We seem to be losing some Members in this House. Mr. Zoe.
Debates of Sept. 18th, 1992
Topics
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 997
Henry Zoe North Slave
Mr. Chairman, in regards to the Northern Leaders' Program, it was important, there were an elite group of people who had to go through a certain process in order to be recommended from the regions. I understand that there is a problem with money currently within the government, that is why they are eliminating it.
That is not the point that I am trying to make. The point that I am trying to make is that, the intent of the program is specific to train people in the management and administration of land claims. The government has given special attention to this group of people so that we can be ready when claims are settled, and have appropriate people in place.
The process that was in place, it was hard to even get on to this program. You had to go through your regional councils, and the whole region had to make a recommendation to the department, to even get accepted. It is only an elite group of people that were eligible for this program. The region is the one that decided who would be the most capable, and the most likely to be a successful person to finish this program, somebody who would come back to the region and work in the region in the area of claims. That was the intent of this whole program. Now if the department is going to eliminate this program, what alternative is there to further their education in the area of claims?
I realize that we have the normal student financial assistance and so forth, but has the department considered giving them special attention or special consideration, or had the department even considered that when they were looking at eliminating this particular program? It is critical, in particular for my region at this point, because we are pursuing regional claims and we have to have people in place.
We have got to start training people now so that we do have adequate people when we do settle our claims. As I indicated, other regions may be pursuing claims and they have got to have their people in place. So, the fact that you are eliminating this program because of money does not jive with me. The amount of money that we were spending on this particular program was benefitting everyone.
I think if the Minister is going to eliminate it this year, you had better start thinking about doing something for those students that we want trained in the area of claims. I certainly am not supporting the department eliminating this Northern Leaders' Program. It has been successful so far, and I am sure that my other colleagues would agree with me.
Another point that I raised, Mr. Chairman, in regards to the Teacher Education Program is that the Minister is indicating that they are going ahead with what has been happening over a number of years, but it has been on a year to year basis. What I had asked of the Minister or of the department, is does the department have long term plans in regard to the Teacher Education Program?
You are doing it on a year to year basis, and I did not hear the Minister saying that, yes, we do have long term plans in regard to this particular program. He has indicated that it is ongoing, but it is on a year to year basis. I want to see a long term plan, and he has not addressed my question that I have raised. Mahsi.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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James Arvaluk Aivilik
Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. I am having a very hard time with the northern leaders system since I have looked everywhere since I have gone into this department because I was very, very intrigued by this program that the government has introduced. What beautiful courses or high standards, different from regular post-secondary, if the North American university is not good enough, are they being sent to Harvard or something like that? I cannot find out anywhere that they are making post-secondary education any different for students who are being funded under the regular Student Financial Assistance Program.
The only thing that I have found out so far, is that they live a little bit better than regular students who are not elitists. I do not know if we want to create that in the north on purpose. That is why, in terms of courses, the requirement for higher standard books, any of those things, the government has not been able to tell me.
I cannot convince or justify the Financial Management Board for continuing the leaders program, because I cannot see any differences in courses that they would be taking, other than the regular students that we send out under the financial assistance program. I think that what will have to happen, that is if we were wrong, and they were taking special courses that cannot be offered or the courses that they were taking were more expensive than the regular students in post-secondary education, then we will have to be told that or at least, it should be given to us so that financing for this kind of thing can be justified for the Financial Management Board and to the House.
What we are doing in this case is eliminating it, we are increasing the potential number of regular students because it is the same amount of money that the government allocates under the appropriation. If we eliminate that, we would then be able to increase the number of students that would be going to post-secondary school which is quite a bit cheaper.
In terms of C.T.E.P. programs, because we have an objective to increase 25 persons of the C.T.E.P. graduates to 50 percent of the total teaching personnel in the N.W.T. by the year 2000, then that is why we are reviewing this program so that we can get to that objective by the year 2000, successfully. That is the long term plan. We cannot really have solid long term objectives without reviewing it, looking at it, and seeing what a better success rate we can have to reach our goal. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Pollard.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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John Pollard Hay River
Mr. Chairman, there has been an accident at Giant Mines. We would move that we report progress and go into caucus. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. The motion is in order. It is not debateable. I do not have a quorum, I need a quorum to vote on this motion.
The motion to report progress is not debatable. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.
---Carried
I would like to thank the witnesses at this time.
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 18: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Item 19, report of the committee of the whole. Mr. Chairman.
Item 19: Report Of Committee Of The Whole
Item 19: Report Of Committee Of The Whole
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The Chair John Ningark
Mr. Speaker, the committee has been considering Bill 33 and committee report 17-12(2), and wish to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of chairman of the committee of the whole be concurred with.
Item 19: Report Of Committee Of The Whole
Item 19: Report Of Committee Of The Whole
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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Mr. Chairman, is there a seconder? Mr. Zoe. Motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed? Motion is carried.
---Carried
We will take a short recess at this time. I would like to make a short statement on behalf of the Legislative Assembly. Because of a grave accident at Royal Oak Mines, I would like to say that the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories is shutting down today, and will not be resuming session until Monday. Item 20, third reading of bills. Item 21, Mr. Clerk, orders of the day.
Item 21: Orders Of The Day
Item 21: Orders Of The Day
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Clerk Of The House Mr. David Hamilton
Mr. Speaker, meetings for Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, and at 10:30 of the Ordinary Members' Caucus. Orders of the day for Monday, September 21, 1992:
1. Prayer
2. Ministers' Statements
3. Members' Statements
4. Returns to Oral Questions
5. Oral Questions
6. Written Questions
7. Returns to Written Questions
8. Replies to Opening Address
9. Petitions
10. Reports of Standing and Special Committees
11. Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
12. Tabling of Documents
13. Notices of Motion
14. Notices of Motions for First Reading of Bills
15. Motions
- Motion 34
16. First Reading of Bills
17. Second Reading of Bills
18. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and
Other Matters
- Tabled Document 9-12(2)
- Tabled Document 10-12(2)
- Tabled Document 62-12(2)
- Motion 6
- Committee Report 10-12(2)
- Committee Report 17-12(2)
- Committee Report 18-12(2)
- Bill 9
- Bill 31
- Bill 33
- Minister's Statement 82-12(2)
19. Report of Committee of the Whole
20. Third Reading of Bills
21. Orders of the Day
Item 21: Orders Of The Day
Item 21: Orders Of The Day
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The Speaker Michael Ballantyne
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. This House stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. Monday, September 21, 1992.
---ADJOURNMENT