Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife’s population has relatively remained the same and we’ve been fortunate only on the principle that we’ve had growth from the communities. That’s terrible, because where the real impact is happening is in the communities. Getting the jobs out to the communities will have a positive effect on the whole territory, every single program we need.

In my Member’s statement today, I said let’s put two teachers in every single school. That would bring new families to every community; that would bring new job growth, new vitality and new cash on the ground where people spend money. There’s an...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I spent a bit of time highlighting some of the words the Finance Minister had provided this House on February 6th. It was really talking about embarking on a new adventure of trying to create this initiative that would draw 2,000 new people to the Northwest Territories over the next five years, but as our NWT Bureau of Stats has clearly said, outlined – and I put great faith in their hard work – we’ve had a drop of 218 people in this last year, which puts us about 10 percent below that greater mark.

So, what I want to hear from the Minister...

[English translation not provided.]

I’ve been practicing. Mr. Speaker, on February 5th of this year the Finance Minister proclaimed an aggressive yet ambitious target to attract 2,000 new residents to the NWT. Our most current publication from the Bureau of Stats says the NWT’s population fell by 218 persons. Now, that is a negative 10 percent shortfall on that particular number.

In the Finance Minister’s words on February 6th, again, it said our fiscal future is closely linked to economic prospects and healthy population growth. The Minister continues to go on by saying we are also aware the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I said in my Member’s statement that the net effect would actually be awash because our growth and our federal grant transfer would actually cover the cost of those teachers. May I also briefly remind the Minister that he had pointed out in his February 6th statement that in 2013 we continued to lose population? What’s happening here is, year over year over year we continue to lose population.

My last question is simply this: Where have there been any results of population growth in the Northwest Territories under the tenure of this McLeod government?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am fully in support of the context of providing statements from financial institutions. That’s not the issue here. The issue here is they don’t necessarily guarantee that they line up. First and foremost, if you are running from a small community that does not have a financial institution and there’s no guarantee that there will be an available one every time, every election, you are then forced with options. It’s easy to say there will be one in every Northern… Well, not every community has a Northern. So the issue is if someone makes a donation to a particular...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s interesting; they’re abstaining on this motion, maybe because they don’t have the numbers. It’s just to reference a point.

I worry, frankly, that the Minister has misunderstood the issue. He’s too quick to comment and point out and reference experts, experts none of us would deny. Frankly, I don’t care what the experts are saying about JK because that’s not the issue. It’s about the implementation. I believe the expert Shanker had said by age four it’s already too late anyway, so are we accomplishing the goals? Not one Member on this side of the House spoke against...

Mr. Chair, I would add the following at the end of the last word and it states, “where and when practicable.”

WHEREAS the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) plans to roll out a new Junior Kindergarten Program in 22 communities in the fall of 2014;

AND WHEREAS in some of these communities there are well-established Aboriginal Head Start programs with only four students per teacher, delivered at no cost to NWT residents or the Government of the NWT;

AND WHEREAS Aboriginal Head Start programs will be impacted by the new Junior Kindergarten Program;

AND WHEREAS funding from ECE is being reduced in some education districts and allocated to others in order to implement junior kindergarten;

AN...

Mr. Chairman, I move that the current limit of $100 remain for each anonymous donation, but that each candidate be limited to a total of $1,500 in their anonymous contributions to his or her campaign. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It shouldn’t be from the Member, I’m asking a question to the Minister. What can he do? What’s the point of being Minister of a whole department? I’m asking you a question. What can you do as Minister? Thank you.