At this point we are asking for money to proceed with the plan to work in this particular area with the DECs. That’s why we’re before the committee.

I guess one last question. If you’re working with the DECs, this is a wide open initiative at this point, I think is what I’m hearing. Is part of the intention to have students move from their home community to a high school in another community in order to get their courses?

There have been questions in the House pertaining to this as well. Yes, we will continue with ECE in this area because we do provide funding as well. We will continue to work closely with them to resolve this issue. We are also looking at various options on the distance learning. We do provide some distance learning in some isolated schools, but how can we provide some support mechanism? We need to look at those options as well. Mahsi.

It is fine. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Next on my list is Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Is there a possibility we can go back to 10-10? I just have one question on that.

Pardon me, Mr. Krutko. Which page are you looking to go back to?

Page 10-10.

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to go back to page 10-10.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I have been asking every department this question in regards to active positions, I would like to ask the department if they can give us a breakdown of these positions based on the Affirmative Action Policy in regards to the class of these people by way of P1s, P2s and P3s. Also, are there any people with disabilities working in these areas by way of these positions? Is there a possibility I can get that breakdown from the Minister? I don’t need it right now, but if it is something that he can get to me and the rest of the Members, it would be helpful. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Lafferty.

Mr. Chairman, certainly we have that available. We can certainly provide it to the Members. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. We are on page 10-10, active position summary, information item. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regards to the official languages division, I was here in the 14th Assembly where we had the

languages…We have moved off of page 10, right? Okay.

Does committee agree that we are done with page 10-10?

We will be returning to page 10-17 and we will go to Mr. Krutko.

Sorry about that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regards to the official languages division, I know that being a member of the Special Committee on Official Languages in the 14th Assembly, we passed some 60 recommendations.

In those recommendations was the establishment of the different board structures in regards to the revitalization board, in regards to the language boards. I was surprised to note that a lot of people who were on these boards weren’t aware of these recommendations made back in the 14th Assembly

in regards to a special committee in regards to languages. Yet today a lot of these recommendations are still not being acted upon. I think, as a government, we are responsible, because those recommendations were directed to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to act on those recommendations. Why was there no action on behalf of the Department of ECE and also in regards to the appointment and the structure of these new boards and agencies that we wanted to hopefully find a way to enhance language in the Northwest Territories? Again, it seems like there was very little by way of implementations and for understanding what the intent of those recommendations were. Why is it that we are now finding out that those recommendations weren’t acted upon?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Lafferty.

Mr. Chairman, those recommendations were shared with the language and revitalization boards. We do have a status report that shows the progress on each of these recommendations that were submitted to our department. We’ve tackled some of the recommendations. There are some recommendations that we are still working on, and will continue to work on the remaining recommendations. It is taking some time, but I think one of the best things will be to follow through with recommendations that were brought forward and show the results as to what can be done from our department’s perspective. Mahsi.

Mr. Chairman, again, in regards to our languages, they are basically almost nonexistent because of the decline of the use of those languages. Because of that, which was one of the main findings of the 14th Assembly but now

we are in the 16th Assembly. It was eight years later

and we are still trying to find some reasons and realizing that the challenges of trying to retain or even save some of these languages is a dismal point in our history. I think we have to do everything we can to either find additional money or whatnot or even trying to find ways of how we can work with the language groups to find ways to enhance those languages and also being able to revive them so that they are used more often in the homes, in the communities and in the workplace. Again, I think that, for me, this issue with the people I represent in regards to the Gwich’in language and in regards to the Inuvialuit, the regions I represent is one of the areas where we are finding the biggest loss. I think

that I would like to see more emphasis put in especially those two languages. What is the department doing to work with the Inuvialuit and the Gwich’in to try to find ways of retaining and also enhancing their languages?

Mr. Chairman, yes, it is important to highlight this key area. We are losing our language quite rapidly, but this is an area that we continue to work with the regions in the communities, in the Member’s riding of course, and also I think we need to stress that there is another partner that is in play. That is the federal government. I will certainly continue to pressure the federal Ministers in this respect. I have made a commitment in this House to continue putting pressure on the federal government, because it is their responsibility as well, official and heritage Ministers. At the same time, we as a territorial government continue to contribute towards whether it be the TLCs in the communities, the official language group of revitalization, just for them to provide us more information and how we can improve our program. Part of the strategies that I just highlighted on Aboriginal Languages Strategy, of course we will certainly capture that, Mr. Chairman, the nine official aboriginal languages that we need to tackle. I certainly would like to hear input from all communities and all regions on a moving-forward basis. Yes, we will continue to put our effort in that area. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Next on my list is Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a question in regards to the francophone schools. The francophone commission scolaire, I believe, funds both the school in Yellowknife and in Hay River. I am just wondering if the Minister can advise the status of the school in Hay River in terms of the space, whether they are going to be able to be in proper classrooms in the upcoming fiscal year. Thank you.