Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is very fitting we actually have wonderful representatives of our college here today, and I’m very proud to see so many of them. So, it’s great.
One of the issues that I’m going to raise, and I’ve continued to raise, it all boils down to one word: accountability. That’s it. Nothing fancier than that, accountability.
I’ve asked the Minister of Education repeatedly about demanding that the Aurora College boards be, guess what, accountable. How so? Accountable by providing an e-mail address so our students can contact them and, at the same time, have a meeting with each of the three colleges, and to put all of that responsibility on the student rep, I think, is unfair.
I’ve asked this. I’ve demanded this. I’ve even written to the Aurora College president, trying to get some action on this. Sorry, chair that is.
So, at the end of the day, what has the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment done for accountability for those folks sitting in our gallery here today and every other college we support with great enthusiasm here? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I do believe it was Ms. Bisaro who highlighted a student representative that is with us. When it comes to representing those students, whether it be social work, nursing and other business programing, we do have a student representative. It has been vacant for a bit there, but we did hire a student representative. Not only that but the Board of Governors are accountable to the students as well as to the population of the Northwest Territories. What has been shared with me in the House, I’ve also shared with the Board of Governors. They integrated that into their communication dialogue with the general public. So, being accountable, they are accountable to the GNWT. They are accountable to the general public as well. Mahsi.
By virtue of inaccessibility, they’re accountable to no one. They’re not even accountable to the Minister. May I use the wonderful occasion to educate the Minister responsible, it’s Section 7 under the Aurora College Act, “The Minister may give direction to the Board respecting exercise of its powers and the performance its duties”.
So, if it’s dutiful and responsible and, guess what, that one word again, “accountable” to its students, it would be accessible to those students, every one of them up there. Frankly, putting all that on one person is baloney, and everybody here knows it.
So, would the Minister of Education finally do his job and direct the Aurora College Board of Governors to have an e-mail address and certainly hold some public meetings, because they are accountable to no one. Thank you.
Through the Board of Governors and also the senior staff that we have, the president, the VPs, the councillors, the student support, all those mechanisms are in place and they do have e-mail addresses. The Board of Governors are there as well.
I work very closely with the Board of Governors, and I shared this very concern with them as well. They are developing a plan of action to deal with those matters. But the president of Aurora College and the VPs are always available. If there are concerns from the students, concerns from the general public or from the community, the regional perspective, they are there to represent that as well. Whenever there are issues or concerns brought to my attention, I immediately deal with it through the college venue, through the chair or the president in that matter. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, we continue to waste the public’s time on this by the defence of the status quo by this particular Minister. Section 7.(2)(a) of the Aurora College Act says, “The Minister shall determine the policy respecting the operations, programs and priorities of Aurora College”.
Mr. Speaker, stop sharing the darn concern; direct it – you have the authority, you have the power – and do it in front of everyone here today. That’s it. You could do it today. It is time he actually showed some leadership and just tell the college, you have an e-mail and you are going to be accessible to the students, because I can tell you every darn hamlet council, city council, school board trustee, I mean, the list goes on, MLAs, even senators, for goodness sakes, in Ottawa are accessible by e-mail addresses and certainly phone numbers. There is zero of that on the Aurora College website. Today is the day to be accountable and certainly useful.
I did share all that information with the Board of Governors. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now, followed by my favorite phrase: Who is in charge? According to the Aurora College Act, the Minister may give direction to the board. I am not going through it again. The Minister knows this because I told him repeatedly over the years; I have even told him a couple of times today.
---Interjection
Well, if you want the question, then answer it.
Will you today have the courage to call the Aurora College president and direct an e-mail be publically provided for every single one of those board of governors so they are truly accessible, not hidden in the fray and out of touch?
We are in a position of power in this House when it comes to Cabinet Ministers, and at the same time, I am not in a position to dictate to the various organizations. We are here to work with them, work with those organizations so they can best meet the needs of the communities and best meet the needs of the students as well. I am also committed in this House that I would share that information with the Board of Governors, and they are developing a plan of action towards that to deal with those matters. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
