Jackson Lafferty

I appreciate the Member’s addressing this issue to my attention today. If it is an issue, we need to deal with it as a department. Certainly, the respect should always be there between the community members, the clientele and Education, Culture and Employment employees. We do an orientation package for all employees on how to deal with the clients. Even at stressful moments or most critical moments they need to deal with it at a professional level. That is what we’re faced with, and we’ll continue to do that. I certainly commit to the Member that I will look into this matter in his riding...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Deh Cho, that Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, I’m a firm believer in following up on the issues as well. We have initially discussed the potential of having a meeting between the three parties just to move forward on this particular item. Once we conduct that meeting, I’m more than willing to come back to the community and give an update. It will probably be me and other Ministers who are involved going to the community, to the region, and just giving a brief overview of what we plan to do as a territory-wide government initiative. Certainly, I can commit to the Member that we will follow through with what we’ve talked about...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize some of the students here from the Aurora College Social Work Program. There might be some names that might be challenging, but I will do my best: Dolly Pierrot, Joy Muyambo, Tania Ramm, Janell Dautel, Faith Woodruff, Shirley Tsetta, Mary Ann Jeremickca, also a Tlicho member, Jackie Chinna, Nellie Norwegian, Cecile Deneyoua and instructor Bruce Stewart. Thanks for coming.

I wish to table the following document entitled Towards Literacy: A Strategy Framework 2008–2018. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Document 5-16(3), Towards Literacy: A Strategy Framework 2008–2018, tabled.

Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, 2008 is the 40th anniversary celebration of Aurora College. On September 12, graduates, faculty and supporters from past and present gathered at the Legislative Assembly to remember the past 40 years of the college and look towards the future. Throughout the year the celebrations will continue at each of the campuses.

The college has come a long way since 1968, when a single vocational centre was formed in Fort Smith. People travelled from all over the North, including what is now Nunavut, for the opportunity of adult education.

Now there are three main campuses in major...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Friday, October 24, 2008, I will move that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Historical Resources Act, be read for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, we need to review all the contributions we made to organizations in the community. There is the John Howard Society; there is the City of Yellowknife, which is also in partnership with this particular initiative; the Yellowknife Community Wellness Coalition; and other sectors that we do provide contributions to. We have to keep in mind that we are going through the business planning process. We’ll be discussing the importance of community safety, so this could be one of the topics of discussion.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Certainly, it would take a partnership between the Department of Justice, Health and Social Services, and the community, whether it be the City of Yellowknife or the coalition the Member is referring to. Funding has been allocated through my department and also through homelessness funding. There is certain funding provided to organizations to deal with these, whether it be for the break and enters or to assist the RCMP officers at the ground level. We as the 16th Assembly did make a commitment. It’s one of the priorities of the 16th Assembly to deal with those issues at...

That can be one of our topics of discussion when we are meeting with the various parties within the Sahtu region. We do have an integrated cultural and language curriculum in the schools as well. We can talk further on that.

I will bring my department in to discuss what we currently deliver in the schools in the 33 communities we serve. The programs are outlined in all the communities, so we will discuss further where we need to improve in certain areas. Mahsi.