I can't say they are the same policies. I think they are consistent, in terms of the reflection of local circumstances. For instance, we in the west don't always have the winds that the Nunavut communities experience. They have to consider that. On the other hand, there is probably the same kind of criteria established for how cold the weather gets. There is probably consistency across the board. It varies, depending on the circumstances but the boards generally develop those policies.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I think we've gotten to the area I'm interested in now. I would like to ask where the obligation comes to pay the NWTTA president's salary. Is that in the collective agreement, is it an understanding that's evolved over the years or what? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The union pays the person and we just handle what you might say is the payroll aspect of it. It is paid by the union.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association Act calls for the teachers association to have responsibility to make by-laws respecting the reprimand, suspension, expulsion, reinstatement and discipline of their members. I'm not quoting that exactly, but that's in section four which, I think, dates back to 1976. I guess I would just like to venture my opinion that the association has not demonstrated to me, in the handling of disciplinary issues that have occurred in my constituency, that they are doing a responsible job.

I have evidence, in fact, that the association executive rejected recommendations of an independent disciplinary panel of teachers that was set up under their own regulations. I suspect that the recommendations of this independent panel were rejected-- and I suspect this because the recommendations were made about the sitting member of the executive of the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association. This has been bothering me since it happened. I've been observing the association and I will simply say that I believe this whole area needs reform. In the review of the education legislation and the strategy work that is under way, will attention be paid by the Minister to this whole area of discipline and problems that arise with teachers? In other words, is the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association Act, its provisions, regulations and by-laws, also something that could be reviewed? Thank you.

I thank the Minister for those comments, Mr. Chairman. I would like to make some comments for the record on the issue now, since I have been invited to do so. I will participate in the review process actively as well.

Mr. Chairman, there are many very dedicated teachers. Most of them are very committed to their work. I am concerned that where there are problems -- and every profession has members that have problems -- the present arrangement which gives the association the authority to discipline its members has not been working effectively. I would like to say I believe this role and responsibility may well be incompatible with the other role that it actively pursues which is to act as the advocate for members who are being disciplined by the employer, the government. I really question how the association can discipline its own while it is often actively representing members who have disputes in the work place with the employer. That is a fundamental problem.

As a result, and I stated this in the Assembly today, we have a teacher who we are stuck with. The Iqaluit education authority doesn't want him working in the schools because he does not have the confidence of parents that he is not going to lose his temper and cause further problems in the classroom. The employer is stuck, apparently, because of the double jeopardy rule. Mr. Chairman, this is not the first time I have seen this happen. I am aware of other instances where teachers who have caused problems in the work place requiring them to be removed from the classroom, are nonetheless continuing on the government payroll because there is no effective way of dealing with the problem, at our sizable expense.

We need every teaching person year we can spare. I am getting complaints in my riding about the lack of a number of teaching services in the local schools including French, including the sciences and yet here we have a teacher who is being paid to do busy work because of our antiquated provisions in legislation on discipline and handling these situations. I want to say that whatever has to be put in place should respect the rights of the teachers and should have due process, but whatever is done, we should not continue to be stuck with these surplus people on full salary, indeterminate as far as I can see, because our legislation puts the employer in a box. I must say throughout all of this, the association has been actively representing, defending and even lionizing this particular individual as if he is some kind of a hero.

I know there are issues of student violence in the classroom that are of serious concern to teachers, but when the students are concerned about teacher violence in the classroom, the association seems to take a much different approach. It is a very defensive attitude and not one that I think reflects professional integrity. I just appreciate the opportunity, Mr. Chairman, to put these comments on the record. I know there are strong opinions. I am not going to ask the Minister to respond, at this time, but I want to say that I believe these issues should be addressed. I have gone so far as to discuss the matter with the current president of the NWT Teachers' Association and he also agrees that the legislation particularly relating to teacher discipline is at least outmoded. He may not agree with my recommendations about how it should modernized. But I think there is general agreement that these areas have to be modernized.

