Bob Bromley

Thanks for the Minister’s remarks there. I guess, how about the money as well? There are now dedicated budgets for a regional board structure. They may be minimal but they are still providing support for limited regional board operations. Devolution negotiations started on the basis of those amounts. Will that money remain in place? The amount? Is this government insisting that the budgets in place before the AIP or at the time of the AIP being signed will be protected for full transfer under the Devolution Agreement?

I do have a couple more questions. Just quickly on the subject of NACC, the Northern Arts and Culture Centre facility and programs, I know they are planning to expand their facility and had submitted a request for some help. I believe that work is happening this summer and was too late for the infrastructure budget. I suppose there’s a possibility of a transfer. Has the department made any decisions on that request for funding? I know they had achieved a major part of the funding from I believe the federal government and had some other partnerships already also contributing. Is ECE playing a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to recognize all the people who have been inducted into the Education Hall of Fame and thank them for amazing work that they’ve done through their careers to date.

I especially want to mention Angela James, who has been the principal down at K’alemi Dene School, as well as, of course, the K’alemi Dene School Choir which performed during the ceremonies earlier this morning.

In relation to that, I’m also very pleased to recognize two of our Pages also from K’alemi Dene School who are well represented today in many ways: Brent Betsina, to your right, Mr...

Obviously there are a lot of programs ongoing already in those areas. Many of them again focus on the school-age children. I’m trying to bring some focus to the age zero to three here. I’ll leave it at that and look forward to further discussions in committee with the Minister and further exploration with my colleagues.

On the Aboriginal language and culture-based education item and my colleagues’ reference to graduates this year, I was very glad to hear about those graduates of Aboriginal language and culture educators. How many graduates did we have this year, if the Minister happens to have...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, I have a number of questions as well on this page. Obviously, we’re talking a great deal of money here. So I’d like to just follow up first on that early childhood aspect.

I want to say first off that we have, as a committee, had some good discussions with the Minister and we’re looking forward to developing opportunities in the early childhood area. I think the Minister understands our interest from this side of the House and the priority we’re placing on it.

Just reading the description, the activity description, Mr. Chair, the early childhood and school services...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to ask a question on the Anti-Poverty Strategy development. Am I correct in assuming that currently, as that development is taking place in the planning and so on, that is being conducted by the directorate of ECE in terms of organizing the steering committee and so on? Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’m happy to have this opportunity to offer some general comments in response to the Minister’s opening remarks. I want to start by saying the budget is very tight here for this department and a 1 percent increase, this is a major priority for myself and my colleagues. That is a pretty modest increase compared to the demands that we have.

I also agree with the Minister’s remarks on the arts and culture and heritage, and fully recognize the importance of those to both our identity and strengthening our people and also to diversifying and supporting our economy. Those need...

Thank you, Madam Chair. As the Minister knows, we’ve been pushing for a full-cost accounting approach on this and I assume that the report does look at the cost of the bulk storage facilities for fossil fuels and clean-up costs and so on, and addresses the net costs and benefits, environmental impacts and so on. Is there any conclusions that the Minister can mention and subsequent action to start putting this in place that the Minister is prepared to share at this time?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to follow up from my earlier alerts. I know the department had said earlier this year that they were working on incorporating other fuels like wood pellets into their programs and I’m wondering if I can get an update. I don’t see it referred to here specifically, but perhaps I missed it. Something committee has been asking for for years. If I can get an update on that and if it appears in the budget identified.

I think the Minister meant to say $60 million rather than $60,000 there, but I appreciate those comments. At the time of the AIP we apparently accepted to take over mirror legislation, federal legislation. Obviously, this government has had a lot of problems with the federal legislation or we wouldn’t be after it to change it; we’d be happily going along our way. We do want to make changes that recognize the unique northern perspective. We have been told at the Premier level many times that we can and will be able to modify the mirrored legislation once it’s adopted and the final agreement is...