Wendy Bisaro

Thanks to the Premier. I know that he’s mentioned that he would come to Members. I’m not so sure that this requires the approval, so to speak, of Members. I think to reach out to NGOs is something that could be done without letting us know, but I don’t know we need to give you the approval to do that. I will be tabling a list of the anti-poverty supporters later on this afternoon, so that will give the government a list to work from.

A number of years ago the government established a Coalition Against Family Violence. In my estimation, it’s been a very successful coalition and the actions that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Premier. I mentioned in my Member’s statement that I had been holding a Christmas present for him for some time and that I had given that to him today at noon. I thought it was pretty nice too. Now that the Premier has his Christmas present, or that the Legislative Assembly has the Christmas present -- because it is addressed to all of us -- I would like to ask the Premier if he could advise us, and I mean Members and also the representative of the presenters of the present, what he will do with his or our present now that he has...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I presented the Premier with a belated Christmas present, one that I had been safekeeping for him. In December of last year, in the absence of any Members of the Executive Council, I accepted a present from a group of people, people representing social organizations in Yellowknife and the NWT as a whole. This informal alliance of 14 organizations had come to the Legislative Assembly to give the Legislative Assembly a Christmas present, a gift of past reports which detail the causes and effects of poverty in the NWT, and they asked for only one...

Thanks to the Minister for the answer. I think you probably are going to hear from authorities in relation to this. If they’ve identified it as a problem, they’re going to continue to go after you for adequate funding to deal with these particular special needs students. I’d like to know if there’s any consideration within the department... Has the Minister considered changing the approach for funding for inclusive schooling instead of doing it as a lump sum based on total enrolment? Is there any possibility that funding may be changed so that it is applied to a particular student and the...

Okay, thank you. That was clear. So I understand that the numbers of students have gone down; that’s fine, that’s cool. But my information from education authorities is that although the total number of students is going down, the number of special needs or students who require inclusive schooling are going up and, as well, they’re not only seeing an increase in inclusive schooling students, but the ones that they are seeing are the ones who require a very large amount of assistance. They’re very heavily...children who need a great deal of assistance whereas someone who has got a slight...

Thank you. Eight thousand two hundred and seventy-five, was that the first number?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I had a question with regard to the increase in staff. It shows we’re going from 184 staff persons, indeterminate full-time in ‘09-10 to 191 in ‘10-11. If the Minister could advise where these staff are going and what they’re going to be doing as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I still didn’t hear that we have those standards. I’m presuming that we don’t. This expansion will provide gym space and I mentioned in my statement that I think there’s a need for the GNWT to show the feds that we’re committed to this project. I think that is also going to put pressure on the federal government and force them to be more supportive of the project than they are at the moment. I’d like to ask the Minister why the government, the GNWT, cannot commit our portion of the capital costs for this project in the 2011 budget. If we show our commitment I think the...

I don’t believe I heard the Minister tell me what he thinks is required. I appreciate that a letter has just recently been sent to Heritage Canada, but I am still looking to know what it is that we need to do. I have another question, though, on a bit of a different tack.

I’d like to know whether or not the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has facility standards for NWT schools and do we have facility standards that provide for a gymnasium in any school that the department builds.

Apparently, GNWT is waiting for the federal government to commit capital funds, and the federal government is waiting for the GNWT to commit the funds. The kids are caught in the middle, learning in a school without a gym to give them much-needed physical activities. Ecole Allain St-Cyr students deserve the same access to physical education activities as all other students in the city. Phase two of the expansion of Ecole Allain St-Cyr must be included in the 2011-12 Infrastructure Budget. It can’t be left until 2012-13. If the GNWT takes the lead and shows our commitment to this project by...