Thank you, Mr. Speaker. About 12 months ago the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment promised, in this House, a review of the Junior Kindergarten program. Oh, that phrase sounds kind of familiar. Promised in this House. I’ve heard that before.
The Junior Kindergarten review was to be in done in July of 2015, and at the time of the announcement, I thought it was an ambitious timeline. Education, Culture and Employment has had a very full plate the last couple of years with Education Renewal Initiative and all the other reviews that they have been, and are, doing. But I took the Minister at his word and waited for notice of completion of the Junior Kindergarten report.
With all ECE is doing these days, when July came and went and there was no indication to either committee or Regular Members that a report was coming, I wasn’t surprised. I heard rumours suggesting the report might be done by the end of August, then the end of September. Well, we’re into October now and still no sign that a Junior Kindergarten report is on the horizon.
Obviously, the expected report is not going to have any impact on junior kindergarten operations for this school year. Obviously, there’s not going to be an opportunity for this Assembly to see the report and comment on it before the 2015 election, and that’s too bad. The 17th Assembly Standing Committee on Social Programs and several other Members invested considerable time, effort, thought and advice to government on the subject of junior kindergarten. All that experience will now be lost when it comes time to review the promised Junior Kindergarten review report, if it ever comes.
I know departments are busy. I know this report was intended to be comprehensive and so would take more than a bit of time. But the government should not make promises it cannot keep. I sincerely hope that Minister Lafferty’s promise is not as hollow as that made for the Deh Cho Bridge Project review.
I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, I realize there is no Tlicho interpretation, so I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement in English.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As Members are aware, there has been a real tragedy in the Tlicho region; more specifically, in the community of Behchoko. There have been three tragic incidents with three family members involved that also brought us together as a community the last two days. I’ve been a witness to that. I participated. I supported the family which brought us together as a community to discuss what’s been happening in our community.
Not only that, there’s been some of the family of the victims and the family of the accused in one building. There has been a lot of emotion and discussion, lots of grieving. At the same time, there has been overwhelming support from family members. They forgave each other, the family members that were most impacted. That provided opportunity for the community to be united once again, and this is the opportunity for communities to move forward.
We’ve been told by elders; elders made some statements in the cultural centre that this is a time to reflect on what’s happening in our Tlicho nation, how can we move forward. We need to have gatherings such as this very important gathering. As we move forward, we need to continue the dialogue, stand united, come up with some solutions to deal with our tragic loss in the communities.
My heart goes out to the family members, and our prayers as well. We just recently, as late as yesterday, lost an elder, Mary Rose Charlo. She was an elder parliamentarian in this House two years ago. It is a huge loss for the community, a very well-respected elder. Our prayers go out to her family. There has been a gathering all this week, as well, and it will continue until Thursday. I just wanted to say that so the Members are aware of what’s happening in this House. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Thoughts and prayers go to the community of Behchoko from the House.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a student action group from Yellowknife’s St. Patrick High School called Students Against Drinking and Distracted Driving.
---Applause
Originally, the focus of the student organization was on impaired driving. Now students are also working to prevent destructive decisions, with a focus on making impaired driving and distracted driving socially unacceptable. The students are here in the gallery today to support Bill 60, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, No. 2. The bill includes several provisions meant to reduce distracted driving.
I welcome the 30-or-so students and I offer them my best wishes in the coming academic year as they plan events and activities to promote safe and positive choices.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the gallery today I would like to recognize Ms. Fernanda Martins, relationship development coordinator; and Nikki Groebbecker, the revenue development coordinator with the Alberta/NWT Division of the Canadian Cancer Society and I’d like to thank them and the society for their ongoing advocacy and support of people with cancer. Thank you so much. Welcome to the gallery.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome and recognize a bunch of young constituents and future leaders from the school in Ndilo, the K’alemi Dene School, and I wonder if they could stand up as I mention their names. We have here David Sangris, D.J. Drygeese, Aurora Fraser, Kaiya Goulet, Amy Betsina, Devon Vogel, Justin Lafferty, Cheyenne Lafferty, Stefon Franki, Nick Beaulieu, Kaydens Abel, Dakota Mackeinzo, Donovan Black Quitte, Riel Komrie, and they are accompanied by Tiffany Smith, education assistant; and teacher Anna Hernandez.
I’d like to just mention, when I asked this bunch of young folks if they like to read, just about everyone put their hands up. These are a literate bunch and they’re bound for great destinations, so I appreciate them being in the House today.
