Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I would like to thank the deputy minister for his answer. When we talk about incumbents, is it based on their actual salaries or is it based on a calculation by the department for the next x numbers of years? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the Minister for his answer. I'm not trying to catch you, either, because right now it's not posted, which I understand, but they come in on a regular basis at the regular time. Can the Minister work with the RCMP to change up the schedule, including going in weekends and maybe even staying overnight, so that the people that are abusing the system in Wrigley can be caught or be addressed, so that the regular people of the residence will feel safe?

That is all the questions I have for page 88.

I thank the deputy minister and Minister for their answers. In regards to this here, does this include junior kindergarten in the budgets in the salaries in here? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the retirement of three individuals from Echo Dene School in Fort Liard: Kiatch Nahanni, who has taught for 30 years in the Dehcho; Dianne Nelson, who has taught 29 years in the NWT system and 14 years at the Echo Dene School; and her husband, Kevin Nowoselski, has 29 years within the NWT system and 14 years at the Echo Dene School. All three teachers have been great supporters of youth in the community and have done a great job impacting the youth, whether it's in the school or personal life. They will be sadly missed. I wish them all the best on their...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. ENR is actually running this program through your department with these other two departments providing funding towards you? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the Minister and the department for doing this. I guess I am still struggling with the amount of money. It is only an increase of $105,000 if my calculations are correct, from the mains revised from last time. To me, it is important. I think we need to be doing it. It is probably one of our struggles and why we have some challenges in meeting national standards in our education. Are you guys going to be monitoring this and seeing if there is going to be a need for increase with the PSTs and actually go on a needs basis? What I mean by that is: do some research in...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I thank the Minister for the answer but still at the end of the day, if people in our smaller communities can't access these funds and one of the hindrance is the reporting. Can you not work with the federal government and make sure they understand this so that we can try to get these people in the smaller communities to be able to access this program? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the Minister for his answer, but I regretfully disagree. Like, I mean, at no point in time was I aware that these positions were going to be cut. Anything we receive from the finance department was in there. I guess I'll be more diligent in listening and looking at business plans from now on. I'm a little bit disappointed, you know, right now I've lost 1.5 positions in my riding, and two from this department or one full-time position if you look at the two halves. I didn't see it anywhere and I apologize. I guess I must apologize to my riding, because if I've missed it, it's something...

Obviously, when we go through it, it is our biggest budget, working with organizations in terms of what they have spent in the last year, and then what we think they will be spending. A lot of things are taken into consideration: forced growth, the reductions, but we do consult with our education authorities as well as other organizations that we do fund, and that is how we usually come to our budget. We do have a fixed number and all our educational authorities when they are working out their budgets, they got to try to make sure they get within the fixed budget. I will go to my deputy...