R.J. Simpson

Thank you. Mr. Bancroft, please.

Thank you. They're not separated in the budget but perhaps Mr. Saturnino can provide a bit of a description about what a trade is versus what an occupation is. Thank you.

Thank you. We have Ms. Charlene Doolittle, deputy minister; and James Bancroft, director of corporate services.

Thank you. So it's a reduction. It shows here as it is a reduction as less money this year than there was last year. So there was a cut to this. That money was then used for, you know, something else, the same way all other money in the territory or the GNWT is used for something else. So it went into a big pot of money and then, you know, it was allocated elsewhere. Thank you.

Thank you. So as was noted, we have in previous years increased the staff who are dedicated to this item and yes, we do have a lot of initiatives and they are across the department, and so they're not all supported directly by corporate services. There are initiatives that are being undertaken by the labour division and other areas. So we do have a lot but it is we feel as though we can undertake them and do it successfully with the contingent that we have. Thank you.

That's correct. If I may use the Member's time to clarify my statement earlier. I'm not apologizing for the pace of the work that we do in terms of saying that we are slow and employees are slow; I'm saying that it's a big job and that's why it takes a long time. It's just government but people are working hard on all of these things that the Members are bringing up.

And, yes, the Member is correct that the agreement was signed well after this was finalized by the printer so we will have to get that money through a different method. Thank you.

Thank you. I can probably ask Mr. Shannon to explain the or Mr. MacDonald to explain the on the changes. Thank you.

Thank you. That staff member is being added to support the Education Act modernization. Thank you.

Thank you. And I will also comment that I've had discussion was the department about trying to align strategies with budgeting processes. So if we release a strategy in September, the budgeting, we're almost too late to develop new initiatives and then get that funding in there. So there are challenges with that as well, though. We are pretty thin in all positions in the GNWT. We're generally one person deep and so, you know, when we have a number of different reviews happening, it's hard to get them all done at one time so they all align with the budgeting process. But I am very much alive to...

Thank you. So I believe there is some sort of a GNWT policy on languages. I'm not I can't say I'm overly familiar with it. The issue that comes up through ECE is often Indigenous language instructors. There are Indigenous language instructors in the schools who might not have education degrees and so they are not paid at the same rate as teachers who have education degrees. And this is something that, you know, the department has brought forward on numerous times to the you know, to and has brought forward to Finance who has then brought forward to the negotiations with the union. So we are...