Thank you very much. I’d also like to recognize the Students Against Drunk Driving, the St. Pat’s School and Weledeh School in the Weledeh riding. Thanks very much for all the work that they do. Very good stuff. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Minister Beaulieu did a good job introducing the SADD group we have here in the gallery and I, too, wish to add my support and accolades to the work they do. MLA Dolynny and I have spent many a cold morning waving with them, bringing in hot chocolate and donuts, and they always have our full support anytime the school needs. As well as with the SADD group is the ever-amazing Michelle Thoms. She’s the teacher/advisor to the group. I know she doesn’t do it alone, but she certainly deserves a great pat on the back. She’s certainly the driving force of this organization, I’m sure, and I want to thank the school and the school district.
I also want to recognize, forgive me, I’m not going to recognize every student up there, but if the House would allow me to recognize my own son, who is a Member of the SADD group. So, McKinley Hawkins, thanks for coming along, buddy, glad you joined SADD.
Just to finish off the SADD issue before I recognize the other constituents, I just want to say that the Minister mentioned 30 constituents. That’s a demonstration of great leadership. Under Mildred Hall we have two Pages here today, Carter Yakeleya and Ryan Lafferty. I want to thank them both for participating here today, and from my hometown of Fort Simpson I want to acknowledge the students who are participating here today. So, thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to recognize all the students here in the gallery from the schools. I want to say something to the students. Never give up on your dreams. One day you could be down here too. So keep up what you’re doing, set your goals high and work hard together. Thank you for the good work that you’re doing. I’m hoping that we can get a chapter like this in the Sahtu region, also, for the same message.
I also want to recognize my little nephew. He’s here, Carter, and I’m very surprised to see him. He’s come into his own world, a young man. He’s come a long way since he was a little baby when I first picked him up, and I want to recognize him. I’m so proud of him.
Lastly, I want to recognize your family members who are here with you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. I would like to welcome my daughter Kirstin here today. It’s always good to have family and to see everybody from across the Territories once they get a chance to come. So, welcome to the House and thank you for taking interest in our proceedings here today.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure who I should direct my question to today, but as I said in my Member’s statement, I have a constituent who took the matter of their own well-being, their own welfare, into their own hands and took the initiative to get themselves to a residential treatment program in the South, was granted the time off from work, works for the government, and the results of that treatment were highly successful, and now, though, looms the debt that was incurred.
So, Mr. Speaker, I don’t know who to direct this question to. Okay. Now, Mr. Speaker, I am asking for a discretionary approval on compassionate grounds for this young family to have these costs covered, and I want to say that the cost incurred is no greater than what it would have been had this government referred them out for treatment. So, it’s no extra cost. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m aware of the circumstances that the Member has raised and I will commit that we will make sure that we have the appropriate discussion with HR, the Minister of HR, especially if there are employee benefits that may be accessed. Thank you.
Thank you, for that commitment. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In follow-up to my Member’s statement, I have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. We must find out why this student had already moved to Inuvik before the college advised him he was not eligible for the Access Program of his choice. This is one of our future leaders.
Will the department work with the college to review its administration and advising procedures? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As you know, there are upwards of 1,600 students in the Northwest Territories who are attending college and universities. This particular case file, I’m not too familiar with. We’re already seeking, and I’ll also ask some questions of the college, to provide detailed information on this particular case and how we can move forward on it. Mahsi.
The access programs are designed to help students transition into college programs, but these won’t work if students can’t access and use these programs.
What mechanisms are in place to help students transition into and through these access programs?
We honour a certain process that needs to happen once the student applies for a particular program, such as the Access Program and through SFA program and other scholarships that may be available to them, then those are the processes that we’ve always encouraged our students to apply. If there are challenges or issues in the Member’s riding, the college would need to sit down with the student to find out what’s really happening and what’s missing, what piece of information is missing. Those are the discussions that we are currently having, as we speak, with the college to find out a bit more detailed information, because we want every student to succeed and this is what our goal is with this particular student. Mahsi.
What department programs currently exist to help students, especially in our small communities, to transition into post-secondary education and skills training?
We do have a variety of programs. We just expanded and enriched our SFA programming, and on the particular Access Program, there is a variety of funding through the college, through our department, and there’s also federal funding as well. So, again, depending on the program the individual is taking, we need to gather more information and have the college sit down with the student before the student quits or walks out of the college. We need to resolve this issue. We are, again, dealing with upwards of 1,600 students, so we have to be mindful of when they applied. If they are late in applying, there are processes in place. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
How does the department reach out to prospective students, especially in our small communities, Mr. Speaker?
