Debates of October 26, 2004 (day 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment in regards to the crisis issues in the Sahtu, and specifically in the Tulita community school. We have teachers staying in hotels. I want to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment what is he doing with his partners in the Sahtu Divisional Education Council to work with the teachers to see that this issue is resolved and that this won’t happen again in the future? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 308-15(3): Housing For Sahtu Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my colleague, Minister Krutko, advises me that three units will be available for occupancy in Tulita on October 27th, so within the next day or so they should be available and the teachers have applied for residence in those units. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 308-15(3): Housing For Sahtu Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the question I am asking the Minister again is what is his department, along with the Sahtu Divisional Education Council, doing in terms of what kind of strategies they have for this issue not popping up in, say, Fort Good Hope or Deline next year? Are they looking at common strategies to work with the teachers at the divisional education authorities in communities to keep our teachers here so this issue won’t be raised again next year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 308-15(3): Housing For Sahtu Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have been talking with my colleague, Mr. Krutko, on numerous occasions, as recently as the lunch hour today, about the need for us to coordinate the plan for next year’s market housing so that we can find out from the DEAs and DECs where the demand is and just exactly what the demand is for, whether it is two or three bedroom units, but to make sure that we are responsive with what the expected demand is. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 308-15(3): Housing For Sahtu Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister. When will this strategy or discussion come to the House or come into the Sahtu region for communities to discuss this amongst themselves to see that the teachers don’t have to go through this again next year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 308-15(3): Housing For Sahtu Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will be meeting in a couple of weeks with the board chairs for the regions. This is one of the topics that we will discuss at that time. Until the review that the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation is talking about is completed, we won’t be advancing very far on this, but I will advise the chairs that we are interested in talking some about it after the review is complete. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 308-15(3): Housing For Sahtu Teachers

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister also look at considering the sensitive issue, I know the previous government has made a decision not to get back into the House on this issue with the education or teachers, so would the Minister give some consideration to that issue? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 308-15(3): Housing For Sahtu Teachers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, we have no intention of getting back into employee housing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.