Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My general comments are going to be short and brief. We went out and went to three communities. We have heard over 237 responses through e-mails and letters. Committee provided and listened to what people and teachers and administrators said. We are making two recommendations here to the floor to make a decision to amend the bill, and at that time, we will discuss those. I will have further comments during those amendments. I would like to thank everybody for their commitment and hard work to this. It was very interesting and very challenging. We would like to thank all...

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for the 150 years update. It was very important to hear that I think for the third or fourth time here. I now understand that John Howard Society is 150 years old. It has been in the Northwest Territories for 23 years. Thank you very much. However, I guess my big concern is you went out, talked to his organization, and gave them from a one-year term to a four-year term. You did not follow the same process given out to everybody else. To me, I am not worried about John Howard Society so much as the process. You basically said to the coalition that...

Thank you, Ms. Gardiner. Thanks for the answer. I guess, to me, red flags. You want to learn something? You had nobody from the coalition apply for this. That, to me, is a big red flag. Have you guys taken this as an opportunity to learn something from this? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, and I thank the Minister for her answer. Four of my communities are designated authorities, and four of these communities actually provide all of the municipal services. Again, when we are talking about this, this is a concern for me. Again, when we look at job descriptions, a band manager is the same thing as an SAO. What is the difference between these job descriptions? Are they similar? Are we utilizing existing resources to modify these resources that they are going to provide to the designated authorities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

That kind of leads into my second question with limited access and the ability of councillors to actually access the internet program in order to take this training. In regards to the face-to-face training, are we going to actually bring the MACA staff into the communities, or is it going to be like the School of Community Government's other courses, where they hold a regional one and people have to come in there?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will request a recorded vote. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Premier for hearing that. My big thing is, my concern, I have two communities who do not have stores. They do not have access to food, so that is probably a big challenge for them. In regards to the residents that have commercial gardens, will the Premier work with the Minister of ITI to come up with a plan so that food can be subsidized so that they can sell their product to the residents of the NWT on a level playing field? In other words, look at the opportunity for Nutrition North to subsidize some of our local farmers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think we have heard the report enough. I think the report stands for itself, and I will just leave it at that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the Premier for his answer. Mr. Speaker, in previous sittings, we spoke about the potential of going to the federal government, and asking if we could take over this program. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise this House if he has had the opportunity to discuss this idea with the Minister or the Prime Minister in regards to Nutrition North?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that Bill 60 be amended by adding the following after clause 4. The following is added after subsection 126, subsection 4, subsection 5, the Legislative Assembly or committee of the Legislative Assembly designated or established by it shall review the hours of instruction prescribed under subsection 4 at the next sitting following July 1, 2020.

Subsection 6, the review shall include an examination of the hours of the instruction in effect of those hours of instruction on students and teachers and may include any recommendations for change to the hours of instruction...