I appreciate the comments from the Minister. Mr. Speaker, this is good work. It shows motivation on behalf of our employees and our leadership. We know that improving practices involves changing habits and human behaviour such as getting people to wear seat belts or stop cell phone driving, not an easy task; one of the most difficult things to change. Strong leadership is often needed. The Minister, according to my correspondence, has indicated that at least seven departments are signed on. That’s a good start. What more aggressive plans does the Minister have to roll this out across government beyond Yellowknife and provide the marketing resources needed to give us a model workplace? Thank you.
Right now we’re focusing on our government. As well as having an advisory team we also have internal departmental teams, and I’m pleased to say that we have five interdepartmental teams that have undertaken a host of initiatives so that we’ll have a greener workplace and with the active participation of all of our employees. Thank you.
Again, good work. I understand that some of the work has included voluntarily setting printers to duplex, using recycled paper, having recycling stations in offices, in-house waste audits. ENR has a Green Event Catering Contract Policy for its departmental use. I’m wondering if this could be spread to all departments. I also note, Mr. Speaker, many people complain to me about GNWT catering that includes bottled water. They just shake their head when we’re surrounded by the best water in the world. Does this catering policy include the dropping out of bottled water? Thank you.
In addition to some of the activities that Mr. Bromley outlined, we have developed some other activities that I would like to note such as in-office composting, purchasing recycled bond paper, we’ve purchased bicycles for interoffice travel, also hybrid pilots. We also organize healthy lifestyle activities, we conduct in-house waste audits, have established recycling stations in every department, and we organize staff awareness contests. All of these activities play a role in improving our workplace and, certainly, with utilizing the deputy minister committee, we use that to make sure that it occurs in every department. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Your final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to note that these things and a lot of other common-place green behaviours sound to me like the least we should be doing in our departments and not really voluntary. The Human Resources department and Public Works and Services are best positioned to make these standard practices. Why are we leaving it up to employees to separately devise and implement the most basic practices of green office management? Can we get this in place as a standard that must be achieved?
It is our intention to implement a Green Procurement Policy within the department; as well, the GNWT event catering which will exclude bottled water. There are a number of locations in the city that are bottled water-free zones. As well, we are reviewing the department utility monitoring status and we hope to be able to report on that. I will have to check on the status on whether the Legislative Assembly is a bottled water-free zone. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment. It is Education Week and clearly there are a lot of things affecting education in the Northwest Territories. One of them, in my opinion, is infrastructure. We’ve done a lot of great work with infrastructure but here in Yellowknife we’ve got a couple of the schools that need a little bit of work. They were on our capital plan once upon a time but they’ve both kind of disappeared. I’m wondering if the Minister can give me a bit of assurance that we’re going to see in the transition documents that the department is working on some attention put on Sissons School, which needs some significant renovation, as well as the back side of Mildred Hall, which needs some upgrading.
These renovations will save us money over the long term, money that we can roll into the actual education of our children. If I can get some comments from the Minister, that would be great.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. At one time these were part of the capital process, but due to other pressing issues we had to deal with… But as we move forward for next year’s capital planning process this could be part of the initiative that we need to bring forward along with other capital project initiatives. We’ve talked about the Sissons Schools and also Mildred Hall, completion of the Mildred Hall and different aspects.
Mr. Speaker, during the transition period we’ll be talking about what needs to be before the 17th Assembly, but it will be up to the 17th Assembly to decide as we go forward, but this summer we’ll be discussing that capital planning process. Mahsi.