There are processes in place where we have a Board of Governors representing the regions. We have one in the Beaufort-Delta that is accessible by students. They know by names as well. That information, if it’s not available to the particular student, the college will be fully aware of it and get as much information to this particular student and other students as well.
We are a public government. The college falls under us and this information should be publicly accessible to them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the department should contact this student and apologize for the situation he’s been put through. We have to do a better job of encouraging our students to stay in school and we have to find ways to accommodate them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
That’s why we’re trying to find out what truly happened here. There’s always two sides of the story. We need to gather the facts so this student can move forward. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It is with dismay and frustration that I stand before you today to say there is unfinished business with the Deh Cho Bridge. Yesterday I tabled, in the House, the Referee Claim Review, the interim and phase two reports of the Deh Cho Bridge between Rowe’s, ATCON and DOT. I would like to ask the Minister of Transportation a few questions about the referee report. Most particularly, the unfinished business is Rowe’s Construction. An NWT company was the only contractor not paid when this bridge was completed. I would like to ask the Minister about that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The company had chosen to use a political process to get the money from the Government of the Northwest Territories in the work that they did for a company that initially went bankrupt and was no longer working on the bridge. The original contract, whether it be verbal or in writing, was between the company that that Member refers to and the former company that was ATCON. Once that company went bankrupt, another company came in to finish the bridge. So, legally their dealings would be with the company.
What happened was that the bankrupt company was supported by the Government of New Brunswick. We needed to prove to the Government of New Brunswick that that money that was held by them or their support for the company that went bankrupt would be money that would be used to finish the bridge and complete all the efficiencies on the bridge. That’s what we have the money for. Thank you.
Certainly, the Minister covered some of the details, but he didn’t cover all the details like when the bridge failed in 2010, the government came to this House for a further $15.9 million and once again came to this House for another $10 million. Yet, we can’t pay for unfinished business from our contractors. Once again, I make the case that Rowe’s Construction was the only contractor not paid as a result of ATCON failing. I’d like to know why and I’d Iike to ask the Minister what the department is going to do about it.
I don’t have the list of all of the contractors that were paid. Anybody that was paid from this $13.6 million that was given to us by the Government of New Brunswick, all of the payments that were made from that account were something that would be supported by the Government of New Brunswick. We would have to provide the appropriate documentation to indicate that that was a valid payment and there was a contract between two companies, there was a contract that was left over, that where there was documentation, and based on documentation, we made the payment. It was then approved by the Government of New Brunswick. If we made payments that the government does not agree with, then we would be coming back to this House for additional dollars to make those payments. We were hoping that we would make all the payments and we feel that there’s enough money in this fund to finish the deficiencies on the bridge at this point, and that’s what we’re endeavouring to do.
The Minister doesn’t address why they weren’t paid. He says everybody else has been paid, and that’s a well-known fact, but the referees that analyze this situation, look at all the claims – there were, I think, about seven or eight of them – and for the most part there were only two acceptable, and those are the referee’s recommendations.
I’d like to ask the Minister to seriously consider these recommendations despite keep going back to the books of a failed company, ATCON. The government took over the project and came to this House for more money. Why can’t we pay all the contractors that are due?
The report looked at five different claims by this company. The referee indicated that two of the five claims had technical merit, meaning that he felt that Rowe’s Construction had done the work, so he priced out what he thought had technical merit. Technical merit doesn’t mean that the Government of the Northwest Territories has a legal obligation to pay. It just says that he believes that Rowe’s did the work.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Rowe’s did the work, and like any other contractor agreement, even if it’s verbal, they should be paid. That’s what I’m asking the Minister. Why have they not been paid to date?
As much as I’ve answered, we are still continuing to work with the company and also with the Government of New Brunswick. As I indicated, Rowe’s has a claim. Two of the five claims add up to approximately what’s left in the budget, and it also adds up to approximately how much deficiencies will cost to complete all of the deficiencies. We would like to have had enough money to pay everyone. Go to New Brunswick. If they had the documentation that we felt that that government would support, then we would have paid it, filed it with the government and had confidence that the money would have been paid. The problem is we needed to prove to that government and the government was going to approve the payment after we made it. Had they not made the approved payment and we didn’t have the proper documentation to make the payment then we would be paying it from this House.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
