Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to see that there is more money being put into repairs and renovations by NWT Housing Corporation. I think that is a substantial increase from when this government first started. I do believe that the original repair and renovation budget was $792,000. It went up to $2.1 million and then now to $8 million, so this is very good news.

I hope that the money is able to get out to communities that have the higher needs and up to the groups that have the higher needs as well. When I speak of the groups with higher needs, I am referring to the different groups...

Just on the public housing rental subsidy Income Support Program. I’m pleased that the government has returned the subsidies back to NWT Housing Corporation. However, in this business plan the 34 million-odd dollars plus the $12 million recoveries from CMHC are still in this business plan. I understand why, because we’re going to do the transfer back during the next fiscal year. I’m wondering if the department and the Housing Corporation could maybe work together to speed the process up. I feel it should be a fairly simple process to transfer it back. We have a month and a half to be able to...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to looking at other options to increase funding and directing his staff to begin dialogue with the communities of Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution on the examination of the education plans through his department?

Mr. Speaker, although I’m not aware of a written education plan by the DEA in Fort Resolution, would the Minister commit to communicating with the Fort Resolution District Education Authority to discuss a full spectrum of their educational needs including daycares? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last week I talked about the importance of a well-run daycare and the great job that the dedicated staff and parents are doing in daycares in Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e. Today I’d like to talk about the infrastructure needs for these daycares.

Last spring the community of Lutselk’e came up with a community education plan and called for a coordinated effort for the school and community to work towards an integrated education system and identified a suitable location in the community. The plan calls for an education-type complex to have a new Aurora College, a daycare...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I talked about the hiring practices of the GNWT and how it places a higher emphasis on education and less on equivalencies and experience. I have a question for the Minister of Human Resources.

Mr. Speaker, almost all of the GNWT job ads have the “equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.” If you ask an aboriginal applicant who does not have a degree or a masters but has years of related experience, they would say that equivalencies are not taken into account. I’d like to ask the Minister: how does the department assess the...

Mr. Speaker, the hiring practices of the GNWT are flawed and need to be reviewed so it can reduce the high turnover costs and, more importantly, allow equal opportunity for those who do not possess specific education requirements but do possess the related experience to do a good job. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Today I would like to talk about the GNWT’s hiring practices. As mentioned in this House before, the economies and employment opportunities in our smaller communities like Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e can only realize limited potential. Yet, in spite of this, many of the residents continue to live in these communities because it is home and has been their home for many generations. It is true that some migrate to larger centres, but for a good many, they remain committed to their community and will go out and get their education and...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. To the motion. I don’t know, I haven’t done any studies on what is needed. I don’t know where this money is scheduled to go. I am in the very same boat as Mr. Menicoche and Mr. Jacobson. I know we have had a lot of discussions about this and actually targeting an actual subsidy for milk and so on; however, as this has evolved today, I don’t want the communities to feel that because the word “committee” falls into the plan, I would then remove something from the schools where it is needed. I mean, our communities are poor. We have, like I have said over and over again...

Mr. Chairman, thanks to Minister Lafferty for that response. I think that is going in the right direction. I hope to see a couple of apprentices in Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e as a result.

In the activity of career and employment development, there is a good increase again in that activity. I am wondering if it is all focussed in on career centres and, in other words, in either the regional centres or Yellowknife or is there going to be opportunities for career and employment development in the small communities. As opposed to just yes, I would like to know what some of the new opportunities...