I appreciate the Minister’s response. I know that we’ve had a lot of conversation about Sissons and Mildred Hall and I’m happy to hear that it’s going to be in the transition documents. At least I think that’s what I heard. Can I get a little bit of confirmation that indeed this department will be putting a specific reference to Sissons’ renovations and the back side of Mildred Hall, the windows and whatnot, in the transition document? I know it will be the responsibility of the 17th government, but I know this department has done some work, has done some costing and had a conversation with the board. I want to make sure that that is built into the transition document so it’s highlighted as a priority coming into the 17th Assembly. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I did state that this will be part of the discussion that we need to have as we discuss all the capital projects for the Northwest Territories and we need to prioritize what needs to go in place for next year. Definitely, the Sissons School and Mildred Hall will be part of that discussion and we’ll keep the Members posted as we move forward. They will be part of the process as well. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In following up on my Member’s statement on absenteeism in the school, I have questions for the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me if the department keeps stats on absenteeism and then uses those stats and if there is a correlation between achievement and/or the lack thereof in absenteeism? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We work through, and also are in consultation with, the school district education authority and also the council. We collect that data that are important for our educational system. We need to work closely with the school boards. They provide information on the absenteeism that the Member is referring to. The stats overall for the last few years, we do have them on file. Based on that, where we need to focus in certain areas. There have been some great achievements over the years and also there have been some lack of achievement over time. Those are the pros and cons we need to look at.
Mr. Speaker, yes, we do have that information and work closely with the education council in that respect. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me if there has been a reduction in absenteeism in the schools in small communities from year to year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t have the detailed information before me now. I can get that information for the Member. I understand that there has been some improvement in absenteeism, because the school board has developed initiatives to deal with absenteeism because it is a big issue in the small, isolated communities. We are currently discussing that with the various school boards across the Northwest Territories. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, was absenteeism contemplated when the department developed the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the absenteeism is a cross-function of the priorities that have been established through the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, whether it be the student support, the early childhood development, the literacy, the home support. So it does fall within those four categories. Every region that we visited, absenteeism was an issue and is a challenge. We are putting a strategic plan in action that is coming from the general public telling us, the educators, the parents, how we can deal with those issues and those matters at hand. They are giving us solutions from that. We are moving forward with this early this year. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me roughly if he has some general objectives in the plan? Can he tell me what the plan is to address the absenteeism issue? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, the solutions are still coming at us from the regional forums that we have initiated. We visited four regions already, including Yellowknife, and also two more upcoming, Beaufort-Delta and also South Slave where Mr. Beaulieu will be part of that process, as well, along with other MLAs. It is at the preliminary stages right now, but in due time, in May session we are hoping to table the document and that information will be available to the general public. There are a lot of solutions in that package that will come out of that. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During this Education Week I just want to raise one of the things that I have been consistent about for the community of Sambaa Ke, which is Trout Lake. They have always impressed upon me about the need to have a brand new school for the community. I raise it once again with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. How much planning has been done? Has he heard the community in working towards building a new school for Trout Lake? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We did hear from the community. I also work closely with the chair of the DEC as well. They have raised those issues in the past. We need to look at the overall schools in the Northwest Territories. Trout Lake is part of that process that we need to discuss. The situation it is in, the age of the building and the space of the building, this are information that we have been gathering. We will discuss it further as we move forward to the next year’s capital planning process. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, over the course of seven years we spent hundreds of millions of dollars in our larger communities building new schools. I think it is time to start concentrating on our small and remote communities, in Trout Lake. I think the capital planning process and the priorities of this government should start concentrating on the small, remote communities. Will the Minister work with his Cabinet colleagues and start investing in the small, remote communities and public infrastructure? Mahsi cho.
Mr. Speaker, I totally agree that we need to focus on all schools in the Northwest Territories. We will continue to push where the priorities lie. I agree that we need to focus on the communities that we represent. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, I think another thing that the community of Trout Lake needs, in order to get on the capital plan, is a full assessment and needs of that community. Is the Minister willing to at least work towards that in this fiscal year in the operating and maintenance funding? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, in the 2010-11 capital plan there has been funding that has been included to provide technical upgrades. We are just reporting program issues. It is a start for our department working with the community to address those space issues that Trout Lake is facing. We will be discussing further with the Member and also with the community DEA. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have always advised the Minister that the school in Trout Lake has never been replaced. They are currently existing in the community hall and the community has been promised by this government that they will replace the school. I look forward to the Minister to work with his Cabinet colleagues to make that a priority and make that dream come true for the community of Trout Lake. Mahsi cho.
