Wendy Bisaro

Thanks to the Minister. So, I’d like to know from the Minister, then, I presume monitoring and evaluation and accountability will produce a report. I think he mentioned a report at the end of his answer there. So, these reports presumably would go to the department. I’d like to know if the reports will also go to committee and to the public so that the Members and the public will know how their taxpayer money is being used. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. I would like to follow up on his statement from today about Aboriginal language programs and progress. The Minister mentioned it his statement that the GNWT invests $15 million each year to support and promote Aboriginal languages. One of those is to build the capacity of Aboriginal governments to implement their five-year regional language plans. I support that change. It is a change in the approach from the department. It’s an investment in language and it’s one that’s needed, so I...

Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks to Mr. Heide. I guess I just have a comment. I would hope that at the time you share it with board chairs, if it’s going to be public, you would also share it with committee.

My other question has to do with funding, with the inclusive schooling review. The education authorities are currently funded as a percentage of their budget. Many of the authorities feel that that’s not the best way to provide funding and not the best way for them to provide the services that are required to students with special needs. The other method that has been proposed is to fund per...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a number of comments in no particular order. This is such a large department that it’s kind of hard to know where to start.

I appreciate Mr. Dolynny’s comments about ERI. It is a huge undertaking, and I appreciate the Minister’s response as well. But it is a huge undertaking and I do have to say that I am still concerned that the department is trying to fund most of the changes that they’re making through the ERI Initiative. They’re trying to make those changes with money from within. If we are ever going to effect change and do it properly it needs to… In most...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment:

Does the Department of Education, Culture and Employment income support division have a definition of “transitional housing” that they use to determine a client’s eligibility for income assistance?

If yes, please provide it. If no, how does the department determine if a client is in transitional housing, and if they are, how does the department determine if the client is eligible for income assistance?

What policy governs clients whose only accommodation option is a motel or hotel room? Why are they...

Thanks to the Minister. I appreciate that offer of getting some information. We’ll have to get together on that.

One of the things I mentioned yesterday, and I’d like to revisit the interim land withdrawal for the land around the city of Yellowknife. The agreement, I believe, was first put in place in 2006 for five years. It’s been extended three times after that one year at a time, and yesterday I heard that there is apparently an intention to extend it forever or until there is a land claim settlement. So, if there’s going to be extensions, I’d like to know from the Minister, is it going to...

I think I got that. Thanks, Mr. Chair. That’s enough.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Lands and I want to follow up on some of the questions and the information sharing that we had yesterday in Committee of the Whole.

The City of Yellowknife has expressed interest in gaining ownership of all of the Commissioner’s lands within the city’s territory. In my mind, that’s a good thing. It’s a consolidation of lands. It clears things up and it makes it clear just what the city has and gives the city control over the whole area.

That request has apparently been turned down by the Department of Lands, and I’d...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wanted to ask a question here with regard to the, I guess it’s the org chart for lack of a better way of putting it for the department, and I’m presuming corporate management is where this new assistant deputy minister positon is going. I see later on there’s an increase in one PY. Could I get, from the Minister, a bit of an outline of how many positions we have in upper management in the department? I thought we had quite a few assistants and a number of high-level management-type positions already. I’m wondering why we need another assistant manager. How many have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned in Committee of the Whole yesterday, the City of Yellowknife has a land issue. A quick look around the city shows that this city’s expansion is hampered by water bodies and large rock outcrops. That’s why Yellowknife is so compact and the lack of urban sprawl is something that Yellowknife has been recognized for. This is something that other cities strive for.

Right now with lands withdrawn from development by Aboriginal government and the territorial government releasing little land to the city, Yellowknife is reaching the end of available land to use for...