Robert Hawkins

And recognizes how important it is.

---Interjection

The Minister of ITI.

It gives me great pleasure to recognize, as well, Mr. Ed Jeske and Mr. Krutko’s father.

Thank goodness we have rules so I won’t respond appropriately to how the Minister should get a response, but I’d like to know what the Minister is doing, or I should say what’s causing the Minister and the department from holding back on implanting this COR certification program, especially in light of the fact that the Department of Public Works, several months ago, seemed to be in favour of this initiative. As well, they went and sent one of their staff members, a senior staff member, to become certified in the program. So, again, it seems to be a mixed message. They support it, but don’t...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for the Minister of Public Works regarding the COR program. It’s the Certificate of Recognition. I’ve inquired with the Minister to find out where this program is when it comes to implementation out there on our tenders and processes. So where is this initiative and is it being implemented into our tendering process for northern tenders, with the expectation that people who do comply and respond to those tenders are part of the program? Thank you.

I’m glad the Minister talked about trying to find specific targets that would point at present needs of business. Certainly, I guess he was alluding, in one form or another, to what would work in our economy that makes sense. I would say, would the Minister be interested in supporting some type of panel discussion or conference that would work with business to help develop a business growth strategy here in the North that could attract new business and investment and, furthermore, get Northerners to work? This is not just a Yellowknife-centric issue. I think we can find ways to spread and seed...

Not that it’s a problem for either of us.

---Interjection

I’m really glad that the Minister didn’t comb over the issue as I’ve been combing through the department.

---Interjection

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to talk about the government and how they can support a very important part of our northern business economy, that being our NWT artists. By way of fact, approximately 18 percent of the NWT population considers themselves an artist in one form or another. That’s almost one in five, which is an amazing population in our Territory. That could be your friends, your neighbours or whoever, but when you look around, one in five is a lot of people who consider themselves in a special area.

These artists are involved in carving, sewing, needlecraft, drawing...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Menicoche.

The Auditor General expressed concern that there was no detailed territory-wide plan to improve student performance.

A key finding of the OAG’s report is the lack of improvement in student performance between the school years ending 2005 and 2008. One bright light is an increase in the number of students of secondary school graduates; however, the results on Alberta Achievement Tests and diploma examinations, and the number of students working at their functional grade levels, show little or no improvement. The OAG questioned ECE as to how this...