Shane Thompson

I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess my next question to the Minister is: are we going to allow Yellowknife to apply for small community employment funds?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week the honourable Member for Deh Cho asked the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment a series of questions about the Small Community Employment Support Program. I would like to follow up with some questions here today. Mr. Speaker, last session, the Minister said the department was reaching out to various organizations and business communities to see how the Small Community Employment Support Program could be improved. During the budget session, I made the recommendation that we use the new influx of money to do that as job creation because...

I thank the Minister for his words. Again, he didn't answer the question, and I feel like it's going to be similar to what the rec leaders program did, was they kept on moving it and then they got rid of it, so I'll move on to my next set of questions.

Mr. Speaker, under the current timeframe the review will not be completed until March 31, 2018, and recommendations won't be addressed until next fall business plan for 2019. Students and other residents have asked me to help them find out what is going on. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise the House what will happen to the teachers and social...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to follow up on my Member's statement, and I have some questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, I must be very honest with you, I'm gravely concerned that the teachers and the social work programs are in peril no matter what the review process or the outcome is. The Minister has repeatedly stated that the programs have limited success but great expense and that they're not having the intended results, but I'd like further clarification. Mr. Speaker, what issues did the department expressly identify in these...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last Friday the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment delivered a Minister's statement about the Aurora College foundational review and later tabled a letter written by the Standing Committee on Social Development. Both concerned the planned review. The Minister also said, and I quote from the unedited Hansard: "I appreciate committee's advice about the timelines and have decided to extend the timeline."

I am wary of arguing who said what. Nevertheless, as a member of this committee, I must object. As the Member for Yellowknife Centre has already said, we're not...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess my next question is: are we going to change this program, instead of calling it Small Community Employment Support Program, to "job creation" or "job support program for the Northwest Territories?" Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for his answer. I will take his word that there is no report there, then. However, during the exchange with the Minister and the honourable Member for Deh Cho, we heard that previous funding which was allocated for small communities was not fully utilized. We made a significant increase, influx, of money to the program so that we could create employment and small programs. During the exchange, we heard the department is looking at communities such as Behchoko, Hay River, Inuvik, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, and Norman Wells to be allocated to apply for these funds. Can the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for his answer. Mr. Speaker, I understand the department is also currently working on the funding and accountability framework for Aurora College. How can work on accountability framework proceed when potential fundamental changes to the college are being contemplated? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for his words. I don't know that he answered my question, but we'll move on to my next one. Mr. Speaker, I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to throw the baby out with the bathwater. If something isn't working, I try to fix it. What did the department and Aurora College do to address the issues identified in these programs before they proposed eliminating them altogether?

I thank the Minister for that answer. We will work with them on that. I am familiar, basically, in that you have to take 60 per cent of a work load to get that. I thank the Minister for that. Mr. Speaker, if the department is not able to fund students to upgrade, what funding programs are available for students to upgrade, and how is this information shared with the students?