Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when the 16th Legislative Assembly first met to decide on our priorities for this government, we produced a plan we called “Northerners Working Together.” It’s a title that reflects the realities of our consensus system and an ideal we all need to be trying to achieve on a day-to-day basis. More than that, the people of the NWT expect it of us. They expect us to be working together to set the direction and establish the plans that will best meet their current needs and lay the foundation for a better future. Sometimes it’s relatively easy to live up to that expectation, but when we are facing more difficult decisions it can be harder for us to find a way to work together effectively.
Mr. Speaker, we have some difficult decisions to make as a Legislative Assembly. There are no obvious or easy solutions to things like reforming the way we deliver programs and services or helping people with the high cost of living.
When we took office, we understood that we needed to make some changes for the long-term good of the people of the NWT. That’s what “Northerners Working Together” was about. We knew we needed forward-looking initiatives that will support the creation of thriving, sustainable communities and the development of healthy and educated people over the long term. We also knew
we had to take steps to ensure we could continue to afford the kinds of programs and services that we most need, now and in the future.
Fundamental change of that sort will have an impact on people and that may make us uncomfortable. We have to and will make sure that we do whatever we can to soften that impact. But as leaders, we can’t shrink from the difficult decisions in this House if we are going to be able to deliver on a better future for our residents.
I will be one of the first to agree with those who would say this government could be more effective in explaining and building consensus around our actions and initiatives. We clearly need to spend more time creating dialogue around our initiatives. We have already made some changes in this regard and will be investing more effort in explaining what we are planning and in listening to the views and concerns of Members, stakeholders and the public.
At the same time, I would hope that our discussions, here and with the public, will be positive and productive. We want input on the ideas and plans we have proposed and we will listen carefully to all your views, positive and negative. We need constructive criticism and are confident that it can help improve the work we do. But criticism that seeks primarily to preserve the status quo for its own sake should be taken as just that. We need to have the courage to change the things that need to be changed, even if they have served us well in the past.
We also need to be sure we are all participating in all the same discussion. As a government, we bring forward proposals at a variety of stages. Some proposals are fully worked out, some are more preliminary and conceptual. Our purpose in coming out with preliminary proposals is to generate feedback and debate on the “big picture” goals and objectives we are trying to achieve. We know that how we implement our ideas is important. But at the same time, when we are seeking input on preliminary ideas, we don’t want to get so consumed with debate on implementation that we lose sight of our overall goals.
Mr. Speaker, this government has put forward a number of proposals that have generated some strong public reaction and feedback. I expect we’ll hear a lot about one of them -- board reform -- today. We respect those views and are taking them into account. At the same time, we continue to believe that our plans are faithful to the goals of this Assembly. I hope that Members, stakeholders and the public will join with us in the spirit of working together to help us develop strong, workable plans for change that will make a positive difference for our residents today and for the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Before we go on, colleagues, I’d like to draw your attention to the gallery to the presence of Ms. Lena Pedersen, Member of the 7th Council and the first elected lady to office. Welcome to the Assembly.
---Applause
The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
MINISTER’S STATEMENT 25-16(3):
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity today to follow up on the statement made on February 16th by the Honourable Michael Miltenberger, the lead Minister on the Board Reform Initiative.
There is a great deal of interest in this initiative and people are expressing concerns over the government’s plans for board reform. As the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, I am hearing the concerns that people have about what this means for the education system in the Northwest Territories, including the schools and the people who work in the schools. I want to assure Members that we recognize all the good work that has been done over many years to help improve the education system in the Northwest Territories. We have more and more students graduating every year from our high schools and this is even more the case in our communities and among our aboriginal students. We have many dedicated educators and administrators, as well as many committed members on various boards who are working hard to ensure we have the best education system possible for our students.
Board reform will respect all the good things that have been done in education and will build on that success. This initiative focuses on governance structures through which we will work to find systemic and long-lasting ways of increasing collaboration and cooperation to meet the needs of students in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
Above all, we want to continue making progress in the education system. In order to make progress, we must be prepared to make change where it will help us make the progress we all desire.
Mr. Speaker, we have 33 divisional education councils that govern 49 schools in the Northwest Territories. Education authorities outside Yellowknife are organized under four divisional education councils and one community services agency. The commission scolaire francophone des territories du Nord Ouest is responsible for French first language schools in Yellowknife and Hay River, while schools in Yellowknife are governed by two district education authorities. In exploring new models of governance for education, we expect that schools will continue to operate much like they do today. Principals and teachers will continue to fulfil the responsibilities of delivering education programs to students. There will continue to be a need for senior administrators with education expertise to support the schools and to provide oversight responsibilities for ensuring quality program delivery. As Minister of Education, Culture and Employment I will continue to hold responsibilities for the education system in the Northwest Territories.
Board reform will not affect the education rights of anyone in the Northwest Territories. It is hoped that this Initiative will result in more efficient and effective governance of schools in the NWT.
We welcome input from people, not only to express their concerns but also to offer suggestions on how we can continue to make improvements in our overall governance structures. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
