Robert Bouchard

My next question is: Does the department have any money in this year’s budget to assess the needs of Hay River’s dredging and what exactly is it going to entail and do, maybe, some cost estimates to bring to the federal government so we have something to bring to the table other than our hands out looking for money?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize Leon Nason, a resident of Hay River, and Lorraine Hewlett from a long time ago when she used to live in Hay River. I’d also like to welcome all the children from the schools as well.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Probably a lot of my comments are similar to my colleagues here. I am definitely happy to see the 3.6 percent increase in the budget. I think this is a department of great potential for this territory. Education is very important to the development of us. Obviously, the activity in Early Childhood Development is very proactive of us to be involved in that. I am definitely happy to see the Student Financial Assistance enhancements, as well as some of my colleagues have indicated that getting money back into the Inclusive Schooling would be a definite asset to us.

Some of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My final question about agriculture is the agriculture policy and the identification of lands and special taxation. Has the department done any additional work with that lately?

I’m wondering if the Minister and his department have had any discussions outside of the Hay River area as far as bringing people from the Northwest Territories. I know there’s some agriculture happening in Norman Wells and Inuvik. Is there some interest in bringing people in from the communities for this type of training?

Thank you, Madam Chair. I, too, just have some short comments about Public Works and Services’ operating budget.

I think one of the first things that struck me, becoming a new MLA, is the issue of deferred maintenance, and learning more about that and finding out that we’re so far behind in our maintenance programs that we actually don’t have any kind of a plan to get back into just a regular maintenance. Everything’s deferred maintenance. I know the department has been able to depreciate that amount. I’m just wondering if I can get details on where the department assesses our deferred costs...

I think some of the other issues that are out there, also in the agriculture area, is in training. Are there ways that we’re implementing these into the schools and institutions and stuff like that? The corrections facilities? Is there any indication from the department, as far as agriculture is concerned, of doing that type of education as well?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the days get longer, everyone is considering their growing season, agriculture. I’ll follow up with my colleague’s questions for the Minister of ITI on agriculture.

The first question I want to follow up on is the question on the training course for the northern farmer training. Has the Minister committed to doing anything for the upcoming year in this area of training farmers?

I appreciate the Minister’s answer, but in that answer there’s no indication of any kind of timeline. Are we expecting to see this in a month? Three months? Are we expecting to see it in the fall? Or are we going to deal with it in another Assembly?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize two Pages from Hay River North: Nadia Wood and my niece, Sherisse Bouchard. Also in the gallery is my sister-in-law Leslie Bouchard, who is their guardian for the week.