Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has committed to implement a carbon pricing system this year. It is great that we are making headway by taking accountability for our contribution to the greenhouse gases, and a carbon tax is necessary for reducing our carbon footprint, but at the same time we want to improve residents' quality of life and not make their lives harder.

In my riding, propane and diesel are the main fuel sources used for heating, though many also try to use wood and pellet stoves to reduce costs. Most electricity is produced through diesel. This means that, in my...

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I think what I heard was that it wasn't fully utilized this way, so now we are actually implementing these new changes to fully utilize this budget line; and if that's correct, the Minister can just say "yes" and that would be my last question for the day on this item. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess I'm going to have to try this a different way. I'm not arguing about your Student Financial Assistance program; it's probably the best in the world, and I'll give you that. I totally agree with you on that. The biggest challenge in the small communities is for students to access or get employment; we can't do it. In the smaller communities there is sometimes job-sharing with two people and they only work four hours a day and they work for two weeks and they get off a week. So that's where I'm coming across, is that...

I thank the Minister for that answer. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess my concern is that I am listening to the direction that we are going with Skills 4 Success, and it sounds like we are going back to the old program of an adult vocational training centre. We are going back to the old model, and that is what is scaring me, that the college has developed to where we are and it seems to me that we are coming back to making it a vocational training centre.

Can the Minister clarify: is this the direction the department is looking at doing, or is Skills 4 Success part of that picture, or am I...

Thank you, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess the question is: it goes case-by-case, but does it also include the fact that there are other costs? Like if you have a family, the father has to provide food for the family, has to look after a sick spouse, and a child is going off to school. So are those factors built into this or not? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for asking that question. Yes, I want all of the programs that are running at Aurora College at the campuses in Inuvik, Yellowknife, and in Fort Smith. For those programs there, what programs do they have, and which ones have they done reviews on? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the Minister for that. I guess for the future, and the Minister is probably aware of this, it's a really good program, and I think we should be identifying the success that the department is having with these non-NGOs. Northern Youth Abroad has a huge, huge impact on our youth, and the Minister has been involved with it previously as a volunteer. So I would like to see it in the business plan or in the main estimates in the future. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer. In regard to program reviews, when was the last time the Social Work Program was reviewed? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that. I know the department is doing some good work on that. I just wanted to make sure we get it communicated properly and everybody is on-stream with it. So this next question, here, is just regarding Northern Youth Abroad. I know that there's a contribution agreement with the Department of Education and the Department Municipal and Community Affairs. Is it in this area here? Because it shows a blank here, but it might be somewhere else. So can the Minister confirm if it's in this section or if it's in another section? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My questions are in regards to Aurora College. We talked about the foundational review and program review. Can the Minister advise, if the two reports have different directions, which report will trump the other report? If the foundational review says we are going this way and the program review says we are going this way, which report will trump the other one? Thank you, Mr. Chair.