Charles Dent

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to make it clear that we were not consulted about these cuts. The federal government chose to make and announce these cuts arbitrarily. So we’re not in a position where I can reach into my back pocket today and replace the money that has been lost. I do want to make the point, though, that this government is already putting, and continues to put, significantly more money into literacy than what the federal government has cut. I intend to keep working with the federal Minister, Diane Finley, and I will be encouraging her to ensure that the federal government...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have met with the NWT Literacy Council. Our government continues to support and to fund the NWT Literacy Council and I have assured them that we will continue to look for ways to work with them to ensure that we can help them to provide literacy services across the Northwest Territories. I think it’s important to remember that the Government of the Northwest Territories also invests heavily in literacy in the North. We provide $2.4 million annually to the NWT Literacy Strategy and Aurora College receives more than $4.1 million annually to support adult literacy...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize, as well, a constituent from the Frame Lake constituency, a man with a long-time interest in politics and now a newly minted councillor, Mr. David Wind.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize the president of the NWTTA, Ms. Amanda Mallon.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the first week in May, I did receive the Yellowknife facilities report from the committee. The next day I received a phone call from one of the boards asking if an offer I had made previously to facilitate a bilateral meeting between the two Yellowknife school boards was still open. I confirmed that I would be prepared to have such a meeting facilitated. That was set up. It took place. At that meeting, the Yellowknife District No. 1 agreed that they would take some time to review their position and put in writing in a letter to me what they...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I haven’t received a reply yet from Public Works and Services advising us as to the condition of the school. I’m certain that they will be looking at it or have looked at it, but we haven’t received the report yet. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Nunavut Minister is aware that I would like to move on this issue fairly quickly or very quickly. We still have to take due diligence with reviewing the applications that have been received. I will be asking the chair of the appeals tribunal to comment on the application and get that information back to me and I will work with the Minister from Nunavut to move as quickly as we can. It is something that we will advance as quickly as we can. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the board and governance council focus on workplace and worker safety, along with good financial stewardship, means the WCB of the NWT and Nunavut is well positioned to look after the interests of both workers and employers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two documents I’d like to table today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are hoping we can develop a policy that is rational and meets the needs of the people of the Northwest Territories. I would hate at this point, with the amount of time and effort and consultation that’s gone into reviewing this policy, to announce any changes suddenly. We intend to make some rational changes to this. Let’s be very clear about this; there may be some changes to the policy around how we subsidize housing for seniors. I expect that there will be, but I would rather we bring forward all of our proposals in a comprehensive, cohesive manner and make...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said, both the elected boards have ultimate responsibility for dealing with their constituents. If they are not satisfied with how things are happening, then they have to sit down and try to resolve that in their areas of influence.

Mr. Speaker, I am in a situation where we have, as I said, we have a board that has a surplus of space and one board that is short of space. We need to make sure that we have partners who are willing to work together and I am hopeful that we will. Thank you.