Charles Dent

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The intent is to recognize that some people face different challenges. In order to accommodate that, the benefits can’t be the same for everybody. That’s why the program has been set up as it is. Most jurisdictions in Canada provide some kind of additional benefit for people with challenges or disabilities, so we have taken the same sort of approach. All of our programs are provided under the wings of the Income Support program. All of our programs provide support to people. For instance, the Seniors’ Fuel Subsidy is an Income Support program. Student Financial...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if we’re invited by Corrections Canada to participate formally we would be happy to do that. I believe that we have had one member of our staff from Justice who has been approached about serving on the committee. So whether it’s formal or informal I know that we will have some way of knowing what the outcome of the investigation is. I can assure the Member that our policies and procedures and the safety of GNWT staff is something that is of paramount concern, and an incident like this would, of course, cause us to review our policies and procedures.

I should...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it depends a lot on the parolee. Because of an Exchange of Services Agreement with Justice Canada, in most communities outside of Yellowknife we provide supervision services. So there may be, at any given time, a number of federal parolees who are being supervised by NWT parole officers. In those circumstances, we will have worked closely with national parole to know who they are, what their terms of release are and work with them closely on the supervision. In those instances in Yellowknife where the parolee is under the supervision of a Corrections...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t know. I will have to take the question as notice.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly agree with the Member that the two incidents about which she speaks are indeed tragedies and we’d like to make sure that I extend the government’s and I think all Members of this House condolences to the families of those who were involved. Particularly, both incidents were quite disturbing. In terms of notification, the RCMP are notified when an offender is released on parole. So they would have been aware in this instance of the release of the offender on parole, and the RCMP has the jurisdiction to determine whether or not a public...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have every confidence that the training and supervision is adequate at the centre. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, I am not planning any public process. There have been enough reviews of the income support program over the course of the last nine years and I don’t think we need to do that again. I hear from advocates quite regularly. I have committed that I will work with the standing committee. The Member is on that committee, so he knows we have had an initial briefing and there is another briefing planned for later this month, at which we will see if we can move things along. As is the process here, if any changes are to be made to a program which will impact it fiscally...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is no intent within the department to review the program right now to include the cost of telephone as one of the basic expenses. The expectation is that the amount that’s in the program is one that allows people to make choices as to what they will spend their money on. I recognize that there are some who feel the program is not adequate, but I have started the process of discussing with the standing committee the adequacy of the program and we have had some initial discussions and are planning to carry that on through the month of June. I am...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one of the most important ways we're going to do it, as I announced earlier this session, is we're going to be offering the full four-year bachelor of education program in the Northwest Territories. We're going to make sure that northerners have an opportunity to complete their training right through to the bachelor's baccalaureate level, and make sure that we have more qualified northerners available to teach in the classrooms. That is the most important way we're going to support this at first.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I would argue that that amount has been negotiated at the bargaining table by the NWTTA and, therefore, isn't something that we can arbitrarily change. I think that the amount of funding that is provided for education leave for teachers is considered quite attractive in comparison to what's available in other jurisdictions, so I think we've done quite well there.

The other thing that's important to remember is that the aboriginal language and culture instructor program by the college is offered in conjunction with the divisional education councils in the region...