Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Hon. Member from Yellowknife South, that Bill 7, Securities Act, be read for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, this week is Education Week and Aurora College Week in the Northwest Territories. It is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate education in our communities.

I would like to kick off the week by providing great news. The graduation numbers for 2007 in the Northwest Territories have recently become available, and they continue to increase. In 2007, 370 students graduated high school. We are now graduating over a hundred more students each year than we did five years ago. I would like to congratulate all of these graduates.

Our students are required to successfully complete diploma...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Hon. Member from Thebacha, that Bill 5, An Act to Amend the Maintenance Orders Enforcement Act, be read for the first time.

For the campuses, we’ve delivered many, many graduates, post-secondary, in Inuvik, Fort Smith, Yellowknife campus, especially with the journeyman ticket holders. We’re proud to say we’ve graduated those individuals from the communities over the long years that we’ve serviced the communities. So we’re very proud of that. The programs we deliver have been very successful in the communities.

There may be some issues that we may be tackling, but it’s all workable within the three campuses. Three campuses are working together to remedy the situation.

Mr. Speaker, we are willing to work with the Members on any issues that have an impact in their riding, whether it be Yellowknife or Fort Smith. We are willing and accepting any recommendation, any advice, any input that Members can provide to us that can benefit the community, that can speak for the community. How can we improve at the community level? Program delivery, where students are living — as much information that the Members can provide, we’re willing to work with it. Mahsi.

Mr. Chair, that particular item has been discussed, not in detail, but the general discussion was that the Catholic school board…. I was invited from the department’s perspective, met with them and talked about St. Joe’s, where it’s heading. At that time I couldn’t share the detailed information, because we were still discussing it as a cabinet.

But the Catholic school board is willing to come back to the table and work with our department. If the cost is higher than what the Member has just indicated, then the board is willing to work with us to identify a consultant to pursue other options...

Mr. Speaker, our department is working carefully with the “G” Division, the RCMP headquarters, trying to get as much information out as we possibly can with all these incidents. Once that is shared with our department, I will be more than willing to share with the Member. Mahsi.

Mr. Chair, this particular item we’re referring to is a renovation to the existing building we’re in. ECE has occupied that building for almost 20 years without any significant renovations.

The renovations are to meet the immediate needs of the staff. That has been identified by the department, and construction is scheduled for summer of 2008. So with ’08–09, $80,000 been requested to upgrade the facility that we currently occupy. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I’m sure the department may have that information, which I don’t have in front of me today. I can certainly get that information, and I’m willing to share with the Member.

This particular program has been addressed by inmates, of course. There’s been some discussion among the inmates and the guards that was brought to our attention. There is a healing program needed at the correction centre and outside the environment of the centre. This is part of rehabilitation that we talked about. I see it as a healing path, coming back to society after what’s been done.

We are putting this forward based on the call of the inmates. That’s why we’re here providing more information that I didn’t share earlier. What we’re doing his is providing a rehabilitation program for...