The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Mr. Todd.

John Todd Keewatin Central

Yes, I'll look at it, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Ningark.

John Ningark Natilikmiot

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, some time ago, when the closure of Akaitcho Hall was imminent, the Minister at the time assured the House that every community that requires a high school and where it was justifiable, they would get a high school. Gjoa Haven has been requesting a high school according to the Department of Education's own initiative. The department's priority is education, right? Now, Mr. Speaker, Gjoa Haven has been requesting a high school and we were assured about two or three years ago that in 1995, Gjoa Haven would get one.

Now we have another problem. When I was in Gjoa Haven, I was told by the hamlet council that they may not be able to have a high school because they don't have the facilities or staff housing to house the teaching staff. My question to the Minister -- and it may have to be directed to the Minister of Personnel -- would the Minister assure me, the people of Gjoa Haven, and this House that we will, in fact, be getting a high school and the teaching staff will be there in 1995? Thank you.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you. I would like to be able to stand up and guarantee that, Mr. Speaker; however, I will have to take the question as notice and speak to the Kitikmeot Divisional Board of Education to get more information on this matter.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Thank you. The question has been taken as notice. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Arvaluk.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister of Education, Mr. Nerysoo.

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the honourable Member for raising the question and I do have the information. The two communities that are involved in the community pilot project -- which are getting ready for the transfer of social assistance to Education, Culture and Employment -- that affects the government liaison officer positions, one is located in Arviat. The GLO was co-located to the Health and Social Services area office in January and the focus for this project is to provide more employment career counselling to employable clients.

In Baker Lake, the government liaison officer co-located to the Health and Social Services area office in January and the project will provide employment career counselling to employable clients.

In Coppermine, the executive services officer, ESO, will issue social assistance from his office and will also offer employment career counselling to employable clients. The pilot will begin in March with an annual caseload of 954.

In the case of Rankin Inlet, the community social services worker co-located from Health and Social Services area to the career centre in January, with the entire Social Services annual caseload of 1,368.

Those are some of the income support pilot initiatives that have been undertaken. I believe that the same opportunity was offered to the Baffin communities and we did not receive any proposals and as such, did not proceed with pilot initiatives in those communities. Now that does not, Mr. Speaker, rule out the possibility of maybe us responding to the concerns that the honourable Members have raised in this House if their communities are inclined. In some cases, the municipal councils are actually involved. Cape Dorset is one where the social services are being delivered from the community and, as such, they're dealing with these particular issues.

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Supplementary, Mr. Arvaluk.

James Arvaluk Aivilik

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Supplementary to the same Minister. The Premier said yesterday that as we speak, other such arrangements are being looked at in other communities. My supplementary question is who is leading the initiative to make sure that the department, which needs these people to work, is contributing to the wages of GLOs? Who is responsible for this initiative?

The Speaker Samuel Gargan

Minister Nerysoo.

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was a combination of departments working in conjunction with one another. The Executive office, lead by the deputy minister, Mr. Pierre Alvarez, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Department of Health and Social Services working in conjunction with the regions. So that was the basis on which we dealt with this particular matter, including the regional offices, which were involved in these discussions. So that is the basis on which we conducted the pilot projects. Nothing is suggested, at this particular time, that we have ruled out all possibilities. What we need is for the communities to become interested; they were advised of this issue and these were the communities that came up with their ideas on the initiative. There are a number of other communities that are also involved.