Jackson Lafferty

I was just chatting with my colleague here. Yes, the health centres do provide those services. Not only that, within the early childhood space the Member is referring to, capacity, we do have the capacity. If not, then the funding that’s been identified is available to organizations that would like to maybe open up a space in that area. Yes, there is a collaboration and cooperation by Health and Social Services and our Department of Education, Culture and Employment on providing more services in this area.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I have with me the deputy minister, Dan Daniels, to my left, and, to my right, Paul Devitt, director of strategic investment services. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Early Childhood Program delivery is, of course, our first priority as a government and also with my specific department of Education, Culture and Employment. I do not have the breakdown of what the Member is referring to as a deficit, but we are investing more money, as you know, within the budget that will be before us and that we’ll be discussing further on the huge investment that we’re allotting for that particular area of early childhood. So we’ll continue to invest in those areas, because this is a prime example of a worthwhile investment into a system.

Mr. Chair, the library issue has been brought to our attention. We had the discussion with the superintendent of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council and there was supposed to be a meeting set up this month in the community. There has been talk about the school, the Thomas Simpson and Bompas Elementary School to accommodate a library program. So they do have the capacity right now. Those are the discussions. There is talk about structural engineering submission for review on both schools and the location of it. So, Mr. Chair, there is supposed to be a meeting scheduled and we’ll certainly...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we are clearly listening to the Member and I appreciate the persistence that he’s been pushing forward. We are seriously going to consider this school for next year’s budget planning cycle. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Speaker, for those letters that we receive, it’s not only one letter; there are other letters that could be in the millions of dollars of requests for big projects. They are all important projects and we can’t pick one from one region versus another region. That’s why we have the language groups that deal with the funding that’s been allocated to them. So, Mr. Speaker, I will continue to work with the language groups.

Like I said, we are reviewing the overall structure of how we allocate funds. There is always room for improvement on how we can provide those services more effectively and...

Surely I can share the information that we have within North Slave Correctional Centre on the number of positions, the percentage and whatnot. But I did meet with the MLA and the individual that he’s referring to and I would encourage the individual to continue applying, because now we’re having seven positions that are currently open for transfer. Fifty-seven percent, or four positions, will be for aboriginal people. There is a great opportunity there to be identified. Those individuals who are interested need to work with our system as well. Either take the day shift and night shift combined...

Mr. Chair, those are the avenues that we need to work. Not only that, but the federal government, we’ve invited two federal Ministers to come before us, because they need to realize that this is an important factor. So we’re hoping that there will be some commitment. We are getting some funds from them at this point in time, but the funding will be increased, of course. But we will continue to pressure them. Mahsi.

We can certainly look at that. We are, through discussions with the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative, it does cover in that respect as well. We also talked about K to 12 members talking in the area of greater extension into the communities. Some are working, some are not working, but I think that needs to be identified through the Aboriginal Student Achievement Initiative that is currently in discussion right now and devolving in a package by this year. That would certainly capture that. There are other issues or opportunities before us, so, Mr. Chairman, this will certainly be...

It consists of Education, Culture and Employment, the education council, the teaching and learning centres, the aboriginal groups we sponsor. The funding that has been allocated to them, yes, there may be some lapse due to the deadline constraints and projects may not be completed. So it does vary, Mr. Speaker, on a case-by-case basis. Clearly, those are areas that I instructed my department to review the overall funding allocations for aboriginal language from a cultural perspective, because we need to maximize the funding we produce to the Northwest Territories to the best of their ability...