Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. During the review of the 2005-5006 Draft Main Estimates, the committee had an opportunity to speak with the Premier about the federal initiative to establish an expert panel to look into issues related to equalization payments to provinces, and the proposed sub-panel that will consider the financing formulas that govern the flow of federal money to the territories. The committee was pleased to hear of this initiative and is hopeful this process will lead to an improved financing formula that addresses many of the shortcomings of previous financial arrangements with...

Mr. Chairman, I’d like to move back to page 2-99. My apologies. We have a motion.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Could the Minister provide detailed information on what this government has done to deal with truancy, high dropout rates and the low graduation rates of our schools in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate what the Minister said. On that note, what resources do we provide the schools and the district education authorities to ensure that we get these truant kids into school? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier in my Member’s statement, truancy is becoming a serious issue in the Northwest Territories. My questions will be to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Would the Minister tell me if the Education Act that permits a parent to be charged up to $500 has ever been enforced? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess at this time then, I would like to put a request into your position right now, as Chairman of the Board of Management as well as Speaker of the building, to get some assurances that we will look into it in this fiscal year about addressing it again.

It is a building that welcomes people. Just at the opening up of this session when Mr. Roland read in his budget, there were cars parked every which way and I have to say that I am embarrassed; truly I am embarrassed that we invite people to come here to see and follow along and be part of our opening budget, but...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories take an extremely aggressive and clear defined stance in negotiations on the Northern Strategy with the federal government to ensure that the federal government acknowledges the particular opportunities and needs that result from the Northwest Territories’ strong economy. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, committee, for allowing us to go back to page 2-99. Mr. Chairman, I move that this committee recommends that the Premier come forward to the Accountability and Oversight committee prior to the review of the 2006-2009 Business Plans with options to re-profile the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and the intergovernmental relations and strategic planning division of the Executive offices;

And further, that the proposed option to address the existing problem of duplication of responsibilities and identified possible associated cost reductions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will be speaking in favour of this and in these adjustments. As I see it, we are now opening up the appeal process to show transparency by making reports available to the appellant. I think those are good things for the people who do appeal to the process, whereas a decision in the old days up until, of course, the date that this gets changed, is either a yea or nay. It is upheld, and folks will sort of feel left out of the system and try to understand why their appeal wasn’t upheld. I appreciate and I also applaud the efforts to include that transparency.

The other...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Minister left out one specific area. As I understand it, funding is linked to attendance in roster enrollment, but that is only checked, I believe, once a year. In a certain period, that sets the funding rate for the whole education period. That being said, what is the Minister willing to do to address the truancy issue through legislation that empowers either Health and Social Services to go in and check on what is happening with these children or allow the education system and the DEAs, as he has pointed out, to go in and knock on those doors to make...