Robert Hawkins

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I will be very brief. First of all, I will be supporting this bill. I want to recognize that rights of individuals don't evolve with the times. I won’t go on at length, but I really believe in that.

Although many of my colleagues here, I wish to stress, will not be supporting this bill, I do personally want to applaud that they are following their personal beliefs. I know that this is a decisive issue with a lot of people out there. Even with my constituency I have had calls on both sides of the equation. I want to emphasize that I do have personal respect...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment just nailed it there by saying that there’s no question that attendance is a problem in the Northwest Territories. He just nailed it exactly. Mr. Speaker, he said use their funding. Well, funding is prescriptive. It takes all the wiggle room out of schools so they just can’t do whatever they want to do. It’s already implemented and tied to certain issues. So, Mr. Speaker, I really like this comment by saying that we will support them. Well, will we support them with direct funding to one social liaison worker for each...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to admit I was lost there because we’re not talking about shoes; we’re talking about making sure that kids go to school here. Maybe my question was too fast. Mr. Speaker, I got these comments from research, who read the blues which are the unedited Hansard. I put a lot of faith in their questions, or their development of some of these questions.

Mr. Speaker, will this Minister agree to look into the problem of dealing with absentees and truancies by putting a community liaison such as a social worker in each educational authority in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Menicoche beat me to the chase in regard to the parking, but he also brought up another issue that I know I have concern with, although I wasn’t on planning on discussing it today, which is the doors. I will speak specifically to the parking and I do have concerns with the issue that this building represents itself as an open opportunity for people to come forward and have celebrations of life: weddings, special ceremonies, et cetera. It truly is one of the buildings for the people, and yet we have people park here, even park illegally, while events happen.

The...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. During the review of the 2005-5006 Draft Main Estimates, the committee had an opportunity to speak with the Premier about the federal initiative to establish an expert panel to look into issues related to equalization payments to provinces, and the proposed sub-panel that will consider the financing formulas that govern the flow of federal money to the territories. The committee was pleased to hear of this initiative and is hopeful this process will lead to an improved financing formula that addresses many of the shortcomings of previous financial arrangements with...

Mr. Chairman, I’d like to move back to page 2-99. My apologies. We have a motion.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Could the Minister provide detailed information on what this government has done to deal with truancy, high dropout rates and the low graduation rates of our schools in the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate what the Minister said. On that note, what resources do we provide the schools and the district education authorities to ensure that we get these truant kids into school? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier in my Member’s statement, truancy is becoming a serious issue in the Northwest Territories. My questions will be to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Would the Minister tell me if the Education Act that permits a parent to be charged up to $500 has ever been enforced? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess at this time then, I would like to put a request into your position right now, as Chairman of the Board of Management as well as Speaker of the building, to get some assurances that we will look into it in this fiscal year about addressing it again.

It is a building that welcomes people. Just at the opening up of this session when Mr. Roland read in his budget, there were cars parked every which way and I have to say that I am embarrassed; truly I am embarrassed that we invite people to come here to see and follow along and be part of our opening budget, but...