Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just in terms of timing -- I think the Premier just mentioned it earlier -- what kind of timing do the Aboriginal groups have to review and acknowledge and perhaps even sign on should they wish to? What is the timing of that? Is it end of April? Is it this summer? Is it this fall?

There is no deadline to signing on to the agreement-in-principle. Of course, I would say the earlier the groups sign on and get access to the revenue source to help them in the preparation work, the more influence on mandates that are being established and positions that would be looked at and influencing the final decision as we look to going forward. Especially those that are bilateral, we need those groups who would agree to sign on. There is no timeline in the sense of deadlines that groups need to sign on.

What I would caution, though, is anybody coming in at the 11

th

hour when we’re about to initial a

framework agreement or final agreement. For example, most of the decisions will be made by the parties that were there, and probably the revenues used up by the majority of groups by the latter stages. Signing up early allows access early to dollars as well as influencing final outcomes.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today my Member’s statement was regarding the teachers’ housing subsidy that is being looked at and being cancelled this year for the community of Tuktoyaktuk. The teachers that we try to retain in the small communities, it’s tough enough to get good quality teachers. We have to provide accommodations like we do with the nursing stations to try to help out as much as we can. It’s a critical time to continue the success for our students. I’m asking the Minister of Education if it’s possible to get the subsidy back in place for the community of Tuktoyaktuk in regard to the five-plex for teachers’ housing.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The teacher housing subsidy that the Member is referring to is sunsetting, I believe, this fiscal year. That particular subsidy has been in the works for a number of years. I do believe it’s under the NWT Housing Corporation as well. There was an agreement in place between government and the organization in Tuktoyaktuk. The Member is asking if we would, I guess, reinvest into that particular area. As you can see from other jurisdictions, we have teachers across the Northwest Territories. We do provide funding for their northern allowances. Based on that, they pay for their rental units as well. We’re not in a position to invest more money into the teacher housing subsidy.

There is negotiation that is ongoing with the NWTTA, the Teachers’ Association, and other union issues that are on the way. That might be an avenue that can be raised. My department is not willing to move forward on that at this point within our current budget.

The sun just came back in my riding two weeks ago, so no sunset clause, please. Will the government recognize the real challenges of the small, remote communities that face recruiting and retaining professionals for the various

needed subsidy assistance programs and commit to providing ongoing multiyear resources to the program? We have to do this for the students in our future. The communities in my riding, we’re the furthest north and the hardest hit all the time. This government has to step up to the plate and help our teachers in the communities.

We do recognize the pressure that’s out there in the Northwest Territories, especially in those small, isolated communities. Finding suitable units can be a challenge and the high cost of living in the communities as well. With that we have initiated, through the refocusing committee, that there’s interdepartmental groups that are working on identifying funds to deal with those matters at hand. There are challenges before us to find suitable units for the teachers and other professionals as well. We do have an interdepartmental committee that’s working currently and are actively involved in that.

Will this government re-evaluate the community’s entire subsidy program or programs and provide the standard of measures to fairly distribute resources accordingly to the need of the cost of living? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I can speak to my department’s subsidy. It is being reviewed on a constant basis and we make changes due to the needs of the communities and also the Northwest Territories. We also work interdepartmentally. The message is clear that the Member is referring to and we will be discussing that through our committees. This will also be brought up with my department, as well, with respect to the subsidy program. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If we don’t support our teachers, Mr. Speaker, who’s going to support our students? There’s got to be a way that the department can find money to support the subsidy program. I think it’s $20,000 a door per year per unit, or $25,000, $150,000 that could be found for the community that is needed, Mr. Speaker. This has to be dealt with in a timely manner. The sunset is close at hand in regard to this. We have to support our teachers in the housing situation in Tuktoyaktuk, Mr. Speaker. I need the commitment from the Minister that he will work with me and the Housing Minister to get this dealt with.

Mr. Speaker, yes, we definitely do support the teachers that we have across the Northwest Territories. When it comes to challenges such as the housing issues in the communities for professionals, those are the areas that we need to work at within our committees. So, yes, we’ll work closely with the Member and also

other Members as well, and the Members of the Executive. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of Health on the follow-up to the child and family services response.

Mr. Speaker, there is in excess of $12 million in the area of children’s services. Will the Minister direct her staff to look at a program in the area of early intervention and prevention in as far as child apprehensions go? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The chair and the Members have asked that we revisit our budget to see what options we might be able to come up with, and I’m prepared to do that. I have to state, at the same time, that the department is under fiscal pressure, as is the entire government, and we need to work carefully and thoroughly to see how we make those decisions. But I’m certainly open to working with the standing committee to see what options might be available. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister work with the First Nation governments to look seriously at community solutions to combating addictions? Thank you.

We do that already, Mr. Speaker. For example, we have been working very closely with the Gwich’in Tribal Council as well as the IRC. We have given them funding and we are working in partnership on addictions and after-care issues. We are looking at some projects in that area to come up with on-the-ground addiction programs.

I realize that we have eight regions and many, many Aboriginal governments. I could list some of the projects that we are working on, but I just want to let the Member know that we do a lot of work in partnership with Aboriginal organizations and Aboriginal governments. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me what the plan is to strike more child and family services committees at the community level? Thank you.

I could advise the Member that is one that I was very passionately involved with as a Regular Member. I fought to have this in the legislation the last time around. The Members and this standing committee expressed a lot of

interest from the beginning to have these groups set up, and I can advise the Member that we have reinforced and refocused energy in that area and we have written to every community, we have approached every community, encouraging them to set up the children and family services committee as is provided for under current legislation. We are seeing some success in Fort McPherson and it is our hope that we will see more of that.

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that the department and myself, as the Minister, are completely committed in making that happen. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Your final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me if she has had complete discussions on the possibilities of re-profiling the Health and Social Services budget to address the recommendations in the report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs as it pertains to the Child and Family Services Act? Thank you.