Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. The Productive Choices I believe has been in the running since just over 10 years. There have been some ups and downs with that, but it was built so that there can be positive choices in the communities working with the organizations so that individuals can be prepared to enter the workforce. Again, some experience, the life skills and employment experiences. In my view, it has been very successful. At the same time, we always look for improvements, enhancement to the programming. There are ways where individual Members have approached me to say why couldn’t we locate in...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise Members that the Honourable Bob McLeod will be absent from the House today and tomorrow to speak at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Conference in Toronto and meetings with federal Ministers in Toronto and Ottawa. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. The early childhood development, as it states here, there are certain programs under that. But I will have to get my deputy to elaborate more because there is detailed information respecting whether it be the division and the budget cycle itself. I have to get my director to explain or elaborate a little bit more.

Mr. Chair, I completely forgot about that part. It’s federal funding. No, it’s not a matching funding with GNWT or the college. It’s just the funding that flows directly to the college to deliver or enhance the ALBE program that they currently have over a two-year period. Mahsi.

We are not filtering the process through the college to me as Minister responsible. If there is a request, I usually get a heads-up from the college, the board chair. We would have these communications. Our staff would work on a plan from there. We have constant contacts between my department, my role as the Minister responsible for the college, and the board chair.

The board chair was just reappointed, so we have a positive working relationship. We are going to continue that. Anything that’s addressed by the Board of Governors is addressed with me as well. I make the decision, so it’s not my...

The funding that we provide to the schools is based on enrolment. Not only that, but there is indexing in pricing, whether it be the salary of those qualified people in the education system. Also, the operation costs. As you know, every year there is an increase in costs. Those are some of the areas that does capture. I’ll get my director to maybe elaborate about the process itself of enrolment and so forth, because he’s actively involved in this area.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. It does capture some of those comments that the Member is referring to, whether it be fuel costs going up and food costs going up. So we’ve been monitoring that. If there is an increase in those areas, then obviously there is an increase in our budget as well. We will continue to monitor it. If there needs to be changes to the budget, then we will be before standing committee to reflect those high costs of living.

In 2007, again, we have increased our funding based on communities’ needs and high cost of living and so forth. We continue to do that. Based on the outcome of this...

There have been other private sectors, as well, just showing an interest in how they can get involved, providing some options. Just preliminary discussions with potential industries or private sectors, I should say. It is the college that has been showing interest, as well, so we will be meeting with them. I’m sure they have been meeting with various private sectors as well. That detailed information will be brought to our attention.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. The announcement came from the federal government directly to Aurora College, for Aurora College to deliver or enhance the ALBE. It’s specifically for ALBE programming, so they made it clear from the federal perspective. What we currently provide funding to ALBE is above and beyond that, so we are, as a department, working again closely with the college. There has to be a planning process to expend those funds through the college, so even though it’s their funding, we, as a department, still continue to work with them. This is an area that has been earmarked for the college...

We can provide that. We have a lot of information. We have done our research, our homework, even across the Northwest Territories, how much the individuals are making. It does vary from region to region and the most isolated communities versus the larger centres, so we can provide it as an information package to the Members for their review.