R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Madam Chair. We can get to later sections in here and the Tlicho will be receiving a number of RCMP positions, and in the past we've added a number of RCMP positions there as well. So we are adding positions, and we have added positions during my time here to that region. Thank you.

Thank you. And I think the idea right now is to have this twoyear course and perhaps it could lead to another bachelor of education degree after another two years. But I think that's a little too far off in the future for me to say one way or the other and by the time those decisions are ready to be made, the Aurora College will be making its own decisions without influence from the Minister in terms of the programming. But I'm on the same wavelength as the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. There are no plans to expand the program as is. It is a Yellowknife program right now, and it is adapting itself to Yellowknife and I don't think it's a program that you can just transplant into a different community, even if it's a regional centre. But that being said, the goal is to figure out how we can offer more integrated services in other communities as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So I'm pretty hands off with this regulator, because it is arm's length. I think ITI probably would have that information. So I can talk to the Minister to see what's going on but I don't I don't get too deep into the business of oil and gas. That is the Minister of ITI. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We haven't done that in the past, and I don't want to speak for the previous Ministers, but when I was elected, that year minimum wage was $10. I've only been here six years. So it went from $10 up to $15.20 in a relatively short amount of time. So we far outstripped the rises to CPI or inflation. And so we haven't been in a position where we would want to do that. You know, if this is seen as adequate right now, this minimum wage, then it would make sense to tie it to the CPI. But I'm not sure if this is adequate. You know, there needs to be a bit more analysis. So am...

Thank you. So these numbers are based on the funding formula, our best estimates on the funding formula. Thank you.

Thank you. I believe so. I know I asked the same question in the last Assembly. So I can ask the deputy minister to speak to that a little bit. Thanks.

Thank you. So the SFA program is you know, it provides basic funding for university students. You know, there could be instances where departments want to provide scholarships or bursaries to students, and that's done for different things. I know ECE provides additional bursaries for people going into certain or, you know, taking studying certain fields. But that's not something that SFA is doing at this point.

I mean, we could look into it but as the Member said, we need lots of doctors; we need nurses; we need trades people; we need teachers; we need virtually every profession here in the...

Thank you. Changes from last year? I'll hand it to the deputy minister. Thanks.

Thank you. So there was a budget that was created for this this regulator. The budget was created out of thin air with no concept of how much work would actually be needed and what position would be required. There was a review undertaken to look at what work has been done, what work will need to happen going forward, and a decision was made based on that review. If there is a need in the future for additional money for this, then I personally don't think that we have much of a say because as a regulator, they need they have a job to do, and we would fund them according to the job they need...