributions yet to be made. We will miss each and every one. My heart goes out to the families and the friends of each of them.

The circumstances around each death were different, but one death here in Yellowknife was particularly troubling to many of us. A...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. Again, everything is in the future. I would hope that the Minister would recognize that the need is now, and yes, we can plan and develop and put frameworks in place, but again I would ask the Minister if he would commit to try to develop something for our service providers before they start the pilot in the fall. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. I appreciate that we may not have anything at this point and he is going to work towards something, but in the interim we have nothing. We put people into a job where they are required to deal with clients, particularly in Yellowknife where they are dealing with an extremely diverse group of clients. In the interim, until we get this training that we are going to do, what does the Department of Human Resources do to help our client service providers?

For a start, the RCMP wants their members to learn local culture, meet with chief and council and attend a feast soon after they arrive in the community. For our part, the GNWT has to do something similar. We have to recognize the diversity of the clients we provide services for. We have to then educate and train our service providers so they understand the diversity and the different cultures that make up our great territory so our service providers can understand why a client acts as they do and provide service that is as culturally relevant as possible.

If we don’t, as my constituents...

Thanks to the Minister for that response. I know a number of years ago there was a defined program between the Housing Corporation and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to try and encourage communities to take the responsibility and for the community to provide some housing for teachers and professionals in general, I guess. My understanding is that program didn’t work very well. I’d like to know from the Minister of Education if there’s a particular explanation as to why that program hasn’t been all that successful.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize a Page who worked with us last week and has been working with us again this week: Brenda Joyce-Hotte. Thank you very much for all the work that you’ve done.

As well, I would like to recognize two members from the NWT Teachers’ Association who are with us today: Mr. Dave Roebuck, the executive director; and Ms. Gayla Meredith, who is the communications officer with the NWTTA.

I cannot ignore two acquaintances who are sitting at the Clerk’s Table. It’s an honour to have you two gentlemen here today: Mr. David Hamilton and Mr. Tony...

I am really pleased to hear that our government, the Minister and other Ministers, are pushing this particular initiative. I agree with the Minister; it has been an extremely successful program.

I am a little bit concerned, though, if the federal government is putting a program in place that’s a little bit different. I know that the Mine Training Society is one group that has used a great deal of this funding for very successful results. There are several other organizations as well. So my concern and my question to the Minister is whether or not there is going to be any impact at the end of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have some questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on a different topic this time around.

A year ago this House recognized that the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnerships Program was going to expire, and it is set to expire on March 31st of this particular year. We had a motion in the House. I know a number of Members, including myself, wrote to the federal Minister, requesting that the program be redefined and re-implemented. I believe the Minister followed up with the federal Minister of the day. I’d like to know whether or not he has...

Thanks to the Minister again. One of the other hindrances for getting and keeping teachers in our communities is their feeling that they’re not safe within the schools or within the community. I know that a number of years ago… Sorry. I should back up. Some of the boards and district education authorities do have a policy, a Safe Schools Policy, but we don’t have one across the GNWT. I believe in 2009 there was a memorandum of understanding between the teachers’ union and the GNWT to develop a Safe Schools Policy. I’d like to know from the Minister whether or not that goal has been...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would encourage the Minister of Transportation to take the pledge to leave the phone alone and post a sticker on his window.

My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and I would like to say that we heard a great deal about bullying yesterday and I think we heard also about the impact that teachers can have on their students. It was an excellent discussion, as I mentioned. One of the things that we struggle with is to get and keep teachers in the Territories and in our communities, particularly in our small and isolated...