This Minister is very serious on this particular matter. It’s not only us that deals with the programming dollars. We deal with the federal government. We deal with our own internal FMB as well. They’re doing cost analysis. We continue to work with that. As I stated earlier, we continue to improve our programming dollars. This is one area we are seriously looking at on how we can continually provide important services without any disruption. We will continue to have the dialogue.

Those are excellent answers from the Minister because I can really hear his desire to make sure that they’re successful. Is there any philosophy based in the funding principles of these agencies that some of this money will be lost or lapsed, or is the program designed from the philosophy to make sure that they get as much money as possible that we put on the books for them?

Our goal is definitely to look out for the children at hand. We want them to succeed at life. Certainly throughout the North that’s our goal, the primary goal; to look after those children and their well-being and so forth. Certainly this area that the Member is alluding to, we continue to have the discussion on again improving our program. On a going-forward basis, those are the discussions we will be having during the business planning process and having dialogue with the federal government and FMB on improving our programs.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I certainly hear the willingness of the Minister who wants to take charge of this issue and certainly solve some of the technical problems, which are stabilized funding. When can this side of the House, be it Social Programs or all Regular Members, see some work done on this issue that I’ve described as stabilizing the funding, perhaps through the method of a base-plus funding formula that would ensure that if an occasional student misses once in a while, it doesn’t fully disrupt the funding of that agency and put them into a tailspin of havoc and unable to pay their staff and certainly keep their lights on? When can we expect some type of paperwork and some decision and leadership through the department? I know the Minister wants to do that. I’m just curious from this point of view.

The Member can look at it as a technical problem, but I see some challenges there. Through challenges it creates opportunities to work with. Certainly we will be presenting to standing committee once we work out the logistics within our Department of ECE, because there is federal funding as well. We need to work with FMB as well. Once that has been developed, I am more than willing to commit to the standing committee to present to them.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to point out that the Western Harvesters Assistance Program was not intended for forestry operations; it was intended for people who live on the land.

There are no existing sawmills except for one in Hay River, mainly because of the difficulty in getting access to forest resources.

In terms of business programs, business programs are available to any business and it’s all based on feasibility. I’m very pleased to point out that in conjunction with the Minister of ENR, there is Biomass Strategy funding that’s available to the tune of $5 million over three years.

Indeed, the community of Jean Marie River is very excited for the Biomass Initiative because that is something that they are pursuing as well. The community is also concerned about their existing sawmill operations because the sawmill operations are good. It produces the fuel, the need for biomass co-generation, et cetera. Can we look at stand-alone or project-specific dollars within ITI or maybe…I think the Minister is also leading the energy committee. Can we look at something that can take up the stimulus needed for the forestry industry?

This is an area that government would really like to see developed. We would like to see pilot projects established, particularly in the area of wood pellets. But I think that my colleague the Minister of ENR, as members of the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee, we would certainly like to see that developed. As I said, part of our problem has been the difficulty in accessing forest resources. With our business programs and the Biomass Strategy funding, I’m sure that this is a good way to go forward.

Certainly everybody in the North and throughout the world is interested in following up on alternate energy supplies. I think the key industry for Jean Marie River is the forestry

industry. Is there a fund for a sustainable forest harvesting study that the Minister is aware of?

Most of our funding in ITI is business related. We could assist with funding to establish a business plan or to do some market research along those lines.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Certainly I think Jean Marie River is eligible to access that type of funding. I think the key message here is that right now our government is not concentrating on the forestry industry. I know we have some business planning coming up. I’d like to ask the Minister and even government on the other side of the House to ensure that it’s part of our strategy in the upcoming business planning cycle. It’s a complementary strategy to our Biomass Strategy.

As part of our planning, there’s been some considerable research done into the Biomass Strategy and part of that is looking at what would entail having a feasible and sustainable industry. That information is available to all communities.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up as well on Mr. Bromley’s questions and some of the questions asked by Mr. Hawkins relative to funding for daycares in the NWT. I’ll go back. I spoke to this issue at least a year ago, I think. At that time, the Minister indicated that there was some possibility to look at different possibilities of funding for daycares. I’d like to ask the Minister now, and I apologize if it’s already been answered, but what is the basis for the funding that daycares currently get? He mentioned that they’re funded for O and M, that they’re funded for staffing, et cetera, but on what is that based? Is it per child or is that a lump sum payment contribution?

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There are different pots of funding that we provide to daycare establishments, whether it be for profit or not-for-profit organization. I can certainly share that information with the Members on the criteria of the funding. I don’t have that information

with me right now, but I can certainly provide the detailed information on the program, the criteria, the funding distribution to the organizations.

When I spoke to this issue last, I asked the Minister if there was a possibility to look at a different funding model. At that time I asked the Minister whether or not it was possible to look at a model similar to the way that we fund our schools, where schools are funded based on the population from the year previous. I’d like to ask the Minister, since I seem to remember at that time that he said they were going to look at that, whether or not any changes have been made to the way that daycares are funded in the last 12 or 13 months.

I did highlight the additional funding that’s included to provide for base rent and mortgage expenses. That’s new programming dollars that we’ve offered to the daycare establishments. I would reiterate that we are continuing to work with FMB to work with NGOs in the communities because we need to continue working with them in this respect. The Member has talked about similar funding or contributions we provide to the schools based on enrolment. Those are the types of discussions that we’re having currently with FMB. Although it’s taken some time, we want to have a good model that we can certainly continue to live with.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.