Debates of February 9, 2005 (day 32)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I notice with interest an advertisement in the paper. I will direct my question to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. There is a course offering at Aurora College for people to learn how to read palms. It’s called Palmistry. Mr. Speaker, we have a lot of demands on our education dollars and the needs of northerners in terms of education. I am not sure exactly what is involved in this course. It outlines the course in the paper. It talked about reading the lines on your hands to figure out how long you are going to live and what your future holds. Mr. Speaker, I would like to know if Mr. Dent’s department, as overseen by the boards and Aurora College, if there is any territorial government money…I think taxpayers should know if our taxpayers’ dollars, our budget dollars, are going into supporting a course for people to learn how to read palms. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 352-15(3): Arctic College Palmistry Course

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, there would not be any government money into the provision of that course. The majority of courses that are offered by the college are third-party funded and that’s paid for by application fees or by the students signing up for them. In other cases it’s provided for by funds that are provided by First Nations or by employers. So a good portion of the programming that is offered through the colleges is third-party funded. This one, I suspect, is entirely funded by the fees that would be paid by the students who signed up for the course.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To 352-15(3): Arctic College Palmistry Course

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I did notice that there was a fee attached to taking this course. I would just like the Minister’s assurance that if there are not enough participants who sign up and this is not a break even, that this government or the budget of Aurora College is not administratively or financially subsidizing this program in any way. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 352-15(3): Arctic College Palmistry Course

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no, there would not be government resources that would go into this. This sort of programming is available across the Northwest Territories. Any person who has an idea for a course can come and pitch the campus director and request use of space when it’s not otherwise being used for college purposes. Then they have to pay for the course and the space themselves. The cost would have to be recovered from fees. The college would not be putting any money into courses like this that are offered outside of the regular programming.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 352-15(3): Arctic College Palmistry Course

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So this is the utilization then of these resources in terms of our infrastructure. Is there any criteria applied to people applying in terms of what the course material contains? Is there any criteria an applicant has to meet in order to offer these courses through the Aurora College? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 352-15(3): Arctic College Palmistry Course

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure of the exact criteria. I would expect that the college would require people to be conducting courses that are within the law, that would not be personally offensive to others and the standard sort of requirements that you would expect for use of public space. Anybody is entitled to go to the campus director and propose a course and say here is what I propose to offer, here is how I propose to do it and if the space would otherwise not be used for something else, it can be made available if there is enough public interest to see such a course proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 352-15(3): Arctic College Palmistry Course

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I remember some time ago getting into quite a debate in this House with Mr. Dent with respect to religious education in schools in Hay River. I would just like to confirm with the Minister then that this is a public institution and so if a faith-based organization or a religious organization, a church, for example, wanted to offer a course through Aurora College, I trust that that would not contravene the policy as he’s laid it out here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 352-15(3): Arctic College Palmistry Course

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure whether or not that would. I would have to check with the college. I will take that question as notice.