Daryl Dolynny

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. I’d first like to thank the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Alfred Moses, for seconding this motion allowing this debate to occur.

Mr. Speaker, this motion today is a culmination of some hands-on exposure, the first of which stems from my experience in accompanying local RCMP and municipal enforcement division officers during a number of summer ride-alongs. It was evident early on that the opportunity of expanding the scope of practice for municipal enforcement officers in the area of alcohol-related infraction clearly would have been...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with Motion 6-17(5) which I gave notice of yesterday.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a number of documents here in support of the notice of motion I gave yesterday on strengthening municipal enforcement liquor laws. I also have a number of letters of support of that same motion from Yellowknife city councillors Niels Konge, Rebecca Alty and Linda Bussey.

Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report progress and I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One solution to achieve better school attendance in remote regions found in many other countries is the creation of a school calendar and daily timetable that is negotiated with the community and school to achieve a better fit for the students. Can the Minister indicate, have such school calendar models been researched and could we expect to see such models piloted in our NWT schools?

I’m looking forward to hearing more about that in due course. Can the Minister indicate what role are parents, educators, administrators and our elected community leadership playing within this new framework to address poor attendance in our schools?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like many of my colleagues today speaking on the recently tabled report, Education Renewal and Innovation Framework: Directions for Change, it is abundantly clear that our education system is in need of a shakeup. Of course, with any initiative report of this magnitude, we are hoping that this truly serves the department needs for the next 10 years and that the report does not collect dust on a shelf.

Although I don’t want to overshadow some of our successes, it may appear our failure rates as leaders, educators and society pales in comparison to our students’ low test...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, November 8, 2013, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that this Legislative Assembly recommends that the Minister of Finance undertake discussion and amendments to the Liquor Act or other legislation, as required, to provide municipal enforcement officers with the authority to enforce liquor infractions;

And further, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.

I’m encouraged that the Minister is encouraged. Elders play an integral part in teaching us many life skills, or at least they should be. These role models serve as mentors for our youth and could assist with attendance issues.

What is the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment doing to facilitate more elders in our schools?