Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the Minister and the department and the Finance Minister for clearing up that inclusive schooling issue. So I really appreciate that. My comments are just in regard to a couple of other things in the budget, here. One, we're talking about a new stream for graduation; there are three or four or five streams. What is happening with this? It's not on this page? Okay. Thank you, that answers that question. Do you know what page that would be on? I guess I'll go back to the Minister on that one, then, because this says early childhood and school services, so I'm trying...

Okay, I realize I've only got two minutes and 30 seconds here, so I'm going to try to ask the question: are these positions to develop resources or are they positions that are going out travelling to work out from the communities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Ministers for ITI and Infrastructure and Finance for that great information. It is good to hear all of that stuff.

Mr. Speaker, my third question is: it's my understanding the estimated direct costs for carbon taxes starts with $10 per tonne in 2018. That increases $10 a year until it reaches a cap of $15,000 per tonne in 2022. It is estimated that high-use households will pay $880 to $1,015 per year. Will the government ensure that the Nahendeh residents are able to choose alternative fuel sources by that time?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the Minister for that answer. However, guidance counsellors' positions in my riding, and in Mr. Nadli's riding, are being taken out and we're bringing in the child and youth mental health workers. So we're taking those positions out of the schools because those are the ones that I guess I'm seeing the Minister and Deputy Minister is saying it's not true. Could they please explain to me, then, if those positions still exist in the Deh Cho? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I spoke about some of the challenges in my riding for carbon taxes and green gas and energy and that. My questions are to the Minister of Infrastructure.

My first question: has the government considered expanding the Taltson hydro dam system, and are they looking at expanding that to the Nahendeh riding as well? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I did promise not to do anything in the other section. Now I'm back on this section, so I do have some questions in this area. I guess the first one to start with is, I tried to ask the question previously in another section, but this is where it is, it's about the Skills 4 Success Territorial Support Team, and we talk about this being a new initiative, and I applaud the department for doing something like this. So we're bringing six positions; three for the north, three for the south. Three in Inuvik and three in Yellowknife. However, I guess my first question is: why...

Not really, Mr. Chair. Okay. I'm not talking about SFA; I'm talking about Senior Subsidy, the Senior Home Heating Subsidy Program. I'm talking about elders who have to look after their family. I'm talking about elders who, if they don't work, can't do that. The Minister talked about SFA, how great it is. Yes, when the student actually applies for it, yes, they do that, but it's still not helpful for the child to go there because, if he doesn't have a summer job, our SFA does not actually help as well as we want it to. So that was where my issue was, but I'm going to have to probably come from...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My personal opinion is that is the direction that I feel it is going. Postsecondary is accreditation to develop a university. Aurora College is actually by itself, so they are not going to interlink. Maybe I am mistaken about that, but I do have one other question on here.

In regard to the budget, labour market agreement for persons with disabilities, there is no money in there presently. Can the Minister explain why? Is it sunsetted, or is it a federal program, or is there a reason for that? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess the concern I'm hearing, especially for some of the smaller communities, is, as I said, the expenses for this family are here, and they make too much money, but if they didn't do it, the kid can't go off to school, they can't provide food on the table, and that. So would the Minister be willing to get the department to look at this? At least look at it and see, as he talks about case-by-case situations, if they could look at that and give some discretion to their front-line workers in this area? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I appreciate the Minister for that commitment. I guess my concern is that I am looking at the college and the things that the college is doing right now. Don't get me wrong; they are doing a good job in a number of areas there. However, if we remove the Teachers Education Program and we remove the Social Work Program, we are only going to have the Nursing Program left, if it offers a degree or a diploma in that. Can the Minister verify that I am mistaken, or is that the direction that the college is going? Thank you, Mr. Chair.