Jackson Lafferty

With the current funding that we provide, not funding but the in-kind services to the Mine Training Society, that’s our partnership towards that organization. The overall funding that they receive is from the federal government and there are certain criteria that they do follow, the Mine Training Society, but this is an area that we can definitely discuss with the Mine Training Society.

As you know, their program is also sunsetting next year at the end of March 2012. So that’s an area that we are also voicing our concern about, as well, with the federal government, to possibly expand or extend...

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. I think there was a commitment in the House to collaborate with health and education departments working together to identify what our options will be at that time.

Yes, we will consult with our colleagues at the federal level and see what the status is on the situation. We need to rectify the problem. If there’s an issue, then we need to follow through with it. So I will follow up with our federal counterparts. Mahsi.

I can definitely give you a good response, Mr. Chair. This is part of the plan for the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative. There is also the Aboriginal Languages Strategy that has been before this House. Implementing those is part of the discussions we are having, and elders in schools. This money that has been allocated, $148 million, that’s for the school boards. They have to set their priorities, but there are other initiatives on the way and it does highlight the elders that the Member is referring to. Mahsi.

We do factor in those costs that the Member is alluding to. Part of the assessment.

When we initiated this Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, the cultural orientation was a big factor and we wanted to pursue that through the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative because it does cover the teachers, the students, the parents, the grandparents and the elders in the schools. Then there’s the NWT Teachers’ Association, as well, that falls under professional development. They can easily access professional development in that area, as well, but this is a specific area that we’ve highlighted and targeted with cultural orientation. We felt that it’s important for our...

Mr. Chair, we will need to extend the lease because it will take some time to plan towards the infrastructure, the capital planning process. Those are the discussions we are currently having and we’ll be talking more on the lease extension. Mahsi.

This is a particular program that falls under federal, the USEP program. We don’t deliver that.

This is an area that we may have to explore with the federal government. Again, it’s under jurisdiction of the federal government. I do take the Member’s note that this is a concern to the Member and...(inaudible)...counterparts as well.

That would fall under the next business planning process. With any recommendations that are brought forward to the attention of this government, obviously there will be incremental costs. So those are the areas that we need to look at and it will be before the House in due time. Mahsi.