Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to continue on with Tabled Document 50-18(2), NWT Main Estimates, 2016-2017 and we would like to do the Department of Education, Culture and Employment today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Can the Minister advise how the Department of ECE will be allocating the small community employment program to the communities, whether project based or so much per community, just a quick word on how the funding will be allocated to the small communities?

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during my Member's statement I’d talked about the small community employment program that's administered by ECE. I'd like to ask the Minister a couple of questions. Mr. Speaker, what is the plan for the utilization of the small community employment program in this fiscal year?

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the young people that are looking for work today, employment in small communities, specifically the small community employment program centre administered by ECE. Mr. Speaker, as most people know by now, employment rates in NWT small communities are very low. The small communities rely on short-term, and casual, and project-based employment in order to provide for their families. The small community employment program has $1.2 million and that will help put people to work on various projects based in the communities. Mr. Speaker, the small community...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'm just trying to make sure that no students are left behind. One of the things that the Minister just mentioned does tweak my interest, and that's attendance. I actually think we have a solution to attendance and that's to give their parents jobs. Anyways, I'm always talking about jobs and employment and that, you know, one of the main reasons I do that is because I'm trying to increase the graduation rates and have the smaller communities, having educated people able to do jobs that may come to them in the future. Again, looking at just the information...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, so as I understand it, if parent consent is received, an individual comes and does an evaluation on that particular student. The deputy minister spoke earlier of more of a blanket assessment just talking to the teachers who work with the students to do an overall assessment to determine where the greatest needs of inclusive schooling occur. Does that mean that maybe next year or even sometime during this year some sort of shift in the funding of inclusive schooling dollars? Thank you.

I recognize that the Minister of Human Resources is not solely responsible for the Affirmative Action Policy. I would like to know if the Minister is prepared to have a regular role, maybe during committee or anything, on a regular basis conferring with other Ministers of other departments to ensure that each department has a human resources plan that also has the contents of what is needed in order to increase Priority 1 hires in the GNWT. Thank you.

No, that's what I'm looking for. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member's statement I talked about the Priority 1 candidates in the GNWT, or employees in the GNWT. I would like to ask the Minister of Human Resources, would the Minister reexamine all the programs, policies, and initiatives that are designed to increase the number of Priority 1 employees in the GNWT to ensure their efficiency? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to ask the Minister who's responsible, which Minister or is it the Premier, that's responsible to give direction to the Ministers to ensure that their departments do have human resource plans?