Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Obviously, my department has been working with Deh Gah Got’ie school and also the Head Start programming. When we first introduced Junior Kindergarten in that community, my department has been actively engaged with conversation with the organization because we wanted to make it work. There is a morning program and there is an afternoon program that I believe has been agreed to and currently it’s working but, mind you, there is always areas of improvement. We are very closely monitoring that, not only that but the other 22 communities as well. Obviously, we want to work closely together with Aboriginal Head Start, whether it be the council organization, because they deliver the federal programming. Federal program is only half a day, so I provide JK as an option, whether as a half-day or full-day Junior Kindergarten.

The Member also raised larger centres versus smaller centres. We are fully aware of that. Again, you touched on the programming itself. The whole Education and Innovation Renewal will embark on the small communities as equal in the program delivery as the larger centres, and they should be producing the same graduates as well. That’s what we’ve been told over and over, and that is our overall goals and objectives, to make that happen with the Education Renewal and Innovation, Mr. Chair.

The language initiative is very key within my department. That’s my we have established an Aboriginal Languages Secretariat that will deal with that initiative with the communities and with the regions for culture preservation and also our language. How can we promote even more of those? CKLB is one of the linkages to that. CKLB, as you know, deals with Aboriginal languages, communicating to the communities, and we have been active and engaged partnership in CKLB. We

have provided our contribution on an annual basis and we are up to date on our contribution. The federal government, there is a bit of a challenge there. I am meeting with the federal Minister, Ms. Shelly Glover, on November 19th , and that will be

one of the ticket items that I will be addressing with the federal Minister because this is a huge concern for me, as well, representing the Northwest Territories, that CKLB shall be back up and running.

The training, there is various training that will be happening. One of the Members alluded to the forestry industry, how we can best deliver that. Again, we need to work with Aurora College in this capacity. There is also School of Community Government training that happens as well. There are all these different venues that we have to make sure it takes place in the communities. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. If there are no more general comments, does committee agree to proceed to detail?

Committee, I would like to turn your attention to page 11 in the capital estimates. We will defer that until after detail. Committee, page 12, Education, Culture and Employment, education and culture, infrastructure investments, $5.826 million. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Committee, I would like to turn your attention to page 14, labour development. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a question here with this CMAS Business Intelligence Project. It doesn’t indicate in the budget what program this is for, and I believe this project has been ongoing for a number of years. I just wondered: when will this project end? It looks like it is ‘16-17, but how much is going to be spent in ‘16-17 in addition to what we are spending this year? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that response we’ll go to Ms. Allison.

Thank you, Ms. Allison. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just to further clarify, this part of CMAS applies right across the whole Department of Education, or is it specific to a certain area? That’s what I was trying to get at in the beginning.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that we’ll go to Mr. Heide.

Thank you, Mr. Heide. Again, committee, we’re on page 14, labour development and standards. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a quick follow-up to that. I see we have spent quite a bit on this last year and we’re planning to spend more. Whereabouts are we? Are we on budget with this or is the budget increasing on this project?

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Over the years this has been one of the targeted initiatives, and we’re on budget.

Again, committee, page 14, labour development and standards, infrastructure investments, $731,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. If I can get committee to return to page 11 for total infrastructure investments, Education, Culture and Employment, total infrastructure investments, $6.557 million. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just given the comments the Minister has heard and the fact that this is probably one of our biggest deficits in infrastructure and for years now we’re refusing to acknowledge that and respond despite the Members’ input, what is the Minister’s plans to

come forward with a much more responsible capital budget next year, or at least recommendations for the 18th Assembly? Once again here we’re leaving

the 18th Assembly with all these deficits because of

our failure.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. As part of the process, obviously, it needs a needs assessment and also needs analysis from the communities when it comes to major renovations or retrofits of schools or educational infrastructure. Those are areas that we’ll be focusing and putting that forward as part of the capital planning process. This year we have done that. We’re going to do the same next year, as well, and the following years. What we’re hearing from the Members is focusing on those most needed. I can assure the Members that this will be my push again next year with the peer review, the committee that has been established to deal with all the capital infrastructure. The Minister responsible for Education will definitely push that forward. Mahsi.

It sounds good. No evidence. Will we be talking about this before the 18th Assembly,

or are we leaving the budget to the 18th Assembly?