Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member’s statement today was on the housing situation and the high school dropouts in my communities that I represent in Nunakput. Given the current way the government provides high school to students from the small communities and it’s so problematic that many students all together leave high school and go back to their home communities, will this government immediately commit funds and resources for one high school teacher per community so that the students can at least get high school courses in the community and not fall so far behind?
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We do provide funding to the district education council which flows down to the district education authority. They decide which staff they’re going to be hiring. I’m not in a position to say you should hire these positions. We gave them the authority to do that. We empowered the DEA to make those decisions, the DECs. I have to respect their decision. If there are issues or concerns that the Member is raising that information should be shared with the DEA and DECs, I will do my part as ECE to share the Member’s concern with the local school board.
Mr. Speaker, will this government conduct a thorough review to identify why so many high school students from small, isolated communities are dropping out of school? Mr. Speaker, we know the reasons already. It’s not worth going and getting another review done. This government is failing the education system in the small, isolated communities. Kids are staying home and not going to school.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister send a Minister’s directive and tell the DEAs in the Beaufort-Delta region to work with the community of Sachs Harbour to get something done on this issue? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we do have boards that represent those small communities. I also meet with the chairpersons that are responsible for each region. That information is brought to our attention and we work together collaboratively. At the same time, there is the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative that’s underway and we will be going to the Beaufort-Delta. Those issues have been addressed in other regions, as well, similar to what the Member is raising.
It is clearly our discussion around the table on numerous occasions already, Mr. Speaker, since we started in September. At the end of the day, we will have a package. The plan of action will include that and I’m sure what the Member is referring to will be addressed in that format. Mahsi.
It’s one thing of being addressed and one thing about getting something done. Mr. Speaker, we’re failing the students of Nunakput. Not only Nunakput, all small communities. Will this government allocate appropriate resources to address the serious problems regarding the high school dropouts to ensure that quarterly reviews and benchmarks are carefully monitored for the future on this issue, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, that is the very reason why we’re doing this initiative. Concern was raised by the parents, the community members, the leadership, the educators in the communities, all communities of the Northwest Territories. That’s when the Aboriginal student achievement has been undertaken. That’s been identified where the students’ attendance is an issue and the quality of education has been brought to our attention as well. There is a strategy that’s been developed through the action oriented coming from the people of the Northwest Territories. It’s not my department saying this is good for you; it’s the voice of the North. We will be tabling the document in this House, as well, with an action plan.
Similar to what we had done with the Languages Strategy, Mr. Speaker, I think this is an opportunity for the Beaufort-Delta to provide us with the ideas and suggestions on these matters as well. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Well, Mr. Speaker, I’ve been here for three years and I’ve been trying to provide that information. Mr. Speaker, if we have a house in the community of Inuvik that is able to take students from the small, isolated communities and put them in a safe house to have a safe place to stay where they could do their studying and stuff to get their education in Inuvik, will the Minister commit to putting resources and dollars behind that unit in Inuvik? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, again, the funding does flow through the school boards. What the Member is referring to, we will talk about that as the Department of Education, Culture and Employment with the school boards and with the ASA, the forum. That’s an ongoing discussion that we’re having. We need to find a solution. We can say throw money at these different schools and different areas. We need to find out where we need to focus our priorities. I understand where the Member is coming from, so I will follow through with that with our ASA and the school boards as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I raised a number of issues about the Liquor Board and its regulations and rules that govern it. Mr. Speaker, quite simply, the residency and the fair representation are the points I’ve been trying to raise. I feel that they could be addressed quite reasonably and fairly here today. Would the Minister of Finance, who represents this particular area in his portfolio, be willing to go back to the table and review the particular regulations that we have accordingly at this time and make residency a requirement as well as acknowledge representation on the board of governance that needs to be addressed? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now there is no clear specific requirement in terms of residency for board members or who should sit on the board. We do look at regional representation and we also, as a matter of course, expect that board members and the chairman will be residents of the Northwest Territories. I will commit to discuss the issue with the deputy minister and take a look at those issues. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I spoke of the importance of preschool and daycare in small communities; Lutselk'e today. Mr. Speaker, does the Minister and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment recognize that preschool is paramount for the success of students from kindergarten to grade 12? