Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand it has been vacant for a number of months now and the Minister has shared the kind of operational costs. I think it’s been vacant for six months. If a good proposal for programming out of that facility were to come forward, how soon could that building be up and ready to go in terms of the structure of the facility at this time? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at one time that facility was contemplated as an option for a family treatment centre for families that had issues with addictions. I was wondering, Mr. Speaker, if the Minister would consider applications or proposals from either NGOs or the Department of Health and Social Services for a use like that for that facility. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in keeping with my Member's statement today, I would like to address my question to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, with regard to Student Financial Assistance. I would like to ask the Minister, Mr. Speaker, what process is in place with SFA to confirm that a student has met the requirement of the regulations at the end of their first semester of school?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise my concerns regarding northern students who have received GNWT Student Financial Assistance to attend college and university. At present, we have a number of students who are suffering financially, and it is because of the policies of this government that these students are in jeopardy of not being able to afford to complete their education. It has recently come to my attention that verification of a student’s requirements for SFA is not being confirmed prior to disbursing funds for the second semester of the school year. Student...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for the update and the results of his trip to Vancouver. Inasmuch as it shares information with the public and the House, through the Assembly, it is a good thing. However, I just wanted to comment that I was a little disappointed this morning that all of the media coverage on CBC was quoting the Alberta Health Minister, Minister Gary Mar, and I would like to know if the Minister would make a commitment to put the same information and maybe more detail out to the public by way of a press release, as a result of his meetings. Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess I’m a little bit disappointed in the fact that the $150 million was a separate fund for the medical travel, which I thought was over and above the $150 million but it looks like it’s been broken down. Was there a specific meeting of northern leaders to determine how this 70 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent was going to be split out on that $75 million pocket of funding, or did the federal government just dictate that’s how it was going to be? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Dent, for that very positive response. That sounds like an excellent idea that could be bundled with other information. Now, as to the students who may not have been able to comply with the regulations and didn’t successfully complete their first year of studies; on the repayment right now you have to pay the entire amount, which could be thousands of dollars, before you can go on with your second year. So essentially it means drop out of school, get a job, pay the government back, then revisit the issue of your education. Could the Minister also...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I imply from the Minister's response that he thinks if you're in post-secondary education you shouldn't be there unless you're smart enough to figure out the government's regulations. Anyway, I won't comment on that.

Mr. Speaker, I understand, from these regulations, that students are notified by letter at the beginning of the first semester. However, four months later can be a long time for a lot of students. Some of these kids are 18 years old. Does SFA notify the student at the end of the first semester of any changes to their program, or ask for any...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We ask our young people to return to their home here in the Northwest Territories to work, and we are in desperate need of these graduates and their educational experience to complement our northern workforce. It is unrealistic and unfair to be penalizing these students at the end of the year. There must be a mechanism put in place to prevent this type of nightmare from happening to any more students. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions today for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment regarding this important subject. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I realize the challenges facing Nunavut with respect to medical travel may be somewhat more difficult than we have here in the Northwest Territories, but we also have twice the population. We have the largest population here. We must have twice as many people as Nunavut, and they are getting 70 percent. Anyway, it sounds like it was negotiated by officials reminding us not to send…

--Laughter

It’s okay. I was also going to ask, Mr. Speaker, are we the point of contact for the aboriginal health funding that was announced by the federal government? Are we the...