Jackson Lafferty

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When we first introduced the grant, the staff grant with the stakeholders across the Northwest Territories, we did our research. We found out that we have one of the lowest paid workers, early childhood workers across the Northwest Territories. We want to give them incentives for them to pursue higher education, even as far as certification, diploma degrees and even masters’ programs so they can come back to our organizations and work for us. We wanted to provide some incentives, so we have had research done and talked to a number of stakeholders. Those are the results we...

Sorry, Mr. Speaker. I give notice that on Wednesday, February 18, 2015, I will move that Bill 45, An Act to Amend the Workers’ Compensation Act, be read for the first time.

Mahsi. I will be sharing that with the Board of Governors. If this is an area that they can possibly build on their meetings that they have had on a rotational basis into their campuses, an open door policy perspective. So I will be sharing with the Board of Governors. Mahsi.

I need to work with the Aurora College Board of Governors. At this time, this is an area that we’re discussing. I don’t tell them what to do, but I work with them. I do have authority under me as the Department of Education, but at the same time I feel that working together will resolve a lot of these issues and they do have Board of Governors meetings on a rotational basis between the three campuses and even more going into the other communities as well.

So, this is an area that the Board of Governors is reaching out to those students that should be heard, and if not, there’s also a website...

I was going through my notes; I don’t have that specific detailed information. I will provide that to the Member. Mahsi.

Yes, that is part of the plan. The staff grant will go directly to the staff. As you know, some of the staff have worked over 20-plus years. This will be an incentive for them to be more committed and further their education if they want to. We provide the incentive for them primarily focusing in those areas. We provide the funding directly to the staff so there’s no implication on organizations, whether it is expenditures or budget planning process. This has been already indicated. We spoke with numerous workers, as well, and they are fully aware that this money is available to them. It’s...

Mr. Speaker, my department is willing to do that, provide the detailed information on these particular mini iPads that will be distributed to new parents. We’ve done a lot of research not only on these mini iPads but on the overall Early Education Development Framework. The action plan we’ve developed over a three-year period to deal with the 22 recommendations. This is part of the recommendations that have been brought to our attention, that we need to provide tools and resources and that’s what we’re doing. So we’ll provide that information, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This ECD, Early Childhood Development Framework, overall does fall within that. We will be distributing iPads to new parents so they can have a tool that they can use with their newborns or children as well. That information was part of the action plan that we talked about last year, as well, and the money has been identified.

There are around 500 mini iPads that we’ve initiated as part of the overall plan. The overall cost of the iPads is around $160,000. These are some of the ongoing costs that we’ve identified.

We’ve also had, within our department, individuals that have...

In the Northwest Territories the number that we do have as part of the claimants is around 5,500, which gives us an idea of the issues that we have to deal with in the territory. We do have a breakdown by community, so I can provide that information to the Member and also other Members, as well, if they wish.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This is an area that we’ve collected information on the residential school survivors of the Northwest Territories. We’ve compiled that information and we worked very closely with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission when they first started off with their programming and voicing all those across the nation and national events, and even in the Northwest Territories, Inuvik. We do have that information. I can share that detailed information with the Member.