Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When we had the focus area, the moratorium on the focus area now I think has been in place for about two or three years. We had initially put a lot of it in place when we were doing the rec leasing from the MACA side of it on Commissioner’s land.

As to the actual timetable, I will find that information here as soon as I sit down and relay it to the Member when I stand up again for the next question. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister. I look forward to the answer with bated breath.

My next question goes to the difficulties the group that I’m talking about, the motocross group, are having in trying to advance their project. So I’d like to ask the Minister what’s the rationale for the department saying we won’t take any applications for a land lease now, we will not take absolutely any applications until this moratorium is over.

Why would the Minister not allow the department to take applications for people who indicate an interest and then not process them, but simply take an application? Thank you.

The intent of not taking any applications at all is so we can concentrate on the focus area and what it can sustain. I take the Member’s point, though, about just taking applications and not processing them and I take her

point and I’ll have a discussion with officials. We need to make sure that we’re able to concentrate on the work at hand, get the rec policy framework done and then we can move forward in trying to identify potential spots in the focus area for possible lease opportunities. This is a huge issue right in the focus area because that’s where the greatest demand is. Across the rest of the Northwest Territories it’s not such a huge issue. That’s why there’s no interim withdrawal there. Thank you.

Thanks. I didn’t hear an answer to my first question, but I imagine the Minister is still working on that.

The Minister, again, is referring to a huge demand for cabin lots or for hunting and fishing licences. I want to say again that this organization is asking for a piece of land that is not going to be used for cabin-type activities. It’s going to take motocross, dirt bikes, et cetera, out of the woods and onto a track which is where they need to be. They are planning on education. They are planning on youth. They are planning on highlighting safety and all that.

I would like to ask the Minister, since this area is not going to be used for cabin-type recreational space, would he reconsider an application from the motocross group to let that land be leased? Thank you.

A decision was made not to entertain any applications in a focused area. This falls within the focused area. If we were to entertain any applications for this particular piece, then we would have other folks coming forward saying you need to entertain an application for this or for that. I think we need to treat all groups and those interested in leasing opportunities equally. The answer to the first question is mid-2016 our plan is to have all the work done.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. That’s a long time. That’s 18 months from now. The work might be done by then, but I guess it seems to me that this land withdrawal has been in place a lot longer than just six months.

When did this land withdrawal first start? Thank you.

I believe I said it’s been in place for about three years now while we’re doing the work for the first part of it through Municipal and Community Affairs, as we’re doing the rec leasing policy framework. So we are anticipating that we’ll be done by mid-2016.

We have to identify a lot of areas within the focus area. We are looking at opportunities to possibly release some lots for leasing because these lots are developed and are within developed areas. We

are looking at that possibility. We are expecting to make an announcement very soon on whether that’s going to go ahead or not. So, there will be opportunities there.

I commend the patience of the people who are looking for recreational areas. They’ve been very patient with the Department of MACA and now Lands through the last three years. We thought this was a way we could possibly get some out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On May 31, 2013, our Minister of Education indicated to us that legislation alone to deal with bullying was not enough. He indicated then: “…we will finalize our Territorial Safe Schools Action Plan to address bullying and develop regulations, policies and procedures that will create safe learning environments.” So my questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

On October of that year, the Standing Committee on Social Programs on Bill 12, An Act to Amend the Education Act, recommended that a territorial code of conduct for safe schools guidelines and regulations be provided by the standing committee and other stakeholders in education for review and feedback in advance of their enactment.

Can the Minister indicate if this reasonable request from standing committee was ever acted on in good faith by the department? Thank you.

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

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. When we first talked about the safe and caring school legislation, there was discussion about a territorial school code of conduct being established in all schools. So those are just some of the discussions and engagements we’ve had with the school boards. They are moving forward to developing their own code of conduct within the school establishment. That has been in place.

There has been a lot of discussion happening at the school level. We are hoping in the beginning of the 2015-16 school year an overall code of conduct will be established. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

So from what I’m gathering, we are still working on that program. A further action of this report by standing committee was that a territorial code of conduct, safe school guidelines and school practices should empower bystanders to report bullying and ensure protective measures are taken afterwards.

Can the Minister indicate how is it today monitored, measured and reported to this department and to Members of this House? Thank you.

Each school is provided with the tools and supports to develop and implement the most effective and relevant safe school plan for their school and also the community, and there’s also an evaluation monitoring mechanism. With every program that we’ve established, we’ve initiated, there’s a MEA, monitoring evaluating accountability aspect to it because it’s very important that we evaluate how our program is operating. So, this is one area that we continue to push forward with the school boards on an annual basis. Mahsi.

Another action of the standing committee is to provide schools with the option of adopting mandatory counselling to bullies and provide adequate resources to schools choosing this course of action.

Can the Minister indicate is this being done in our schools and can he elaborate on the results? Thank you.

There’s a variety of stakeholders involved with these types of discussion. One of the areas that the Member is alluding to, mandatory counselling, has been brought up. We’re fully aware of that, and even the superintendents of school boards are aware of it, as well, and how can we mitigate that into our current code of conduct measures.

So, these are ongoing discussions that we are currently having with the school boards. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s response on the last one.

Standing committee again recommended that ECE should stay abreast of the website developments that pose a risk to students and that ECE provide an updated list to education authorities of those websites that should be blocked on school communication systems.

Can the Minister indicate if this is indeed in place and how is it working? Thank you.

There are all kinds of websites that have been established within my department. We’re working with the school boards. There are some websites that may not be suitable for various reasons and it’s been highlighted. What the Member is referring to is gearing towards that as well.

So, we are, again, working with the DECs and DEAs to capture that, and if it’s a concern, then we need to address it. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Time for oral questions has expired. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following three documents, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 5, 2014-2015;” “Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures) No. 3, 2014-2015;” and “Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 1, 2015-2016.” Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a document referred to yesterday in questions in Committee of the Whole on the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Mr. Abernethy.