Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding, this was something that was approved by a previous -- not approved, but a lot of work went into this in the 17th Assembly and I wonder if there is any detail as to why the funding originally allocated to it from the midwifery program was not spent to establish it in the 17th Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to ask, in regard to the great public interest in this issue and the hard work of our post-secondary departments with Dechinta and College nordique, if the Minister will commit to making the LP process that the standing committees normally go through a public process so that we can have a broad range of opinions on the legislation before it's finalized in the House? Thank you.

Thank you. I am afraid that, with some dread, I hear that a labyrinthine process of plans upon plans upon plans are being contemplated by the department. I wonder: can the Minister give some assurance that this is not going result in more action plans and strategies and will actually result in results? We have been waiting for a year for a strategic plan that has now transformed into a foundational review, so are we going to be waiting another year to see this review, or are we going to get moving on post-secondary education in the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to publicly state my support for Bill 16: An Act to Amend the Education Act.

First off, as a parent, I feel very privileged that my son is enrolled in a first-class school here in the Northwest Territories where his unique learning needs and education challenges are met by very skilled educators whose standard of teaching and professionalism is second to none in Canada and the world.

That being said, I have asked some tough questions of the department along with my colleagues who are full-time members of the Standing Committee of Social...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I misspoke. It is around 5 per cent, $20 million dollars’ variance, or amount exceeding the estimate, so same question to the Minister. Thank you.

I'd like to thank both Ministers for their clarification. Nothing further.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to clarify the establishment of the NWT Organ and Tissue Donation Registry. When is the expected go-live date of that project now that we are securing funding for it?

I agree with the Minister. It's not about two programs. It's about more than $30 million we spend on post-secondary that, by everyone's assessment, is not working but is still something students need in the Northwest Territories. So I am pleased that we are taking this seriously, but, again, the pace of this is frustrating. I think these are not new issues. These are issues we were well aware of going in. In fact, when we began the mandate process, through business plans these issues have been raised again and again and again.

The statement that the Minister made also spoke of a Post-Secondary...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like follow up with the Minister on this Aurora College next steps statement he made this morning around the foundational review. My honourable friend from Hay River North made some comments about this, but one of the things that surprised me is that the terms of reference for the foundational review are not yet known. My question for the Minister today is: the strategic plan, which the department and the college have been working on for a while, how is that different from the foundational review? I will start with that. Thank you.

Nothing further, Mr. Chair.