Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Since the motion was brought forward to this House, my department has been working on various other jurisdictions to identify, or do a complete review of the anti-bullying legislation in other jurisdictions, as well, and developing a safe school proposal, which will be developed, and implementation of a safe school plan as well. Those are the areas that my department has taken on the initiative.

There are two major projects or pieces of proposals that will be introduced in the spring session. In the spring 2013 session we want to introduce the bill and also, at the same time, develop a territorial-wide plan to denounce bullying in NWT schools. That is part of the plan as we move forward.

I think what the Minister indicated here is that it sounds like we’ve got legislation ongoing here and there’s talk about a safe school plan in a bill format. I guess the question I need to ask the Minister is: Why are we doing both at the same time? Should one not follow the other?

The legislation can set a clear definition on this particular anti-bullying legislation and mandate the need for policies and training. Also, ground involvement of effective resources is required to address the complex issue of generating safe schools in the NWT to meet the

challenge of both legislation and comprehensive territorial-wide to prevent bullying in the NWT schools are needed. Both pieces are needed as we move forward on a comprehensive plan that we are currently working on. We are moving forward on those two initiatives.

The Minister indicated a safe schools plan. I guess the question we should ask is: When will this be implemented? Are we seeing this early on in 2013 or in the latter part of 2013?

Mr. Speaker, part of the plan is to introduce the safe schools plan completed and implemented at the beginning of the 2013 school year. That is the overall plan, so we are moving forward on that.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is all very good information, and I think many parents, many students out there are looking forward to seeing this come forward. As the department is preparing the final steps, the final journey, so to speak, and the consulting piece and where amendments are going to be taking place, who is going to be invited to the table to be doing this in the consulting phase, and will Members have an opportunity to be a participant?

There will be various consultations that will take place with the stakeholders, prior to putting forward the legislation to addressing the bullying. From December 2012 until January 2013, the consultation will take place, and they will consist of, of course, Regular Members, their input, and also those involved within the education field. The NWTTA, divisional education councils, district education authorities, superintendents, principals, teachers, the parents, and also those parents, students and Members of the Legislative Assembly, Corrections Division, Justice, RCMP. A variety of organizations will be part of the stakeholders that we’ll be consulting with.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Finance. I’d like to ask him some questions around the issue of financial liability at Giant Mine. With the environmental hearings that were held a couple weeks ago here in Yellowknife, a number of constituents have spoken to me about Giant and about the financial situation that we are in as a territorial government. My first question to the Minister would be if he could advise me and advise

the public and my constituents what is the nature of our partnership with AANDC, the federal government department responsible for the cleanup at Giant Mine?

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a federal waste site that they’re remediating. We are in partnership with them. We’ve booked about $27 million, the federal government in the neighbourhood of $300 million, as initial figures. Clearly, it is one of the biggest waste site remediations in the country, so it is fundamentally a federal responsibility.

Thanks to the Minister for that explanation. I have to say, I’m a little bit concerned when I hear the Minister say that $27 million is an initial figure. I have to say, I’m a little concerned when I hear him say that it is basically a federal responsibility. I’d like to know from the Minister: Do we anticipate further financial requirements on this government to do with the cleanup of Giant Mine? If the $27 million is an initial figure, what are we in the long haul for?

We have committed to that amount of money. This is a federal responsibly. In fact, as we take over devolution, the signed devolution to take over land, water and resource development, Giant will be a separate issue that will stay under the purview of the federal government. At this point, the hope is, the plan is that that money will be sufficient. If there’s any more money required, once again, this is a federal responsibly.

I appreciate the Minister’s response. He says that it is a federal responsibility. A question from my constituent was pretty much relative to devolution and our current situation and the situation following devolution. My question to the Minister would be: If it is basically a federal responsibility, once devolution occurs will the federal government be able to come back to us and tell us as a territorial government that we will have responsibility for cleanup there?

As I indicated, this particular waste site, Giant, is separate and not included in the devolution agreement. It is going to stay within the responsibility of the federal government to maintain and clean up and do all the things necessary to bring it back to proper use.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my last question to the Minister would be, again, about money. If we are committed at this point to $27 million, and that we – as the Minister says he hopes we don’t use more than that – are we going to see a supplementary appropriation sometime down the

road to go beyond the $27 million that we’re now committed to?

There is no such anticipation at this juncture. Our involvement is for a lot of the ancillary land and commitment to try to assist to the extent that we have with the $27 million. At this point, that is the extent of our commitment and there are no indications as Finance Minister, nor am I aware of any at this point that would require any further contribution on the part of the territorial government.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Member’s statement on the seniors fuel subsidy, I wanted to ask the question to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. At this point in the Northwest Territories we have a very large population of aging senior citizens and elders, as we call them, and of course, we hold them in high regard. We respect them and we try to do our part in serving their needs and looking after them as our parents and sometimes as our grandparents.

With that, with winter coming on, it is concerning that some elders are being told that they are ineligible for this fuel subsidy. What are some of the main reasons applications are turned down? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Part of the eligibility is those individuals have to claim household income, who are all living in the house, and sometimes there is a denial in subsidy due to the fact that some individuals are working within the household. They are making fair enough money that can go towards the fuel, as well, to heat the residence. Those are some of the examples, but it is all based on household income of the elders who are living in the residence.

Each individual would have to claim what they are making. It is not only our program. There is Housing and other programs that are based on household income as well. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out, it is customary to try to be inclusive in terms of our communities. One practice is ensuring that we uphold the whole principle of extended families. In some cases we have children and grandchildren living with their grandparents. We try to maintain that practice. What solutions has the department considered to accommodate elders who have extended families living with them? Thank you.