Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have another committee motion.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In Tu Nedhe we still have more seniors in institutional care than we do in some sort of respite care, even though there is no money with the respite care. There are still individuals taking care of their aged and disabled family members. Does the Minister acknowledge that disabled and aged people have a better quality of life with family members under respite care rather than institutional care? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the work being done by the Lutselk'e Dene School and the Deninu Kue School in Fort Resolution, but more can be done. Both schools agree that they can do more. Will the Minister assist the Lutselk'e Dene School and the Deninu Kue by allocating an additional $10,000 to each school to help the culture programming immediately? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to developing a strategic plan for the preservation of traditional aboriginal culture activities? Thank you.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this week I spoke about the need to provide more support to aboriginal languages and about the important role that language plays in maintaining aboriginal culture. Today I would like to talk about the important work the schools in Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution are doing to preserve aboriginal culture in those communities.

Mr. Speaker, in Lutselk'e, aboriginal language and culture classes are held three times a week for kindergarten to grade 9. In addition, there are two half-day classes each week for grades 5 to 9, also grades 8 to 10 students take one semester...

Mr. Speaker, I’m glad to hear that the Minister is willing to consider this. Many schools are struggling with the delivery of their culture programming today. Will the Minister commit to increasing funding to those schools that are being proactive in the delivery of aboriginal cultural programming starting the next school year?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I spoke about the important work that Tu Nedhe schools are doing to promote and preserve aboriginal culture in their communities. I’d like to follow up my statement with questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday the Minister tabled the NWT Aboriginal Languages Plan. It’s good to see the government recognizing the importance of preserving aboriginal language. However, there was little mention about the connection between language and culture. I’d like to ask if the Minister acknowledges that there is a strong...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, will support the motion to reduce the amount that is being charged at the maximum at 30 percent of the gross income for public housing, because I recognize that with about 30 percent going to taxes and the extra cost of employment and our desire to keep people employed. Of course, people who are not afraid to be employed because their rents would be too high. It’s an opportunity to bring that down a little bit at the upper end and I think that this is one part of the program that this side of the House is asking the government to tweak and bring 30 percent...

As we’ve seen and heard in the House today, the peer programs that the Housing Corporation is delivering right now don’t seem to have a positive impact on the communities. Would the Minister be prepared to look at revamping all homeownership programs and separate programs between market and non-market communities?