I appreciate the opportunity to put those comments on the record. I hope that they can be dealt with because the issue is certainly causing great frustration in my constituency and has in the past. I suspect it is causing the Minister, his officials and divisional board personnel frustrations as well. But, most important, it seems to be wasting public money.

I won't say any more, except there is one additional comment I would like to make. This Legislature has made a resolution about zero tolerance of violence. I think the objective of that resolution was to encourage other organizations and bodies to make similar commitments. I would like to say here, now, that, following what I have said about the zeal with which the NWT Teachers' Association seems to have pursued the interests of teachers against students who commit violence, I would like to challenge the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association to consider adopting principles of zero tolerance of violence for their own members as well.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

If there is no one else, Mr. Chairman, I have another issue I would like to address. It relates to Arctic College. Mr. Chairman, I think the Minister is aware of the shortage of married student housing in the Nunatta Campus. As I understand it, this past fall, there were some 26 applications that were filled for married student accommodation in the 26 units that are presently available in Iqaluit. After those

applications were filled this past fall, there were still 31 students with families on the waiting list. I think I made the point in general comments that these students are, in my opinion, good-risk students because they are mature, solid and committed and, often going back to school after having been in the work place, wanting to prove themselves. Most of them are aboriginal students. I understand that the department has put out a tender to survey the student housing requirements in all of the regions. I think this is a good move. Where is that process at? How soon does the Minister expect to receive recommendations on this issue? Since there is a desperate situation in some campuses, when can we expect to have a response from the department and the college? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That particular contract that Mr. Patterson pointed out to Members has been issued. The assessment should be done hopefully by the end of April. It would give us some time to deal with how we address the matter of capital expenditures over the next several years. Our view is that we should not be dealing with it only on the immediate requirement, but also long-term planning. That is what we are trying to consider in terms of planning for residences, generally.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know the Minister has yet to receive the consultant's recommendations, but instead of the expensive alternative of building student residences, the approach which has been taken in the past, are there other approaches that could be taken in perhaps encouraging the private sector to fill these needs, entering into lease arrangements, guaranteeing occupancy? Will these kinds of options be considered by the Minister? They would allow things to happen much more quickly than building something into a five year capital plan. I am hoping that there will be solutions by next fall. Perhaps I am naive. There were 31 families who couldn't go to school because of housing problems this past fall. I think that is a crying shame. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, those are in the back of our minds. There is nothing to suggest at the present that we're in any way stopping private investors from making their own commitments with a view that the student population could increase in any particular community. That is a decision that they have to make, but we would never stand in the way of that option.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a comment. Unfortunately, the real estate market in Iqaluit, at least, and I suspect in most of the off-highway communities, is such that, without some inducements and guarantees, the private sector won't even build a single staff housing unit, let alone a multi-plex for students. I think there are going to have to be some creative solutions sought in cooperation with the private sector, rather than just waiting for something to happen. I may be criticized for even daring to suggest this in this Assembly by my student constituents, but it strikes me that the very low charges for room and board in the college system, although they are very favourable to students, may actually be a disincentive to students actively seeking their own accommodation the way college students do in the rest of the country. I wonder if the review of student financial assistance might also look at that issue. We might be able to, at least, go some way to meeting student accommodation needs if we gave students loans and grants to pay for their own accommodation costs and then repay the state once they graduated, rather than charging them very small rates for room and board to live in a government-owned student residence. Maybe we have to look at a different approach to providing student accommodation and give the students more money but ask them to pay it back when they graduate.

If the Minister has any comments on that, I would be interested. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Minister.

In terms of whether or not students use other units, we generally cover those additional costs anyhow. Student financial assistance does that already. The fact is, the resources could be accessed if other additional housing units were to be made available. However, I would be extremely cautious in making that comment, because I don't want the private sector to get the view that they can gouge the system either. I think it has to be reasonable, fair and with the view that there is a return on the investment they've made and they're not losing in the process. That's what I would suggest.