Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, upon returning to this session, I started preparing my reply to the Finance Minister's budget address. It has been an interesting process, to say the least. I have worked for the government for more than 23 years as a public servant and always wondered how the budget was developed, scratching my head and wondering how Ordinary MLAs could allow things to happen as they did. Now that I've been through the process, I still am scratching my head, but now I know the process a little bit better.

Mr. Speaker, I'll start with a bit of history. For me to understand...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm not sure… Is it confidential presently or are we able to provide that information to the public, what the pupil-teacher ratio is for junior kindergarten? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm kind of disappointed. I see that the small communities are getting hit again. I mean, bigger centers are now getting two more positions and we're taking a half position in a small community. I'm kind of disappointed so trying to understand the rationale with decentralization, why weren’t you looking at moving these positions into either the Sahtu or the Dehcho. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Premier for his answer. I know for one I will give my hand out and am willing to work with you if it's exchanged back and forth, so I thank the Premier for that statement. Mr. Speaker, with these potential alignments of departments, will the Premier look at reducing the Cabinet size from seven to six as part of the reduction process? Thank you.

I'm not sure if it's junior kindergarten in this section or on page 70, so can the Minister clarify questions for junior kindergarten to be on this page or page 70? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

This position, was it filled or was it vacant?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today you heard from my Member's statement about the topic of change. As I said in my statement, I have some questions of the Premier to help clear up some confusion and hopefully help the residents of the NWT have a clear understanding what is happening here in this Assembly. Mr. Speaker, Cabinet decided that it was important to freeze excluded employee salaries increases and potential bonuses as part of the government's reduction plan. Mr. Speaker, can the Premier please explain to us in the public why Cabinet froze the excluded employee salary and at the...

If it's 100 per cent funding from the feds, I just need to know if that budget line is 100 per cent funding feds for the French program or is there a percentage that the territorial government puts in there. I think I heard the Minister say it was 100 per cent. 100 per cent/. I don't think I need to have a breakdown if that's what it is. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The North Slave, what does that consist of? What communities? When he's talking about this for the North Slave, what communities are being served? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about change. As I was doing this statement, I went to the Webster's Dictionary to find the simplest definition of change: “to become different; to make someone or something different; to become something else.” Last October, the country of Canada wanted change and so did the people of the NWT. Change did happen. People in the Northwest Territories elected 11 new Members and eight returning Members to the Legislative Assembly in hopes that change will occur for the betterment of the NWT. Mr. Speaker, two candidates running for the...