Jackson Lafferty

Definitely, that’s one of the priorities that we have with the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative. That’s a first priority as early childhood development and also child care development. Definitely, this is an area that has been the prime focus in the childhood discussion among the forums in the Northwest Territories among the regions. We’ll keep the Members posted as we move forward. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I can definitely find out the actual detail of who they’ve talked with across the Northwest Territories. My understanding is that they’ve initiated discussion with educators in the Northwest Territories and those communities with or without the daycare or the preschool, because we needed to hear their perspective as well. But I can provide more detailed information to the Members. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize my leadership: Tlicho Grand Chief Eddie Erasmus is here with us; also Chief Alphonse Nitsiza of Whati; Chief Charlie Football of Wekweeti; and also an elder from Gameti, Louie Zoe is here with us. Also staff members along with the leadership: John B. Zoe, Bertha Rabesca-Zoe and Henry Zoe.

Also, I’d like to recognize another lady that came from outside the territory: Bonnie George. She’s a...(inaudible)...chief of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation of British Columbia. She’s visiting Yellowknife as part of a practicum towards her master’s...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. They have their own bills such as the one that’s before us now. Each jurisdiction has their own initiative to proceed with their lawsuits. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. To my left is Karan Shaner, the assistant deputy minister of Justice; to my right, Ian Rennie, legislative counsel.

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to be here to present about Bill 23, Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act.

It has long been recognized that tobacco exposure is linked to serious health conditions in both smokers and non-smokers, including emphysema, heart disease and several types of cancer. The NWT has a very high rate of smoking and the need for many patients to travel south for treatment results in very high costs for our government.

This legislation would permit the GNWT to file a lawsuit to recover from past and future health care costs for smoking-related illnesses directly from...

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. The . Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Ontario, and Yukon have a limit of $25,000. Saskatchewan has a limit of $20,000. Manitoba and NWT, our jurisdiction, is $10,000. New Brunswick remains at $6,000 with plans to increase theirs to $30,000. PEI and Quebec respectively have limits of $8,000 and $7,000. So those are just some of the numbers we’ve received from other jurisdictions. Mahsi.

Mahsi. One of the priorities is, of course, the schools, as part of my portfolio as Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. That is my priority. I have to look after all of the schools, make sure they’re well operated, and also that it meets the community’s needs as well. So those schools that have been identified for future consideration definitely will be in the work of the 17th Assembly. So those are the discussions that need to take place as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi. This government does provide priority to those schools in the Northwest Territories as part of the capital planning process as we move forward. The super school that the Member is referring to took over 10 years from the planning stages until the final result. So sometimes it does take some time. But definitely in the Nahendeh riding we’re fully aware of the two schools that the Member is referring to, and we’ll continue to work with the school boards to identify those priorities. The work is already underway in the schools as well. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize those individuals that are in the gallery and organizations, the Minister’s Cultural Circle inductees are here with us today. First, in the youth category here with us: Evan Tordiff, along with his mother, Sylvie, and sister Lauren; Abel Tingmiak, elder category that’s here with us with his wife, Marcy Jane Tingmiak, that are here with us; Ben Nind of the individual category here with Natalie Labossiere; also here with us are the Aklavik Delta Drummers, the group category, Andrew Gordon, Eva Gordon, Alexander Gordon and Mary Ruth...