Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 2012 graduating class of Moose Kerr School in Aklavik. I wish you all well in the future and I wish I was there to celebrate with you all.

I’d also like to congratulate the teachers and parents on a job well done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have much of a statement today, so I thought I’d make it quick.

Well, I’ll start off today about the 2012-2013 operational budget.

Executive for 25 million, now 50 million for ITI, 65 million for ENR, 120 for Transportation, now 300 to Education, 300, 300, 350, 350. Sold to Health to Minister Beaulieu and the Department of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, the past five years the budget has gone from 600 million, 600 million, now 7, 7, now 8, 8, now 9, 9, now 1 billion, 1 billion, now 1.2, 1.2, 1.2, now 1.3, 1.3, now 1.4, 1.4, now 1.4 is now 1.5, 1.5. Sold to Mr. Miltenberger.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger, for doubling the budget over the last 10 years.

Don’t forget, folks, to pay your taxes and thank your MLAs for all their hard work.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Thank God it’s Friday.

---Laughter

And almost a different language. You’re going to have to get an auctioneer into one of our booths to translate for you.

---Laughter

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It brings me great pride today here we’ve got some of our students, the Grade 6 class from Range Lake North School and I’d like to just take a moment to introduce them one at a time. When I do, just stand up and wave to everyone so we know who you are. I have Melissa Clarke, Peyton Doherty, Darian Pederson, James Drew, Ryan Walsh, Cameron Hobbs-Peddle, Jesse Roberts, Jillian Riles, Robert Maraygan, Obed Duru, Devon Hodder, Matthew Szarkowicz, Joshua Stuckless, Joshua Elford, Rayden Dunphy-Nash, Emma Smith, Spencer Scott, Nicole Rein, and their teacher Jodi-Lee Lewis, and Brendan Callas, who is assisting. I would like to thank and welcome you to the gallery. Have a great day. Thanks for joining us today.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am also extremely pleased and proud to rise and recognize the Grade 6 French class from Ecole William McDonald School. They’re up here behind me. I would also ask them to stand and give us a little wave when I read your name. Apologies if I mispronounce any. Kienan Ashton, Allya Aumond, Dasha Bassarguina, Nicholas Bennett, Grace Clark, Sophie Clark, Daniel Enge, Noah Hache, Kacie Hall, Delilah Hashi, Chloe Hoechsmann, Madison Hunter, Sean Irwin, Shiri McPherson, Jack Panayi, Jasmine Powder, Jacob Schubert, Lauren Seabrook, Taylor Soloy, Jesper Sorensen, Niva Stephenson, Sarah Taggart-Miles, Anne Thomas, Elizabeth Thomas, Robyne Walsh, and not to be missed and looking after all these guys, teacher Melanie Parisella, and I’d like to also recognize my assistant, Amanda Mallon. Welcome, everyone.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to acknowledge a couple of constituents. First off I would like to recognize Brendan Callas. He’s a constituent of Yellowknife Centre and he was recognized earlier today. I know I’ve got a few others up there. It’s actually a pleasure to give note to Kim Doyle, who is my constituency assistant and it’s the first time I’ve gotten to recognize her in the gallery. She’s a very hardworking lady and I appreciate all the work that she does.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to recognize first of all a constituent from the Weledeh riding, Master Kienan Ashton. Kienan today was visiting me in my office and he and his friend Jesper were very proud to shake the

Premier’s hand. Also Jack Panayi of Ms. Parisella’s class. Also Sophie Clark and Grace Clark, twin members of the Aurora Fiddle Society Fiddlecats.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize my two Pages from Hay River North: Tassie Lockhart-Drygeese and Chantelle LaFleur. I’d also like to recognize their chaperone, Kathleen Lockhart-Drygeese. Thank you very much, ladies.

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. Item 6, acknowledgements. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve made my Member’s statement on the graduates from the Sahtu. There are about 25 students this year. I want to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if there is any mechanism within this department to track graduates that are graduating this year to see how successful they will be in post-secondary institutions, or what they will be doing a year from now or two years from now. People like my nephew or other people in other communities that are graduating this year.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Through the divisional education councils in the regions we monitor those students that are graduating from secondary school. Post-secondary is a bit different. Students are on their own, but we track them through student financial assistance. Once they’re sponsored by the department, we know who those students are, which field they’re in, the year they’re in the program. We’re definitely keeping track of secondary and their pursuance of which program they’re interested in. That is information that is available through the divisional education councils as well.

I have a list of 25 students that are going to graduate in the Sahtu this year. I’m going to challenge the Minister and the department. Next year at this time in the House I’m going to ask about these people who graduated. Some of them are going to be in post-secondary, maybe some of them may be working, training in other institutions. I want to challenge the Minister, this department, I’m giving them a heads up that I’m going to ask them

where these students are, how are they doing, have you tracked them, and things of that nature. Is the Minister up for the challenge?

First of all I’d also like to congratulate those 25 students that are graduating. It’s always great to hear the graduates of the Northwest Territories. I wish them all the best, whether it be post-secondary, workforce entry, even on-the-job training or further upgrading. We’ll do what we can as a department, but we have to work with the organizations at the community level too. They are keeping track of their community students, whether it be in the workforce. We can’t really keep track of those students who enter the workforce. We keep track of those students who are still in the K to 12 education system and through SFA, will monitor who the students are, the ones that we’re sponsoring. We’ll be keeping tabs on those students that are graduated this year and see where they’re at next year, but we have to keep in mind that communities will have to work with us as well to provide that information.

I think the communities have been saying this. We need to work with the department. I again challenge the Minister, for example, young graduate Samuel Kodakin, next year I want to ask if the institution has talked to him, the department, have you gone to school? If not, why not? Are you working? Has it helped you? Those type of things to see where the graduates have gone once they finish school. Maybe he’s going back to Aurora College to do upgrading to further his career in another field of specialized knowledge and needs to do that. I want to ask the Minister, that type of tracking, keep track of these students who are graduating this year to see where they are. Ask the questions. Do the interviews with them. Let them know that we want to see them succeed. I want to ask the Minister that type of detail working with our government.

That’s the very reason why we need the assistance of the principals, the teachers, the guidance counsellors, the school boards, the chairs, the board members, the leaders, to give us that information. We cannot keep track of 3,000 students on an individual basis where they plan to be. We’re going to do our part to monitor the best we can as a department, working with the career counsellors at the community level, the regional representatives through our department. Yes, we’re going to be working with the department, and I take up the challenge to work with the community organizations. We have to look out for all the students so they can be successful upon their return to the Northwest Territories.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As Members in this House, we are all proud of our

graduates this year. I ask the Minister, there’s nothing impossible. There’s a can-do attitude here. Can he set things in motion that can look at how we track the increase of students. It’s not impossible. We can do it. We have 5,000 people in our workforce here. We can do it if the Minister puts things in place in motion that can be done. Can the Minister make it so?