Michael Miltenberger

We’re committed to hiring as many students as possible with the resources that are available to allow us to do so.

Mr. Speaker, this is a longstanding issue tied into Fort Resolution being in the Akaitcho Territory and unsettled claims and Treaty 8 and the whole issue of payment of taxes. There have been a number of attempts to try to resolve this issue. There have been former chiefs that have asked for forgiveness or wiping the slate clean on a go-forward basis. Anything of that nature would require a Cabinet decision.

As I indicated, the Member has had no opportunity to discuss this particular issue in any detail, so I would once again just restate my commitment to sit down with him to talk about the...

I will just reiterate the encouragement and admonition that we put out to all departments, as a matter of fact, to hire all the students possible within the resources that we have available.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled Making Connections - Building Networks to Prevent Abuse of Older Adults, A Framework for Action.

Thank you. I don’t have the number of the money that’s generated from the modest charge for long-term care facilities, but I will as well in the note to the Member add the cost that we do spend and the revenues, and the Member will see that these programs are heavily subsidized, with good reason. I mean, we made a choice, we want to give the elders in the Northwest Territories the best care possible at the most reasonable cost and I believe we are doing that, but I will share that information with the Member, as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My list tells me we’ve hired nine, all in Yellowknife.

I will commit to meet with the Member. In fact, I’ll even buy him dinner, and we can do it over dinner to talk about this issue, Mr. Speaker. Of course, other Members that are looking to have sustenance at the expense of a poor, underpaid Minister, of course I’d be happy to have them come along. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our best information, of course, is for those that are children in care that come under the Child and Family Services Act. The gap between, and I think the Member for Kam Lake acknowledged that and mentioned that gap for those teenagers. Our information is relatively weak. Thank you.

We are, as a government, contributing millions of dollars in this community to assist in any number of buildings, with the Salvation Army, with the Bailey House, with the YWCA. All the other facilities that are on the ground here in this community are, for the most part, funded by the Government of the Northwest Territories. What we have here is a community initiative that is they’re bringing together funds and now, as we move forward, the Member is trying to push this government separate from our budgeting process, separate from our capital planning process, to fund operations that we’re not...

We have made no specific contribution of that nature. Thank you.