Shane Thompson

Mr. Speaker, I know that he's my favourite Minister. It seems this week I seem to be asking him a lot of the questions. Next week, I'll find another one, maybe. Well, finance is next week, too. Sorry, he'll be back.

---Laughter

In the Minister's statement, he spoke about how Municipal and Community Affairs will issue a call for the funding applications in the coming weeks and will support community governance through the Canada application and approval process. Can the Minister please explain what the department means by supporting community governance with this process? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I was getting excited, there. $100,000, I don't think we could afford to use this program at all. I thank the Minister for that answer. As a federal program, there is a cost-sharing component to access them. Can the Minister provide the House with: what is the cost-share for this program in the communities and/or GNWT?

In regards to investigations, is there a reason for the increase in it? Is it just people more aware or is it better promotion on your guys' part or what's the rationale for this?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to follow-up on my Member's statement of Wednesday, February 24th about the International Pink Shirt Day. As we heard that day from a number of Members and the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, bullying is a daily experience for many young people across the Northwest Territories and Canada. On February 26th, I received a letter from It Gets Better Yellowknife, an outreach program to support queer and trans youth in Yellowknife, informing me about the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity's Day of Pink, the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I notice about an $18,000 increase in travel in this one. In the other section there was reduction in travel, so could the Minister explain why the increase in travel in this area? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I agree to ask more questions. In regards to your fees and payments, I notice a reduction, almost a 60 per cent reduction, in your amount of money here. What is the rationale for that?

I agree to ask a question. The Ministers talked about the assistant deputy minister being removed, was this part of the cost reductions or is this part of retirement or what was it? Was it planned or not planned? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the Minister for the well thought out and well-planned answer. All that information, I am well aware of. I understand the progressive funding out there and the department does a really good job. However, I would really, really love to see this government work, and you take the lead, that the other departments actually have a number in place, and we have the money put aside so that we can hire our summer students so when they come back, they are guaranteed work, so they can continue to go on to school. I understand that through ECE, we have an increase in funding...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess then historical, but the head increase was $86,000 previous years, revised and main, so how is it historical if this was the main… like the budget? Just I'm a little confused in this matter. Thank you, Mr. Chair.