Wendy Bisaro

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 15, notices of motion.

Unanimous consent granted.

Motion 7-16(2)

Extended adjournment of

To the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Will the Minister advise the per annum cost to the Government of the N.W.T. for our participation in the Arctic Winter Games for the current Games and past four Games (Games held in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008)? All costs should be considered, to include but not limited to:

G.N.W.T. funding contributions to Host Societies

Costs of Arctic Winter Games Regional Trials

Costs of Arctic Winter Games Territorial Trials

Cost of clothing for Arctic Winter Games participants

Cost for two N.W.T. representatives (Members) on the Arctic Winter Games...

Mr. Speaker, one last question. I guess I would take from that answer that there is nothing in place, from a department perspective, that ensures that teachers are in a safe environment in their school and their classroom.

Mr. Speaker, I'll try my question again, since you told me last time I was changing horses in midstream.

I'd like to address my question to the Minister of Education. Does the department have a zero-tolerance policy that addresses violence toward teachers in school?

I’m very glad to hear that the department is working on trying to find housing for teachers. There is a concern, as well, about the housing that exists in communities and that the housing that teachers are given…. There may be housing available, but it’s not very satisfactory housing. I’d like to know if the department is doing anything to try and upgrade those houses so that the living conditions for teachers are what they should be.

As mentioned yesterday, this is Education Week. We have over 800 teachers in our 33 communities, capably represented by the NWTTA, the N.W.T. Teachers’ Association.

But in all of our communities, teachers and their boards face obstacles. Public education should be fair and equitable for all students, yet our schools are not fully funded and must use school fees, fundraising efforts and corporate donations to finance some of their programs. Somehow we must find the dollars to completely fund all of our school programs and ensure equal opportunities for students, no matter where they live or...

I move that $85,000 be deleted from the interim appropriation detail booklet amount set out in Schedule 2, Capital Investment Expenditures, item number 9, Environment and Natural Resources on page 6, for the project “Lightning Location System.”

I give notice that on Thursday, February 21, 2008, I will move the following motion. I move, seconded by the Hon. Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding rule 4, when this House adjourns on February 21, 2008, it shall be adjourned until Thursday, May 22, 2008. And further, that any time prior to May 22, 2008, if the Speaker is satisfied after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice, and thereupon the House shall meet at...

I am in full support of this motion. When I was a city councillor a number of years ago, the city council of the City of Yellowknife approved a motion urging the Government of Canada to approve the UN declaration.

It is beyond my understanding why the Government of Canada has not approved this declaration. I believe they should. There are many principles in the declaration which are already a reality in the ways the Government of Canada treats indigenous people, so I don’t understand why they feel that they can’t sign on to this declaration.

There is an objection on the part of the Government of...

Mr. Speaker, I have two written questions I'd like to ask today. The first one is to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

Will the Minister advise the enrolments for all Yellowknife schools for the past five years (2003-2004 to 2007-2008)?