Oral questions. Mr. Picco.
Debates of Feb. 12th, 1998
Topics
Further Return To Question 301-13(5): Pregnancy And Std Rates Among Teens
Question 301-13(5): Pregnancy And Std Rates Among Teens
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 751
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 751
Edward Picco Iqaluit
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the past couple of months and weeks and even today, we have heard a couple of statements concerning funding for our schools, school boards and education system. I wonder if the Minister of Education could actually outline what type of fiscal controls have been put in place on the boards which keep bringing up these continuing concerns? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 751
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Minister of Education, Culture, and Employment, Mr. Dent.
Return To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 751
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department does not put any kind of fiscal control on the councils that leads to a concern. I suspect the concern is coming from the capping of the formula for the past couple of years and councils have had to absorb any increases in population within the funding that has been provided to them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Return To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 751
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.
Supplementary To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
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Edward Picco Iqaluit
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the concern I was trying to bring out was that the boards, the NWTTA, anyone that is involved in education today, I received a letter, as I said in my statement, from the Apex District Education Authority as to the type of monies that have been allocated by the formula. I am wondering if the Minister will be revisiting that formula in light of these concerns over the past few months in regard to the monetary amounts that have been given or allocated to the groups? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 751
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Mr. Dent.
Further Return To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 751
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the formula is, in fact, revisited every single year. The department, working together with directors from all the divisional education councils, reviews the formula before setting it up for the subsequent year. I believe the Member is asking, will we find a way to put more money into the formula? Unless this legislature finds some way to put more money into education, the answer is no. The amount of money in my budget is fixed and unless this legislature decides to change its priorities and, for example, direct me to take money from the seniors' fuel subsidy and make it available to the councils, it would be impossible to do. This is something the Members need to remember. The money has to come from somewhere, and if we are going to talk about increasing funding for councils, then I would be interested to hear the Members' advice as to where it should come from. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Further Return To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 751
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Picco.
Supplementary To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 751
Edward Picco Iqaluit
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am just an Ordinary Member. I do not have a big bureaucracy working
for me to give me advice. I do notice, Mr. Speaker, a good initiative of this House, of this government, of the department in this government which is the Strategic Initiatives Fund announced by Mr. Ng today. Someone put money in that fund to help out with the FAS/FAE strategic initiatives for our children. If we could find money for that fund, we should be able to find money for our education boards who have been screaming, as Mr. Henry has done in his statement today and in my statement. My question is, where, Mr. Speaker, where will the Minister find the money to put into that fund? He asked me to find it. I will ask him, where will he find the money? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause
Supplementary To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Mr. Dent.
Further Return To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Mr. Speaker, I could look in my wallet, but I doubt there would be enough to make a big difference. I do not have the ability to add money to the education budget. I have the ability only to use and allocate the money my department is given. Where am I going to find more money? The answer is, I do not have any way of finding more money. I have not checked my lottery ticket from last night, but I doubt that even that would be enough to deal with the situation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Further Return To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Picco.
Supplementary To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
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Edward Picco Iqaluit
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious subject. I am not trying to make light of it, but, indeed, the Department of Health has found money within their budget as identified by Members of this Assembly in areas like healthy children, mental health, public health and so forth. Will the Minister maybe talk to his functionaries within the department to see if they can find some money within the department to address the needs brought forward by the NWTTA, by the Members of this House, by education councils, by parents? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause
Supplementary To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Mr. Dent.
Further Return To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in fact, the Member is wrong. The money that Mr. Ng was talking about earlier today did not come from within the department. It came from rebasing. As Members will know, Mr. Ng and I had fought passionately for more funding for things like early childhood intervention and for things like the Northern Employment Strategy where we get more students working. When it comes time to fight for any dollars that are available, you can bet I fight as passionately as anyone for more money for education. We, as a government, have been unable to find any more money to put into the system. We have come to the end of the line. I do not have the flexibility to move monies around except from one program to another within the department. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Further Return To Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Question 302-13(5): Fiscal Control Of Education Boards
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Oral questions. Mr. Henry.
Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question will be to the Minister of Education, Mr. Dent, following up on my Member's statement today. Mr. Speaker, I think the Minister has touched on some of the points I wanted him to expand on. He has talked about there being no new money, and we have heard the Minister say this a number of times. I accept the statement that there is no new money. I think it would be beneficial for Members of this House and for the public in general if the Minister will elaborate on how he would go about soliciting additional money or rebasing money from Cabinet for education. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause
Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Minister of Education, Culture, and Employment, Mr. Dent.
Return To Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Finance will attest, I badger him daily, sometimes more than once, for additional funds for education. In fact, I wrote him a little note about that earlier this afternoon just after we got into the House. He does not have any more money either, but I keep doing it, because if we do find an extra million dollars, I will not be far from his mind. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Return To Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.
Supplementary To Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that. It would be important for the public to know the process of how the Minister would be soliciting additional funds. I have no doubt he holds education as a high priority for the students of the Northwest Territories. My question to the Minister is, has the department looked at the amounts of money they spend in education from kindergarten to Grade 12; looked at that amount of money and compared it to the amount of money they spend on education for adults or students who have not been, for one reason or another, able to take advantage of education in the first 12 years and looked at reusing or reprioritizing some of that money? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 752
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Mr. Dent.
Further Return To Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 753
Charles Dent Yellowknife Frame Lake
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Members should remember that with the first budget I introduced in this House, we talked about that very issue. In fact, adult education took a much bigger reduction than did the K to 12 system. The K to 12 funding was kept as close to prior years as possible and other areas in the budget took much larger decreases. The decrease for adult education funding and the colleges was 25 percent in the 1996-97 budget. It was nowhere near that in the K to 12 system. It was about three percent.
Further Return To Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Question 303-13(5): Additional Funding For Education
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 753
The Speaker Samuel Gargan
Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Henry.