Alfred Moses

Moving forward in this area, the government can only do so much with the resources we have. That is why we have developed partnerships. Any action plans, any work that we do, we always make sure our stakeholders, NGOs, businesses, youth centres get involved and give us information that we can take into consideration. With the safe and caring schools area, that is a new act. Like much things, it can always be revised and looked at how we can make it better and improved better. But I encourage that we do put some of those things into the safe school plans moving forward.

Last week we did go through the main estimates. We did approve the education budget. We did mention that there are some funding sources out there in terms of heritage, as well as the arts and cultures. Some of them are contributions that we can get under $15,000, and I encourage NWT Pride or the events that the Member is mentioning submit an application to our department, and we will take it into consideration.

With the gay-straight alliances in the two communities that the Member has brought up, we have to do a school visit with those two schools. I will make it a point that when I do go to those schools for a school visit, that we will sit down with the group and see what we can do as a territorial initiative and have them on board to initiate that and be territory-wide leaders, not just in the communities but for the whole Northwest Territories. I look forward to working with them on that. I will get the department to look into that, and once we get a chance, we will do a school visit and look at...

Yes. As the Member does know, the Safe and Caring Schools Act is new. It is something that was brought forth in the 17th Assembly, and I had the honour to sign off on it earlier in this term. We also have a territorial school code of conduct within this act. The territorial school code of conduct states that it is the responsibility and the right of the school communities to promote equity and fair treatment of one’s self and others. It also states that the school community is to refrain from discriminating against others on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, nationality, ethnic origin...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s always good to recognize good friends and success stories in the Northwest Territories. With that said, I would like to recognize Jozef and Lesa Carnogursky, have been good friends and have been very successful in their lives and what they do for residents of Inuvik and the region and throughout the North as well. I’d also like to recognize James and Maureen. I went to school with their kids, and they’re all doing really well as well. Of course as mentioned here, the delegates for the United States Riding States Leaders. This is the first time they’ve been to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize two of our Pages here today from the Inuvik Boot Lake riding, Ms. Katelynn Crocker as well as Ms. Nicole Verbonac. I appreciate all the hard work that you did over this past week, and I hope you enjoyed your experience paging for Members of the 18th Legislative Assembly. As always, it’s a pleasure to recognize Mr. Tony Whitford. Every time you come to the House, it’s great to see you and your family. Everyone else in the gallery, welcome. Thank you.

The department, along with Public Works and Services, will develop safe work plans and safety plans with accordance to the WSCC guidelines and approval. As I mentioned, we want to try to do this in the proper way. It’ll be a phased-in approach and we’ll try to do it with the least disruption to the students and the staff and try to adjust the noise issues as we are developing these safe plans on the building of the school.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker and yes, some of the 12 are doing in Moose Kerr School and in our other communities and we’re looking at the capital planning studies for providing facilities and safe facilities for students. We want to make sure that we’re doing it in the right way in terms of safety and environmental protections, so yes, the same commitment. We’ll work with the school and the community and with Public Works and Services to ensure that we’re doing this in the proper way it’s supposed to be done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes and unfortunately, we are in session nearing the end of the school year, but I’ve made a commitment to try to get out to all the schools, all the communities over the course of my term and I will commit to going into Trout Lake, working with the community, see how we can get this school built in the best possible way and you will bring staff in there.

I thought the Member had asked if I was going to be willing to work with PWS and I did answer that one, and of course, our staff will go into the community and work with the community and the school board. We’ll get our superintendent in there. I’m also willing to make a commitment to go into the community and see for myself and work with Public Works and Services moving forward. Unfortunately, as the Member had stated in his preamble to the questions, space is an issue. We will be doing a phased-in approach when we’re working, making the renovations and the work that needs to be done while...