This is page numbers 71 - 108 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 2nd 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 students.

Topics

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, part of my question that was taken as notice earlier was answered by the Minister of Finance. I would like to direct this question to the Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

It is my understanding from the information given to us by the Finance Minister that it is up to this government to decide who gets grants, remissible loans, and regular loans. We set the policy and regulations deciding how to split that money up, not the federal government. Is that correct?

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Return To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is correct. It is this government that decides the amount of allocations for the Student Financial Assistance Program. Thank you.

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Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
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Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the past Social Programs Committee had serious reservations about the changes you are proposing here today, and subsequently recommended that you make things more equitable for all students, they were making feasible suggestions. Suggestions that were well within the ability of this government to act upon. Is that correct?

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if the Member could repeat that question. I missed the first part of the question. Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Mr. Delorey, would you repeat the question for Mr. Ootes please?

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What I was asking was that the past Social Programs Committee had serious reservations about the changes that are being proposed here today and had subsequently recommended changes they felt might make the policy more equitable to all students. My question was, were these recommendations well within the ability of this government to act upon?

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure of the question, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if Mr. Delorey could explain the question again for me.

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. There was a question there, but I will ask Mr. Delorey if he would ask the question again. We will still count it as the first supplementary.

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
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Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

My question is simply the past Social Programs Committee made recommendations that they felt would make the program far more equitable to all students. Is it correct to understand they were working well within their parameters, and the recommendations they were making were well within the ability of this government to act upon?

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. That is a question. The Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

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Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure what specifically the Member is referring to when he talks about the recommendations of the previous standing committee and the parameters that they were working in.

If the Member is asking if they had the authority to deal with that then yes, that is correct.

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Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Delorey.

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Item 6: Oral Questions

February 24th, 2000

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Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the program dealt and made these recommendations, they obviously felt the recommendations they were proposing were making the program far more equitable to all students.

This government chose to ignore those suggestions and instead are recommending a program that is far less equitable to all students. I am wondering if the Minister could justify the reasons for changing their minds?

Supplementary To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Delorey. The Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Further Return To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding was the program that was put forward was put before the previous government and approved. We are simply carrying on with that particular program. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Question 48-14(2): Decisions On Funding Allocation
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the issue of student financial assistance, we seem to have different answers coming. The Minister of Finance said that there is no definition, no money specifically set out for different levels of students, whether they are aboriginal, non-aboriginal, Metis, Inuvialuit or Dene. In fact, this government has that control and has put those standards in place.

As I said in my Member's statement, I have a lot of concern with this area, when we set out the differences between people. Earlier today there were questions on how this is being financed. The indication is that this is being financed on failure.

In fact, the new money coming into this program is going to come from Metis and Inuvialuit students who currently receive grants from this government being turned into remissible loans. If they fail, this government will go after them for that money to put back into the program. Is that the situation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Return To Question 49-14(2): New Funding For Student Assistance
Question 49-14(2): New Funding For Student Assistance
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The program was designed, as I said earlier, after a lot of consultation. It was felt that it needed to concentrate on several areas: working on putting more money into the hands of students, working on success and the incentive of success and trying to get students back to the Northwest Territories.

Should a student fail, the student has the ability to repeat a program without penalty. If the student were to fail a second time, the student would have to repay that particular term. The question with regard to where the funding comes from, it would come partially from that requirement, but also it is remissible. Therefore, if the student succeeds and comes back to the Northwest Territories, that student has an ability to have that loan remised. It is not repayable. If the student does not come back to the Northwest Territories, then the loan becomes repayable. Thank you.

Return To Question 49-14(2): New Funding For Student Assistance
Question 49-14(2): New Funding For Student Assistance
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Supplementary To Question 49-14(2): New Funding For Student Assistance
Question 49-14(2): New Funding For Student Assistance
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, although Mr. Ootes is not a hockey player, he does a fine job of stick-handling. In this area, the concern we have of setting up different levels, or tiers, in the Student Financial Assistance Program when it comes to aboriginal people is not acceptable.

In fact, part of this funding that is upping the limit is coming from the failure of those people. On top of that, my understanding is we are going to set the percentage for failure from 60 percent to 75 percent. We are setting up people to fail in this process. Mr. Speaker, that is not acceptable. Can the Minister tell us if the department considered replacing the supplementary grant for status aboriginals with a remissible loan so that all aboriginals in the Northwest Territories would be equal? Thank you.