Shane Thompson

I thank the Minister for that answer, but he has to also realize that I speak for the territories. I sit as the chair of social development, and I am hearing these concerns across the territories. I have to agree with the Minister. It is working well in my region, and I am not saying that. I am saying, across the territories, there are concerns, and this is why we are asking these questions.

Mr. Speaker, ECE has indicated that it will take $5.1 million to implement junior kindergarten in all of the remaining NWT classrooms, not including some onetime spending to make classrooms physically ready...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Chief Julian Yendo School junior high school students have been working really hard all year to be able to be part of the annual Jasper and Edmonton field trip. The school staff, the District Education Authority, and the parents worked together to come up with guidelines the students need to fulfill to be able to go on the trip.

Mr. Speaker, some of the guidelines involved the students to have good attendance, complete their assigned work, be well behaved in school, and be respectful of their fellow students, visitors, and school staff. On top of this, the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the deputy minister for his answer. So I'm assuming that under Finance and Employment Shared Services other program costs are the same thing: salary and O and M? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On page 145, on the line that shows interest for Deh Cho bridge, it's gone up $200,000. So can the Minister explain if the cost for this bridge is going down? It seems to be going up for the last couple of years. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Hopefully just one question. The Minister probably already knows what I am going to ask. Other program costs, could he explain what that is under the Mackenzie Valley fibre link? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I notice that we are losing two positions in this area. Are these areas in management and recruitment services or another section of the budget? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In regards, I see office of the Chief Information Officer has an increase. Could the Minister explain why we have an increase in this area? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the Minister for his answer. When we look at the $5.1 million plus onetime spent to prepare classrooms, communication, advertise, and all of the other expenses to implement junior kindergarten in 201718 plus spending on junior kindergarten to date, what is the total amount the government has invested in junior kindergarten, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week, during the public meeting on junior kindergarten funding, ECE advised us that junior kindergarten would be funded according to a pupilteacher ratio of 12:1, but, in the same discussion, the ECE also advised that the funding formula was an allocation tool, not a tool to determine whether or not funding that ECE delivers is adequate to meet schools' and students' needs. So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain how this impacts schools and school boards who have identified where funding is inadequate to meet the needs of the students and the schools? Thank you...

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that commitment; it helps. I'm just trying to understand where it is, and I greatly appreciate the Minister is going to make that commitment; it will help maybe eliminate some of the questions in the future. So thanks, Mr. Chair; I'm done with this page. Thank you.