Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I recognize four distinct individuals here in the audience. It’s as part of the Corrections awards that they were recognized this afternoon. I’d like to recognize, first of all, Anthony Beck on receiving the Lifesaving Award; Mr. Gordie Oystrek for receiving the Corrections Exemplary Service Award; Mr. Paul Pearce, also for the Corrections Exemplary Service Award; and last but not least, Mr. Quinn Groenehyde, also with Corrections Exemplary Service Award.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled Annual Report of Official Languages, 2006–2007.

Document 25-16(2), Annual Report of Official Languages, 2006–2007, tabled.

Mr. Speaker, we assist individuals in the communities, whether it be the two parents or single parents, based on their needs and their income.

I will have to get back to the Member on the net versus gross. I don’t have that information in front of me, but certainly, I can work with the Member on the specific area.

We do try to assist all individuals who are in desperate need of funding to cover their programs in the communities — the child care programs. Mahsi.

Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, yes, the Member is referencing subsidies for the communities. We do serve 33 communities on the subsidy of the child care services, early childhood programs and services.

Each community has an opportunity to apply for certain program dollars. They’re also entitled to our program dollars. There are federal dollars and Territorial dollars. The communities can apply on top of what we offer as a Territorial government. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to keep our Members informed of our progress, so I certainly will provide what information I have to date to the Member. Certainly, we’ll keep the Member posted on our upcoming meeting with the community next month.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to thank the Member for asking that question, because I did commit in the House that my department will follow up working with the community to remedy the issue of office space in the community for three different organizations. Since then, our department has been working with the organizations that have been highlighted here, with the Open Door Society and also the community library and heritage society.

We are making some progress in that area, Mr. Speaker, and there has been contact in the community. That’s what we’ve been doing since our last session. We will continue...

Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, our department works closely with the authorities and the school boards and has frequent contact with the superintendent of school operations. If issues arise, then there are protocols that they follow, a process, according to the policies that we have in place.

Yes, there is a system in place, with open communication and dialogue between our department and the communities. Mahsi.

Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, we can certainly take that into consideration, working with the development corporation at the community level, along with the Housing Corporation and our department. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, that is what we’re doing with the communities. We are having the Housing Corporation assist with the development corporations to build units in the communities. With us, there are no ties, as we are the third party. We are assisting the communities in pursuing the building of these units for professionals in the communities, specifically for teachers, social workers and nurses in the communities as well. That’s what we’re doing as a department — our department, working with another department — to identify a solution in a community.

Yes, our department will continue to work closely with the communities. Specifically dealing with the housing issues, we have to continue hiring teachers in the communities, and we will continue working with the communities on that issue.