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Member that we need to focus on early childhood. That’s when the students learn. We need to invest heavily in that area. We have been doing that and will continue to do that, Mr. Speaker. I agree with the Member that we need to focus on those early childhood students that are in our elementary schools or preschools and onwards. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, does the Minister and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment realize that daycare is an essential service in the communities so that parents can make productive choices? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, daycare is a service that has been provided in the community. We provide funding and resources and also operation costs, as well, to make it operational at the community level. Those individuals that may drop their children off at the centre, they will be well looked after. That’s one of our mandates as the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, to provide funding and resources to those establishments that provide those services. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, will the Minister direct the staff at ECE to develop a program and provide financial support to accredit daycare workers and preschool teachers? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, this is an area that we are currently exploring. It has been brought to our attention about the credentials that individuals bring to their positions and to recognize those credentials along with the funding sources and resources. It has been brought to our attention, so we are seriously looking at it and then if we can come up with some options in that respect. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister begin a process including building a building to house daycare and preschool in the department’s infrastructure plan? That could even be a renovation to the current school, Mr. Speaker, into the infrastructure plan. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we don’t allocate funding for infrastructure-wise or renovation but we do provide funding for operation costs, programming and also parts of a mortgage and rents of the establishments in the communities. This is an area that we haven’t really explored, but we do provide funding in other sources. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister of Justice in regard to my Member’s statement in regards to policing services in the community of Tsiigehtchic. As we all know, there are some 10 communities in the Northwest Territories that don’t have policing services and yet there was a commitment made by this government and also the 16th Assembly to improve policing in the communities and improve on safety of our communities in the Northwest Territories. I would like to ask the Minister of Justice exactly what are we doing to implement that decision and direction that was given by the 16th Assembly to improve policing services in all of our communities.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Since the beginning of the 16th Assembly, there has been a goal that was set by the Justice department. We are following through with those goals to provide policing services. We may not have police officers in Tsiigehtchic, but we’ve hired an individual to be stationed out of Fort McPherson to look after Tsiigehtchic and provide more policing services. That individual is dedicated to Tsiigehtchic.
I have frequent meetings with the chief commanding officer in this respect. At every opportunity, Mr. Speaker, I have always pushed for more presence in the communities, because Mr. Krutko, the Member, is always reminding us that we need more presence. At every opportunity, Mr. Speaker, I provided that to the chief commanding officer. There has been some slight increase. I would like to see more as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, again, I think it is important that we do look at implementing some of these ideas, not just increasing the community visits but the RCMP and also the developing of programs, educating not only the public but the students, and also working with community leaders on exactly how they can improve not only policing services but ensuring that there are laws being abided by in their communities and working with the local bylaw officer. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me if there has been improvement in regards to the RCMP working in conjunction with the local bylaw officer to ensure that there is ongoing dialogue and also communication between those two individuals so they can have a system in place to communicate?
Mr. Speaker, I can’t say today, but I can certainly find out from the chief commanding officer to see what the status is with the communication dialogue. Also the Member raised the issue in the past about sharing some resources as well. There have been talks about mobile units, radios and so forth. Those are areas that we are exploring as the Department of Justice with RCMP ‘G’ Division. Mr. Speaker, I will follow through and I will inform the Member of the status. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, again, I think it is important that we do have bodies on the ground regardless if it is bylaw officer, special constables or trying to find ways to be motivated to get people on the ground in the communities. They may not have the training like the RCMP members, but at least give them the training, give them the tools that they can also do the jobs when the RCMP are not there. They can have some sort of a presence regardless if it is through a bylaw officer or a special constable. Is that type of a program being implemented in the Department of Justice working with communities to look at the special constable, sort of reinstate that program by working with the bylaw officer in the communities? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we do have three officers that are in training right now that have started the training at the depot. It is a Community Constable Program. Those are the areas that we explore with the RCMP ‘G’ Division and at the federal level. They finally listened. We are unique in the North so they gave us three positions. They will be graduating.
