Which one is it? Okay, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Debates of Feb. 24th, 1997
Topics
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
The Chair John Ningark
To the motion. Mr. Picco.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
Edward Picco Iqaluit
Thank you. I think this motion coming from the Standing Committee on Social Programs is a good motion. I will be voting to support it. I would have liked to see some more mention in the motion concerning the layoff notices or the layoff intentions that have been given to the translators and interpreters in the regions with regard to the restructuring of the Language Bureau. In conversation with several people from my riding, it does not seem that the restructuring of the Language Bureau and the elimination of Language Bureau has much support. This motion made by the Standing Committee on Social Programs goes a long way to address that, but I would have liked to see it go a bit farther, but I will be supporting the motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr. Picco. To the motion. Question is being asked. All those in favour. Opposed. The motion is carried.
-- Applause
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
The Chair John Ningark
Culture and careers, operations and maintenance, total operations and maintenance is $103,977,000. Agreed?
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
The Chair John Ningark
Mr. Erasmus.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister had indicated he does not know what communities have never had a based-funded adult educator. What community did not have a based-funded adult educator this year?
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, we provided the standing committee with a list of communities which do have base-funded positions and we could make a copy of that list available to this committee right now. I do not have a list of which communities do not have those positions. As I said, we have already provided this information to the standing committee.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
The Chair John Ningark
Qujannamiik. Operations and maintenance, total operations and maintenance. I have Mr. Erasmus.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 830
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
I seem to have lost my paper here. There are too many people sitting at everybody else's desk. From the Minister's information, I know Detah and Ndilo have never had a based-funded adult educator and their population is approximately 500, which is larger than many, many communities in the Northwest Territories. Although they are
situated fairly close to Yellowknife, their level of education is no better than any other community and probably worse than some. The Minister is probably aware that Detah and Ndilo are working to become amalgamated and they are one band. They have been for many, many years. I would like to know if this department treats Detah and Ndilo as one community?
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am not sure that the department has treated Detah and Ndilo as one community. I do know that in the previous government, Minister Nerysoo did make a commitment to examine provision of a K-3 school in Ndilo at some future time and I know the department is carrying forward with looking at that commitment, but to-date I could not say that we have looked at Detah and Ndilo as one community. There is a school in Detah, but I do not believe the students from Ndilo attend that school. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Culture and careers, operations and maintenance, total operations and maintenance. Mr. Erasmus.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For the information of the Minister, the communities that do not have an adult educator are Detah, Ndilo, Yellowknife, Inuvik, Rae Lakes and Colville. I would like to know what the communities of Detah and Ndilo have to do in order to get a based-funded adult educator. They have a combined population of 500 and their education levels are just as low as any of the communities here that do have a based-funded adult educator.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
The Chair John Ningark
Qujannamiik. Mr. Minister.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I did not count the communities as the Member was listing them, but I certainly heard fewer than at least 23 communities which exist in the Territories that do not have base-funded adult educators. As I indicated in response to an earlier question, the colleges have not had adequate funding to increase the number of based-funded adult educator positions in those 23 communities for at least five years. Mr. Cleveland advises me it may be as much as ten years since there has been any change in the numbers of based-funded positions in the college. As Members will have noticed in my opening comments, we are again this year reducing the contributions to the two colleges by a total of about $1 million. It is obviously difficult for the colleges to continue to expand their offerings at a time when their base funding is being significantly eroded. Having said that, most communities have been served relatively recently through some third party funded program. The colleges have both been very active at seeking out third party funding, many times providing one third of their course offerings through that avenue. By and large, they have been very successful in ensuring programs are offered in all communities. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. I am having some difficulties here. The honourable Member was seeking some information and Mr. Minister did not seem to have information available. Now both the honourable Member and the Minister seem to have information, both of them. Mr. Erasmus.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. According to this document called a Blueprint for the Future, which is the corporate plan of the Aurora college, it indicates that approximately 33 percent of the aboriginal people in the western NWT have less than grade nine and approximately three percent of non-aboriginal people have less than grade nine. I would like to know if the department has a clear and concise plan to bring these levels more even. Obviously I would not expect them to increase the levels of non-aboriginal people to 33 percent. Is there a plan to bring the aboriginal levels of people with less than grade nine down to a three or four percent that is enjoyed by the non-aboriginal population?
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. That was final supplementary. Mr. Minister.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In response to your concern, Mr. Chairman, I did indicate to the committee that I have a list of communities in which base-funded positions were situated and what I did was the math which comes from saying we have, I think, 58 communities in the Northwest Territories. Since my list has 35 communities on it with base-funded positions there are approximately 23 communities which do not have base-funded positions. In response to Mr. Erasmus' question, one of the reasons behind the report I mentioned in my opening comments, is intended to give us a better understanding of adult basic education needs in the Northwest Territories, to find a better way of delivering the service. To define what works, what our best practice is, and to help us better co-ordinate our activities so we can ensure, in tight fiscal times, we are delivering the best possible education to the greatest number of people. I think it is an essential part of the exercise. While the Member was critical of the report in his general comments, I believe it is necessary for us to identify exactly how we are doing, what we are doing now, and how we can improve on that in order to ensure we do, in fact, improve the numbers the Member has referred to. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
The Chair Vince Steen
Thank you, Minister Dent. I have culture and careers, operations and maintenance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I was going to make a motion in regards to adult education, but I will wait until the questions are finished.
Committee Motion 22-13(4): Recommendation To Prepare Interpreter/translator Services Plan
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 831
The Chair Vince Steen
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Culture and careers, operations and maintenance, Mr. Erasmus.