This is page numbers 231 - 261 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 3rd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.

Topics

Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

May 6th, 1996

Page 251

The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. The committee will come to order. When we concluded yesterday, we were considering Bill 11, Appropriation Act, 1996-97; particularly, Education, Culture and Employment. What is the wish of the committee, do we continue? Mr. Erasmus.

Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to suggest, after a short break, we continue with the business we were attending to yesterday.

Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Do we have the concurrence of the committee?

Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

--- Agreed

Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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Some Hon. Members

Department Of Education, Culture And Employment

Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
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The Chair John Ningark

We will take a 1 5-minute break, then resume with Bill 11. Thank you.

--- SHORT RECESS

Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. The committee will come back to order. Before we resume with Bill 11, Appropriation Act, 1996-97, I would like to ask the Minister if he wishes to bring in the witnesses.

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, please.

Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, please bring in the witnesses.

--- Interjection

Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
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The Chair John Ningark

Oh, yes. Thank you. I forgot, sorry about that. Does the committee agree?

Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
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Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

--- Agreed

Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. For the record, I would like to ask the Minister to introduce the witnesses.

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on my left, I have the acting deputy minister of the department, Mr. Eric Colbourne; and, on my right, the director of finance and administration, Mr. Paul Devitt.

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. We left off with general comments from the floor. Are there any further general comments? Mr. Enuaraq.

General Comments

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Tommy Enuaraq Baffin Central

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As a former teacher, I am pleased to participate in the detailed review of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. I am sure that most honourable Members will agree that education should be our first priority. With Nunavut soon upon us, we are counting on education and training to prepare as many people as possible for the new job opportunities which will be created. As the Minister knows, I have some specific concerns about elders; whether the territorial senior citizens' supplement could be reviewed for increase. I am very concerned about the difficult circumstances of our elders in coping with the very high cost of living in our very small, remote communities. The elders are very important, respected citizens. They are the anchors for our society. I will deal with those concerns when we get to the activity of culture and careers.

However, in general, I wish to express my concern that in my region, and throughout Nunavut, the first priority in education must be to prepare our people for the new jobs which will result from Nunavut. I am pleased to learn that some $40 million will be spent by the federal government on training for Nunavut. Also, I am pleased that Mr. Irwin has said that training is a priority in the funding for Nunavut.

Mr. Chairman, we have an Arctic College system in place in Nunavut. In most of our communities, there are community learning centres in place. I am pleased with the new facility in place in Pangnirtung. As the Minister knows, I am anxious to work with the Minister and the community education council in Clyde River to make sure that the new community learning centre now being planned for Clyde River is the right size to meet the needs of that community. This is nothing new to the Minister, by the way, Mr. Chairman.

Also, I am very hopeful that the community can be fully involved in the planning. If that means that we must take a little more time, then it will be worth it to get a new learning centre which is right for the needs of the community.

However, Mr. Chairman, the point I wish to make is that I am very hopeful that the $40 million or so which is available to train for Nunavut can be spent through the Arctic College system which is already in place. We have heard concerns about the possible move of certain college programs from the Baffin region to other regions. One of the programs under consideration for being moved is management training. Mr. Chairman, I am all for management training programs being available in all three Nunavut regions. I believe it will be unfortunate if only one region in Nunavut has this important program located in the region. What I am hoping, Mr. Chairman, is that the money which will be made available for training in Nunavut can flow through the Arctic College. I am also hoping that these new monies will allow us to make more programs like management training available in all three regions.

Obviously there are other programs of equal importance in preparing for Nunavut: teacher training, training social workers, trades, environmental managers. I would like to ask Mr. Dent whether this money can be administered through this government and the Arctic College system which is now in place. Does the Department of Education have a plan in place for training for Nunavut? Could this Assembly be given details of departments' training plans for Nunavut? Is it possible that Arctic College programs could be enhanced with the new monies available from the federal government? Is it possible that the management training programs which were due to be moved out from the Baffin region could be restored with these new federal monies? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you, Mr. Enuaraq. I believe there were three or four questions. Honourable Minister, if you can remember those three or four questions, you have the floor. Thank you.

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am very happy to hear the Member say that education is his first priority. I share the Member's ranking of priorities in this issue and believe that education must remain our first priority. I think we have a real opportunity that faces us now, that's the number of jobs which will be created with the creation of Nunavut. This will provide some new employment in the Nunavut region. The Member is absolutely correct, we have in place a good part of the infrastructure which is needed to deliver the training with the college campuses in the Nunavut region.

The Member asked if the $40 million could be administered by the colleges or the department, and I am certainly willing to say that we could administer it. Obviously, with the

infrastructure being in place right now, we, too, hope that the training funds will be funnelled through the college to ensure that we take advantage of the infrastructure that's in place. There will have to be some agreement between all of the parties to allow us to administer those funds, but we're hopeful that we will see that sort of agreement, rather than having a whole new infrastructure being set up to provide the training. The concern is that if that infrastructure has to be recreated by a different body, you spend more money on infrastructure and less of it actually gets into training for residents of Nunavut.

So, yes, we do have a training plan. Can I share it with the House right now? No, because at this point in time it's in draft stage and is just going out for consultation with the beneficiary groups. We need to get some input from them, then, perhaps, make some revisions before the plans are finalized. But the plans will be public as of July 9th, and we can commit that these will be public. I think each department is required to post them in a public place after July 9th. So this will be a very public training program.

The Member also asked if the college plans for training could be enhanced; for instance, management training in Iqaluit. The college has largely depended on third-party funding in order to provide its training programs across the North. So, certainly, if this $40 million that the Member has referred to can be directed to the college for training programs, it would allow the training to be as broadly based as is possible. I would see no reason why, for instance, if the partners all agreed that management training should be offered in Iqaluit, it could not be offered there with third-party funding. I think that responds to all the Member's direct questions.

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. Enuaraq.

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Tommy Enuaraq Baffin Central

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would also like to thank the honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment for being able to answer my questions. My last question was is it possible that the management training program which was due to be moved out of the Baffin region could be restored with these new federal monies. Thank you.

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Sorry, I didn't hear your question, but if the Minister wants to respond.

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Charles Dent

Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was trying to indicate to the Member that what has to happen is

an agreement of the partners involved as to how that money would be spent. I did indicate that that is certainly one possibility, that the program could also be offered in Iqaluit.

The first year of the base-funded program is scheduled to move to Rankin Inlet, but that does not mean that the program could not be offered in both Rankin and Iqaluit if the funds are available. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. Mr. Enuaraq.

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Tommy Enuaraq Baffin Central

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't have any further comments but, once again, I would like to thank the Minister. Thank you.

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The Chair John Ningark

Thank you. General comments. Mr. Krutko.

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David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question is similar to what my colleague stated regarding management training. My question to the Minister is with regard to the program dollars we do have, especially in light of the dismal rate we have in the West when it comes to aboriginal managers within the government. When it comes to affirmative action, we are lacking in the percentages. Are there any possible resources within this budget to allow the other aboriginal groups to have a similar opportunity to what is presently being negotiated with the Inuit from the East and also the federal government, through their comprehensive claim agreement? Are those resources in the departmental budget for other groups to have a similar opportunity to establish management training programs for the other aboriginal groups in the Northwest Territories, especially in the West?