Mr. Speaker, this is an area of interest for us as well. We want to increase those numbers. We will do what we can, as the Department of Justice, to provide more information on this and possibly creating more similarities. The Member referred to the bylaw and other positions that may be workable with preventive measurement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I thought we were well on our way with the reinstatement of policing services in Sachs Harbour. We were hoping we can hit other communities, but it looks like that is not being achieved through this government.
I would like to ask the Minister if he would seriously bring forward any recommendations or suggestions by way of improving policing services or similar type services to those 10 communities that don’t have policing services, but improve the systems we have to give the residents of those communities some assurances that their well-being will also be taken into consideration when it comes to policing services through the bylaw officer or whatnot. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, there was a commitment made with two communities, Gameti and Wrigley. We did hire those officers out of the GNWT budget. Now we are waiting for federal infrastructure. We made a commitment. We followed through with it. I understand where the Member is coming from. I will follow through with the ‘G’ Division and the chief superintendent as well.
The important part is the Member also raised that there should be community meetings with RCMP and the chief in council. I fully support that as well. I will be sharing that with the chief commanding officer and other areas that the Member has raised as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow up on my statement regarding Commissioner’s land trespass and the recreational land use framework being developed for the Prosperous-Walsh Lake area.
Although slow to start, I appreciated the work being done by MACA to crack down on cases of trespassing. Can we have the Minister’s assurance that all cases of unauthorized occupation from this day forward will be considered squatting and steps will be taken to remove this occupation by administrative or legal means, bearing in mind Aboriginal rights and their use of land? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can assure the Member and all Members that MACA will take all necessary steps to deal with illegal squatters. The uptake on suspending the strategy has been very good. We have had a lot of folks come forward to legitimize their leases, not only in the Yellowknife area but in other areas in the Northwest Territories. We actually had 100 percent uptake in the other communities, so the message is out there. I can assure the Member that all illegal squatters will be dealt with. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, thanks for the Minister’s comments there. Good work has also been done on the development of the recreational leasing framework. Information is being gathered towards a comprehensive understanding of the resource base and the use of the area can bear while maintaining our vital interest in preserving the watershed of Yellowknife for our drinking water supply. The next essential step is an invitation of the general public to contribute its knowledge and suggestions. Will the Minister commit to a full public consultation, keeping in mind the need to allow sufficient time for full consultation should they happen and go ahead in the summertime? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of finalizing the density study and it is our intent to meet with the Cassidy Point-Prosperous Lake Association and hold a stakeholders forum, and the intent is to hold that in June of this year where we will be able to get input from all interested stakeholders and members of the public. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister’s commitment to include all of the public in that consultation. The work this government is doing in the block transfer area is good, but, unfortunately, similar action from the federal government and protection of the commons is missing. For those who set up a metre outside the block land transfer boundary, they are home free. The federal government must be kept accountable and be called upon to meet its responsibilities. How is the Minister keeping the pressure up on the federal government to hold them accountable? What steps are being taken to bring them to the table for an effective partnership on this issue? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, we do have a working group that does include the Aboriginal group. INAC is also invited to the table to take part in the discussion. So I can assure the Member that we’ll do what we can to continue to invite them to the table and have their input.
Some of the federal land, obviously, would be land that would be identified in some of these land claim processes that are going on, but it is our intent to always make sure we have the stakeholders, including INAC and the Aboriginal governments at the table to have a good discussion. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m afraid that is less than a satisfactory response. I’m sure the federal government is welcome at any of our tables, but here we need to go to their table and do some real work here. So I would have to grade that quite low, Mr. Speaker, and I’m sure the Minister can come up with better.
But I don’t just lay this on the Minister of MACA, Mr. Speaker. Every MLA and especially Cabinet has a role to play, because as the Minister recognizes, this is dealing with the federal government, big daddy out there. I’m wondering what role the Minister sees all of the MLAs and, for example, a block land transfer of this area, the Yellowknife MLAs, but throughout the NWT, I know the Minister is working in the Delta, and Cabinet. What role does he see all MLAs and Cabinet playing in working with the federal government to get them going? Particularly, how is he working to get this accomplished through the devolution discussions? Obviously those are going to take six to eight years and at the rate this problem is developing, we’ll be looking at doubling to quadrupling of this problem by the time we have authority to the land. Thank you.
