Reply 1-13(4)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I look around the House, I am reminded of the days of the residential schools. There was a great sacrifice for us going away from our family and friends to a place where we did not know or understand what it was all about. The first real introduction to education we were taught to apply, which most of us learned and took back to our communities.

We were people who needed to be taught in the ways we were taught in order to be strong for the future. With a good education anyone can succeed and, I believe, we, as members of this House, are a good example of this. Many of us went through the residential school system, and now I want to encourage our young people to stay in school and learn. Today our young people do not have to leave the community to receive a good education. You go to school in your own communities. This is good and it will continue to improve as we get more and more of our own teachers into these schools.

However, education does not end when one graduates or leaves school. Many people are now realizing that they need further education in the form of basic upgrading, adult education, post-secondary education for them to succeed. We must support all residents to ensure they receive whatever training they would like to try for. Over the years, in my region, we have had many great leaders, and all have stressed the importance of education, and in this day and age it is even more important. I believe we are showing our people that this is the way to go.

Just this year, in my region, I was publishing my newsletters. It shows 26 residents of my region are attending colleges, universities or trade schools, in southern Canada, as well as, Arctic College in the North. This may seem a small number; however, never, in recent history, have so many from our region pursued higher education. In some of my communities we have at least 50 adults taking different forms of adult education, with an additional 50 more on waiting lists wanting to get involved and learn. To go one step further, we have approximately 781 students attending classes from kindergarten to grade 12 within the region.

This, of course, is a vast improvement over previous years, and especially back in the days of the residential schools that I attended. This alone shows that approximately 1/3 of my region's population is now taking some form of recognized education. This has not taken place overnight; it has taken years of hard work and dedication from residents like Mrs. Elizabeth MacKenzie who has recently received the Northerner of the Year award for her constant vigorous work to ensure our people are educated.

To continue further education, the region has now signed to continue an impact and benefit agreement with BHP, and we are currently in the final stages of negotiations for land claims settlements. We are starting negotiations with various mining companies, all of which have been a learning experience, and all of which have training components recognized. This will ensure employees from all regions as well as claimants from all regions will have an opportunity to develop in any manner they wish.

We also have training components in our community companies, which provide employees with the ability to increase their knowledge and abilities. We are also investigating new ways to improve training in the smaller communities. We are trying to negotiate contracts with large capital projects which will give our construction workers experience and training in different types of construction, and ensure any contracts provide training to our residents in their field of expertise.

Currently we have the Hamlet of Rae-Edzo investigating ways to ensure an airport is constructed in Rae-Edzo. Our indications of this show nothing but benefits to the communities. Higher levels of equipment training will take place, more qualified residents will be produced, and more qualified residents will be required to provide an ongoing maintenance, communications support, et cetera. This airstrip, if constructed, will provide the community with the ability to increase trade between the communities, support for mine workers, localized expansions of business, and, of course, more training for the private sector.

This is just a beginning, soon we will have BHP's diamond mine upgrading which will employ numerous northerners, as well as, members of my communities, and will, of course, provide opportunities to train for whatever position they wish to try for.

I could go on with all the positive things that are happening, or have the potential to happen in my region. However, we must remember that we, as the Government of the Northwest Territories, must support and encourage our residents to continue their education, to ensure that our people are strong like 2 people, as my Aunt Elizabeth MacKenzie says, and which has become the heart and soul of the educational philosophy of our region.

In closing, I would like to congratulate and encourage all students to continue with their schooling, and, especially, congratulate Betty Ann Hodzen for being the first ever resident of Snare Lake to be accepted to advance into college at Red Deer College in January 1997. Education is the promise of a better life for our residents, and we must support them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Rabesca. Replies to opening address. Petitions. Reports of standing and special committees. Reports of committees on the review of bills. Tabling of Documents. Mr. Ng.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, Tabled Document 8-13(4), the Sixth Annual Report of the Victims Assistance Committee of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Tabling of documents. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to table this piece on the sewers of Yellowknife, but, I believe it would be too expensive to table and, being such a frugally-minded person in our times of restraint, I also think we should save as much money as possible to transfer to Iqaluit for the new capital in the east. So, I will only table this picture, Tabled Document 9-13(4), which shows a length of sewer pipe from the Yellowknife sewers. Thank you.

Tabling of documents. Notices of motion. Mr. Ootes.

Notices of motion. Notices of motion for first reading of bills. Motions. Mr. Ootes.

The Member for Yellowknife Centre is seeking unanimous consent to deal with his motion today. Do we have any nays? There are no nays. You have unanimous consent, Mr. Ootes. Proceed.

Thank you. Just for correction, to let the Members know, in the printed document it says High Arctic. It is actually the Member for Thebacha. Just a correction.

The motion is in order. To the motion. The question is being called. All those in favour. All those opposed. The motion is carried.

First reading of motions. First reading of bills. Second reading of bills. Consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters. Member's Statement 1-13(4), Tabled Document 4-13(4), Tabled Document 5-13(4), Bill 1, Minister's Statement 5-13(4) and 6-13(4), with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.

Agreed.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have some very brief opening comments and then we can proceed to detail, if you want.

The Supplementary Appropriation Act, No. 2 requests authority for additional appropriations of $712,000 for operation and maintenance expenditures. The majority of the items included in the supplementary appropriation are interdepartmental funding transfers associated with the consolidation of government departments and the user pay/user say initiative. The additional funding requirements of $712,000 will either be offset by additional revenues or provided for in the estimated supplementary requirements in the 1996/97 main estimates. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Agreed.

--Agreed

Thank you, Madam Chair. To my immediate right is Mr. Lew Voytilla, deputy minister of the Financial Management Board Secretariat. Thank you.