Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, my colleague the honourable Member for Kam Lake was talking about the user fees and landing fees being proposed by infrastructure, the new potential infrastructure department. They talk about between $8 and $10 million going to be potential new revenue. In regards to the $10 million or this money being proposed to be collected by the new airport fees, how much is this going to be coming from the GNWT's medical travel and GNWT businesses? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for his answer. That was good to hear. With this new money, will this money be put out April 1st, and are we ready to go?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for his answer. I guess I am just a little concerned that we are not being proactive in looking at this at the very beginning. I understand that the department is trying to get these fees implemented, but there are these hidden costs that people are not aware of and that should be looked at. Is the department willing to look at capping this administration fee at 4 per cent, which is a standard administration fee? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for his commitment to get back. We are hearing different numbers out there, so it would be really nice to see what the percentage of this is. Mr. Speaker, with a percentage of this money going to the airlines, which we have heard in the news, how long did the department know about this, and why wasn't this part of the information package out to the public as they were promoting this new initiative?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. About two years ago a new teacher arrived in Fort Liard and noticed the youth lived, ate, and breathed soccer. As she got to know the students and the community, she realized one of the students had the opportunity to go to England for a soccer camp and a tour the previous summer. This seemed to be the talk of the community and the school.

Mr. Speaker, this led to the idea of a school trip outside of Canada. After checking with her fellow teachers, the DEA, the DDEC, community members, and the older students, it was decided that this would be a great idea. After a lot of...

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.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the assistant deputy minister for his answer. I guess, again, I see two areas of bank services, other program costs: can the Minister explain what these other program costs are? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

No, thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the deputy minister for that answer. Could the Minister advise us if these two positions were vacant or if they were reduced through a package at the end of the day? Thank you, Mr. Chair.