Thank you. Member for ECE.
Thank you. So the reason it's separated is because we have regional offices that deliver services directly to the public and we have those in each of the regions, including the North Slave. Separate from that is the headquarters office, and they do the headquarters work. So the same way that our CDOs, or career development officers in Hay River and Fort Smith, they're in Yellowknife. And that's the recognition of that.
The increase in positions is a and, you know, I'll hand it over. It's a bit of an adjustment based on some previous changes. So I think it's more technical than anything else, so I'll hand it to the deputy minister. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy minister MacDonald.
Thank you, Madam Chair. As the Minister mentioned earlier, I think, when responding to a previous question, the GNWT has determined that it needed to reclassify this funding. So previously it would have been categorized as funds or funding carried or programming carried on behalf of others, in this case the federal government. That's now been shifted into operations. So that's why these positions are showing up now in a different way where they wouldn't have been as visible before because it would have been federal funding. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Thebacha.
I'm very, very proud that we have this, the polytechnic headquarters in Fort Smith but I would you know, there's two positions. We talk about decentralization, and we have two borrowed positions that are here in Yellowknife from the polytechnic headquarters. And as the community of Fort Smith, including the leadership, has spoken to the Minister, we would like those two positions returned to Fort Smith and that senior management. I know that the board will he won't be able to do it but, you know, it's I want to bring it up here for clarity and for to be on the record that they should be returned to Fort Smith. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister of ECE.
Thank you. And as the Member knows or as the Member stated, that I can't make that commitment obviously on behalf of the college but it is on the record. It's on the record from this conversation and many letters and many other discussions we've had in the House. So the position of the Member and Fort Smith leadership is well known. Thank you.
Thank you. Did you have anything further, Member for Thebacha?
My last statement that I want to make is that I'm very happy that the board will be named next week. I look forward to a board of governors for the college. Long overdue. And I will support them in any way I can. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Well, one of the questions I was going to ask was the position increase for headquarter and three in North Slave, and that's all in Yellowknife. And I have four communities. There's Aurora College campus or office or building in Whati. They don't have their office they don't have a building of their own, but. So there's Whati and Behchoko but there's nothing in Gameti and Wekweeti. And there's, like, 4,000 of Tlicho or close to 4,000 people living Tlicho region. And we have a lot we have the highest unemployment rate in the NWT. And I'm very grateful for the recent announcement that Tlicho government just made with the federal government. And in the past, I know that we didn't use it because of lack of trades program or, you know, the apprenticeship. We've been using a lot of southern workers with the trades program so I'm happy for that, you know. So hopefully we're not going to use those people anymore, but.
So I am very supportive of communitybased program. So I was hoping that this you know, this North Slave because nothing mentioned about Tlicho in here so I was hoping that there was going to be more positions going into Tlicho region because of with the, sorry, due to the recent announcement as well, you know, with the federal government. So I just wanted to ask if there's if there's going to any more position going to Tlicho region any time soon?
Minister of ECE.
Thank you. So what we're proposing here is this upcoming fiscal year. So this is the next year. So there are no additional positions in this area being proposed for the Tlicho region. The Member can stay tuned for perhaps some other positions in some other areas in the Tlicho region that she might be seeing sometime soon though. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you. Well, I would like to see something, you know, like, because I'm sure the people would like to see something because there's a lot of young people that don't want to leave their community. They don't want to because with a housing shortage, people don't want to leave, you know, because if they leave then they're going to lose their housing, especially with the public units and leaving their family, their language, their culture behind is it's hard on some people, some of the young people, so they would rather do a lot of the training. And if we had more of that in small communities, there would be we can train more people from our regions, from our communities. It's not just my region that I'm talking about.
It's for other regions as well, you know. And just like Fort Smith, our colleague said that there's a lot of trades people there and if we have, you know, a program like that in each region, I'm sure we could graduate lots of the apprenticeship trades people in our regions. So that's why I'm just is there any I just wanted to ask about the communitybased program. Is there any plan of introducing or having any of some of these apprenticeship programs offered in the small communities?
Thank you. Minister of ECE.
Thank you. So the financial supports that the department offers, they're available to any apprentices or employers you know, eligible employers anywhere. In terms of the programming being based in communities, part of the transformation of the college, you know, involves ensuring there is a presence in every community in the territory. What that presence will look like will be different elsewhere, but the idea is to make access to training more accessible in communities. So one of the central features of this transformation into a polytechnic is what the Member is talking about. We want to give more training opportunities to people in communities. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Did you have any further questions, Member for Monfwi?
