Kieron Testart

Does the Minister have the current enrolment numbers? Are we close to 85 percent? Is this a live concern that there are students, you know, waiting to flood the francophone schools and completely overwhelm the current capacity?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to address several concerns which have been raised by my constituents and francophone stakeholders on the matter of the Ministerial Directive Enrolment of Students in French Language Education Programs. Here in the NWT we are left with a hangover from the time before responsible government, a ministerial directive and direct ministerial oversight of French language admissions process. This only exists in the three northern territories. Every other jurisdiction in Canada has devolved these responsibilities to arm's-length organizations and done away with...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee would like to consider Tabled Document 322-18(3), Main Estimates 2019-2020, with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment as the item under consideration. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee would like to consider Tabled Document 322-18(3), Main Estimates, 2019-2020, with the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs as the item under consideration for Committee of the Whole today. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Government Operations has reviewed Bill 26, Statistics Act, and that Bill 26 is now ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole as amended and reprinted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister knows, as do all Members of this House, that the mandate is a shared responsibility on both sides of the House. The Minister has an obligation to listen to this side of the House. Will he reconsider the political position that he has taken and make this a priority?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am overjoyed to have a renewed call from this side of the House to lower small business taxes. This is an issue that I have raised, holding the government accountable to its mandate commitment to do exactly that, each and every sitting. I would like to ask the Minister of Finance today: I didn't notice a decrease to small business taxes in the budget; when does he intend to fulfill that mandate commitment? Thank you.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I rise today to speak on the importance of learning new languages and how language learning connects us to our culture and heritage and is kept alive by the hard work of dedicated community members who promote and preserve language-learning in our communities. Although there are many different organizations devoted to language promotion in the Northwest Territories, I want to take the time today to recognize the NWT branch for Canadian Parents for French and the many volunteers who support the organization.

I first learned about Canadian Parents for French, or CPF...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 30, An Act to Amend the Human Rights Act. Bill 30 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on October 31, 2018, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations for review.

To permit time for the legislative drafters to complete the proposed amendments, I would like to advise the House of the committee's wish to extend their review of the bill with the intention of reporting back to the House on or before March 11, 2019.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, in accordance with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps it's not that the mandate is too big, it's that the Minister doesn't have the time to dedicate to all of the commitments under his responsibility. Maybe he should get some help. I am willing to help him. Other Members on this side are willing to help him. We can put forward this legislation. If this commitment isn't needed, the Minister said before that we provide plenty of support, what new support is coming to small businesses in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.