Mr. Speaker, I too will continue to push for my colleagues on the pressing matters that are before us with the capital plan projects. Trout Lake, I am looking forward to the community visits. I definitely will be visiting the school and see the outcome of our discussion at that point and stage. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education in regards to my Member’s statement in regards to the importance of developing curriculum for the students in the Northwest Territories. It is something that is meaningful to the students. Like I mentioned, the Beaufort-Delta Divisional Board of Education along with the Gwich’in and Inuvialuit have developed language curriculum to deliver in the schools in the Beaufort-Delta. That is one way I believe we can develop curriculum that is useful to the students, and more importantly, preserve their language and culture. Mr. Speaker, I think we also have to go a step further in regards to looking at the northern history, the history of the Aboriginal people in northern Canada, and more importantly, looking at the rights of indigenous people in northern Canada and understand those rights. What is the Minister’s department doing to revamp the curriculum we have in our schools so it is meaningful for the students and relates to the Northwest Territories and its history and the people that live here? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I can’t agree more with the Member that we need to integrate our northern perspective into our curriculum development. We need to work closely with Alberta. It’s through their jurisdiction that we continue to work on the curriculum development, because a part of the education program is under their jurisdiction as well, the curriculum development. But with the Northern Studies and Social Studies we have made some changes. We’ve produced some textbooks that reflect the Northwest Territories, the geographic areas of the whole Northwest Territories and the routes and some plans as well, so identifying those key areas. So we have started the initial stages, but we want to produce more of those textbooks, do more program development and also curriculum development that reflects the northern perspective. Mahsi.
Thank you. I’d like to add to the Minister’s comments and I think it’s a question of timing, and more importantly, it’s putting the resources into it. I noted, looking at our budget, that we’re putting a lot of money into French immersion, and more importantly, developing French programs and services in the Northwest Territories. But I think by making those investments, we’re losing sight of the most important component of that in the history of the Northwest Territories and indigenous people that live here and their history. I think one thing that I find, being in this House for almost 16 years, is that the uneducated public, which really doesn’t understand Aboriginal rights in the Northwest Territories or treaty rights and land claims rights that have been settled, regardless if it’s the old treaties or modern day treaties. That’s the stuff that we have to develop that’s useful and that people could be educated in and learn and really understand the issues in the Northwest Territories. So which arm of your department is doing the work to get this curriculum off the ground to get it into our classrooms?
Mahsi. It is our department that is responsible to deliver these programs into the schools. Again, I have to reiterate that we need to work with Alberta and also the DEAs and DECs. Having those initiatives, not only that, but the Aboriginal student achievement that’s underway, they’ve discussed that as well, having a residential school era in our school system, land claims, self-government. We’re introducing to our social program development area within the curriculum. So we are listening to the people and those will be written out after this fiscal year. It will take some time, but we will make those initiatives key priorities for this government. Mahsi.
Thank you. It’s good to develop curriculum and whatnot and put it into the schools, but we have to make it mandatory that people will actually take the course, learn the course and get credits for those courses. What I’d like to know is will those courses, regardless if it’s Northern Studies, Aboriginal studies, that it be mandatory in all high schools in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
That will be the discussion we need to have. In the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, that’s been highlighted as well, that it be mandatory for the students to take those specific courses whether they be Aboriginal students or non-Aboriginal students. So those are discussions that we’re having, ongoing discussions. We still have two forums to attend and then the final package will reflect on that as well. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister to keep us abreast in regard to where this is going and give us updates whenever possible. So I’d like to ask the Minister for ongoing updates on where the progress of this is going. Thank you.
Mahsi. I definitely will commit in this House to keep the Members up to speed on what’s happening with the ASA. We will be going to the Beaufort-Delta in May. So those are the discussions we’ll continue to have and conclude that discussion at that time. Mahsi.
