Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi. Obviously, we’re not afraid of anything. Every time an issue comes up, I do address those issues with the Board of Governors. What’s being said here will again be shared with the Board of Governors. Mahsi.

Again, when we are rolling out the program this fall, we talk about the implications into the daycare providers, and the contributions they get from ECE is based on enrolment, the enrolment of the child in the daycare system. We’ll continue to support those areas.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yes, that information was brought to my attention even in this House. I did meet with the chair and also the president and addressed that concern to their attention. There has been work done in that area where their meeting is open and they have a student representative. We nominated a student just recently.

So we’ll continue to make that important to the Board of Governors of Aurora College. I’ve always stressed whatever has been brought to my attention from this House, or even the general public, I raise that with the profile for the Board of Governors. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Obviously, this whole remissible loan within the SFA area, we want to attract those individuals to come back to the North. As Mr. Hawkins alluded to reviewing, we are doing that as we speak. We want to evaluate our current system in place to make it more attractive, to make more incentives for those individuals who are going south. We want them to come back. If not, what other options can we provide to them? Mr. Chair, those are the areas we are currently reviewing. Mahsi.

I agree we have to have all those programs in our communities that do not have licenced early childhood programming. Based on the stats we have delivered in the House, there are 10 communities without the program. So, yes, I agree with that. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

During my discussions with Jason Kenney, these were some of the discussions that we’ve raised. We’ve raised some concerns, as well, just to elaborate and also enhance our nominee programming. The Northwest Territories Nominee Program is employer driven. The program is administered by our department and supports a permanent residency. The department is investigating ways, as I stated, to enhance the immigration program, which includes raising awareness of the Nominee Program and provide supports for new Canadians. Any new enhancements to the Nominee Program will be met with the existing...

Mahsi, Madam Chair. Yes, this particular remissible loan, $40 million to $45 million, is certainly an incentive for the individuals to come back to the North and also to live in the North, and also to welcome them back to work in the North as well. Yes, they are 30 percent, or less than 30 percent out there we’re still working with individuals that may not come back or there are some challenges. We have to continue working with that, but it is creating incentive for them to come back to work. Mahsi.

Yes. The answer would be yes. We have considered all those mitigations and working with the early childhood deliverers in the communities, the child care workers, as well, and the program deliverers. We thought about all the implications, as well, but at the same time, creating more opportunities where if we draw out the four-year-olds, they have more opportunity to focus on zero to three years of age. How can we assist in those areas?

At the same time, the Head Start program, some of those have been in place for a number of years. This is an option for enhancing. Working with the Head Start...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. We are fully aware of the temporary foreign workers moratorium that is laid out across our country. GNWT has no Temporary Foreign Workers Program. It is a federal program but we do share concerns. I did speak with Minister Jason Kenney just the other day, Wednesday evening, May 28th, about this particular program and share our concerns, how to move forward on this and what his plans were. My department senior officials are working very closely with other counterparts as well, territorial/provincial and also the federal Minister’s office on this particular subject. Thank you...

These are the areas that we are currently exploring. As I stated, two years ago it was introduced to the standing committee, and we want to have a better and also a faster process of dealing with it in light of this time-consuming…(inaudible)…. We hear the Members clearly, so we’ll find ways of expediting this process in a timely manner.