No. No, I think I just well, I'm more interested in the communitybased programs so I just I would like to see more of that in small communities, so. And if there's, you know, a plan on doing something about it, you know, that's good. Then I guess we will just wait and see what kind of plan they have in place. Yeah, thank you.
Any final comments, Minister?
Yes. And as part of that work that I talked about, there will be a contractor going out and engaging with communities to talk about the community learning centres and the types of programming that they might have. So the Member can well, that will be happening as well. Thank you.
All right. Thank you. Okay. Members, if there's no further questions, please turn to page 57.
Education, Culture and Employment, labour development and advanced education, operations expenditure summary, Main Estimates 20232024, $60,106,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Committee, there are additional information items on page 61 to 67. Do Members have any specific questions to these items? Seeing none, we will now return to the departmental summary found on page 30. Minister.
Thank you. I just wanted to make some closing comments while we're here.
I appreciate all of the comments from committee. We've made some significant changes in this department and that's because of the support of my Cabinet colleagues and the Regular Members. I do listen when they speak and I have tried to you know, to put forward initiatives that I feel would be supported by all the Members of the House based on the needs in their regions.
I also want to say that I have tasked this department with some monumental initiatives this term. I probably wouldn't have done that had I known how the departments operate and this type of labour challenges we've been facing, but I really want to thank the department as well. The staff have been working themselves to the bone for a number of years now. And I apologize to the Department of Justice. I should have made the same comments with them. But I just wanted to say that since this is my last appearance here for me. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. All right. So we will now return to the departmental summary found on page 29. I think I said 30. 29, and revenue summary page on page 30. Oh, I already said that. Sorry, no further questions.
Committee, I will now call the departmental summary. Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditures, total department, 20232024 Main Estimates, $382,280,000. Member for Kam Lake.
Mahsi, Madam Chair. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment at this time. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. There is a motion on the floor. To the motion?
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? The motion is carried. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment will be deferred.
Carried
Thank you, Minister, and thank you to the witnesses for appearing before us. Sergeantatarms, please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.
Member for Kam Lake, what is the wish of committee?
Mahsi, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I move that the chair rise and report progress.
There's a motion on the floor to report progress. The motion is in order and nondebatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
Carried
I will now rise and report progress.
May I please have the report of Committee of the Whole. Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 81319(2), Main Estimates, and I would like to report progress with one motion carried. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Do we have a seconder? Member for Yellowknife Centre. All those in favour? All those opposed? Any abstentions? The motion is carried.
Carried
Orders of the day for Monday, March 6th, 2023, 1:30 p.m.
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Oral Question 1343-19(2), Impacts of COVID-19 on Education
Oral Question 1404-19(2), Child Care Funding Supports for Teen Parents
Oral Question 1411-19(2), Renewable Energy
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Commissioner’s Address
Petitions
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Tabling of Documents
Notice of Motions
Motions
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
First Reading of Bills
Bill 72, Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act
Bill 73, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 4
Second Reading of Bills
Bill 64, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act, No. 3
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Bill 23, An Act to Amend the Public Utilities Act
Bill 29, Resource Royalty Information Disclosure Statute Amendment Act
Bill 60, An Act to Amend the Petroleum products and Carbon Tax Act
Bill 61, An Act to Amend the Ombud Act
Bill 63, An Act to Amend the Official Languages Act
Bill 66, An Act to Amend the Property Assessment and Taxation Act
Bill 67, An Act to Amend the Fire Prevention Act
Bill 68, An Act to Amend the Child Day Care Act
Committee Report 40-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 61: An Act to Amend the Ombud Act
Committee Report 43-19(2), Standing Committee on Government Operations Report on Bill 63: An Act to Amend the Official Languages Act
Committee Report 44-19(2), Special Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs Final Report: A Northwest Territories Approach to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Negotiating Agreements
Minster’s Statement 264-19(2), Response to the NWT Chief Coroner’s Report on Suicide
Tabled Document 681-19(2), Government of the Northwest Territories Response to Committee Report 26-19(2): Report on the Child and Family Services Act – Lifting Children, Youth and Families: An All of Territory Approach to Keeping Families Together
Tabled Document 694-19(2), Northwest Territories Coroner Service 2021-2022 Early Release of Data
Tabled Document 813-19(2), Main Estimates
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until Monday, March 6th, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. Enjoy your weekend.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 11:58 a.m.
