Wendy Bisaro

Thanks to the Premier, but I don’t feel that we’re going to have something which Members and/or the public is going to agree with. The Premier said that this is not going to happen again. Well, I have to say that one organization gets lucky and everybody else, too bad, it’s not ever going to happen again.

I need to know from the Premier… He mentioned a number of funds that we give to non-government organizations. What I heard was that these are organizations providing government services. The example that I referenced is an organization that is not providing any government services; it’s not...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on my Member’s statement. I have some questions for the Premier today about the lack of a policy for infrastructure contributions to a non-government organization. I mentioned in my statement, the Standing Committee on Social Programs has tried unsuccessfully, several times, to get the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to take on this task and to bring it forward and we have been rebuffed at least twice. Committee believes really strongly, as I do, that we need a policy.

I would like to first ask the Premier whether or not the Premier and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over two years ago, as Members reviewed the 2012-13 capital budget, we debated a $1 million infrastructure contribution to an NGO. As part of the capital budget, Cabinet had proposed this considerable contribution to the Children First Society in Inuvik for a new early childhood care centre. I opposed that project, not because I did not see value in the project, and not because I disagreed with the intent of the building. No, I opposed approving the funding because it was a one-of-a-kind budget item and there was no government policy to guide how this type of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my great pleasure today to be able to recognize former Commissioner John Parker and his wife, Helen Parker. I knew them as parents when I was teaching and I’m really glad to see them here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding was when this committee was established that the periods when they would meet, the frequency of their meetings was established in the terms of reference for that committee. Can the Minister advise me whether that is so? Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister for that update. The committee was supposed to meet in October. It’s gratifying to hear that they did meet at the time they were actually supposed to. It doesn’t happen all that often.

I’d like to know from the Minister, they met in October and they are going to bring results forward to the Minister in the new year, so when is the committee supposed to meet next. How often will they meet and consider minimum wage? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Premier for itemizing those priorities. I agree with those priorities, but I have to again ask, when an NGO comes forward and is looking for infrastructure, construction money, what are we going to do? The Premier mentions that there’s a process. I’d like to know if he would put that on paper and provide it to me and to committee. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, Mr. Hawkins, I think. I stand again today to once more voice my concerns about the way the Department of Education, Culture and Employment funds inclusive schooling in our schools. The department directive on inclusive schooling states, “Inclusive schooling is intended to ensure equal access for all students to educational programs offered in regular classroom settings.”

As I pointed out in March of this year, this very preamble highlights what is wrong with how inclusive schooling in the NWT is currently being funded and addressed at the departmental...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that we report progress.

---Carried

Thank you, Madam Chair. At the outset, I want to thank the Legislative Assembly for giving me the opportunity on this committee to travel and to look into this particular bill and this issue. It was certainly an issue that provided us with a lot of input and a created a lot of thinking amongst committee, both individual and us as a group. I want to thank the Ledge staff for the work that they did setting up our travel, setting up our meetings and so on, and looking after us as we travelled. And I would like to thank all the presenters that we heard from. They were many. I particularly want to...