Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when I had asked the Minister in a previous question how many northerners -- I don't need to know exactly -- I don't believe he answered that question. Does he know how many northerners are in southern placements right now currently funded by his department? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, your committee would like to report progress and, Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Is that a motion, you move to report progress?

Mr. Speaker, I am not in a position to police Mr. Zoe’s conduct as a Member, to follow him around and see what he is going to do. Yes, there are programs, people need to avail themselves of those programs. But if they don’t want to, it is not my job to ensure that they do. To suggest, Mr. Speaker, that Mr. Zoe’s political career will be ended by sitting on this side of the House is something else that I reject. What do all of us do here in representation of our constituents if this is not an honourable task to perform on behalf of our constituents? So I will be supporting the motion, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my final question to the Minister then is in terms of my response to my constituents who have children under the age of 16 who are not able to attend school because they have been suspended for long periods of time. Would it be appropriate to tell those constituents that this government recognizes its obligation to educate these students, and that there will be either some financing or opportunity made available to them just to realize an education? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think that everyone is pretty aware that there is not enough funding that goes to the education authorities to deal with special needs. With the number of students who require that sort of attention, I think those resources are already spread very, very thin. So to say that the funding is there, might be somewhat…Well, it doesn’t solve my problems. I have more than one student in Hay River right now who is not able to attend the regular school system, and I don’t blame the teachers or the principal for suspending these children if it is disruptive to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize the executive director of the NWT Status of Women Council in the gallery today, Ms. Barbara Saunders.

---Applause

Thank you. The motion is in order. It’s not debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.

---Carried

I will rise and report progress.

I call Committee of the Whole to order. The Speaker has listed the things that are before us today for Committee of the Whole. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am the seconder to this motion, and obviously I will be supporting this motion. I was hoping that we would avoid a long protracted debate on this subject here in the House today, but it has been spoken to by a number of Members so I feel that I need to speak to it as well. To me this is quite a simple issue. This is not complex. This is not personal, this is business. The people of the Northwest Territories have asked us as elected leaders to provide them with sober leadership. That is a reasonable request on the part of the people of the Northwest...