Mahsi, Mr. Chair. [English translation not provided]. I, too, had some comments in terms of some common themes that reflect the riding that I represent.
Just to start off, this department saw a decrease from last year of 1.5 per cent. It is one of two biggest departments besides Health and Social Services that take a big chunk of this $1.8 billion operation that we call GNWT.
Just some things that I wanted to highlight. I know this department is moving forward on the Education Act. In my recent discussion with one of the communities that I represent, they wanted to ensure that, if there is a sincere effort in terms of the recent cooperation agreement with governments and communities, in the spirit of devolution and looking at collaboration and working together, the Education Act has to reflect the rights of people, and especially Indigenous people that uphold the treaty of 1921.
I understand that section 35 as a guide in terms of legal jurisprudence is defined in the courts at the same time. It also affects policy in how government operates its programs and services, especially for First Nations people. In this particular case, the Education Act has to consider that and ensure that there is proper consultation and consent from Indigenous people either in respect of programs and services, or else just the nature of government and how they act in terms of delivering those general programs for all communities, but especially for First Nations communities.
The other point that I wanted to highlight, too, is the concern in terms of enrolment in the schools that have been brought up, and whether that affects budgets. There is always some fine-tuning at the end of the fiscal year. There are some anxieties, maybe in some respects, in terms of maybe more efforts could be made to ensure that our enrolment figures, and especially in small communities, are up to par with the larger regional centres, also like Yellowknife as well.
On that note, it is just recently that we came across the declining population of small communities. I think most of us around the table have at one point or another come from small communities, and we want to ensure they continue to exist and thrive within, at least, the mosaic of the NWT.
On that point, what concerns me, there are two reasons why people are moving from the smaller communities into their regional centres and the larger cities like Yellowknife. One of them is job opportunities, and the other one is education. Education because parents want to bring further opportunities and more growth and vitality in terms of programming services, activities, extracurricular activities to their children so they can get a well-rounded education in the larger centres, and perhaps in the city as well.
I think that has to be cited as a concern. Perhaps, in terms of reflection, the department has to address that. How do you ensure that we have a very effective school system with adequate resources and adequate teachers to ensure that the curriculum is properly and effectively delivered for our students so they can be successful in the small communities? I think that's a concern that the department has to reflect on, and perhaps respond to that.
In that same note, too, it's concerning that we are seeing some cuts and pull-backs of program initiatives, especially for post-secondary students, students who want to further their education beyond high school. There is some indication that perhaps community colleges could be in jeopardy.
As I speak right now, there is a leadership program in my home community, and more likely other communities, too, as well. This is trying to at least give the formal basic framework of leadership program development at the local level. When people choose to try and live in their communities and decide not to move beyond their communities because they can see those services being delivered in the community, then we need to make sure that it is successful and the government commits to maintaining that service.
The other big point, of course, is Aboriginal Head Start versus JK. It doesn't have to be like that. I keep hearing about it: junior kindergarten versus Aboriginal Head Start. I think the lines have been drawn. I think more effort has to be made to address that. Perhaps it is becoming entrenched. Maybe it is beyond repairable.
We did have a motion in the House recommending that the government act so that those two initiatives will continue to operate, but at the same time, in parallel, co-exist, in that we need to draw some attention to that to ensure that they both succeed.
At the same time, it has been noted that perhaps this Minister has to work with his federal colleagues. Recently, the Prime Minister of Canada came up North and made a very visible effort to be in one of the Aboriginal Head Start Programs in the NWT. Similarly, the Minister should take some efforts in terms of working with the federal colleagues to give assurances to the Aboriginal Head Start program staff to the program itself, despite the commitment of funding until 2020, there has to be more measured assurances that that program will continue.
My final point is in terms of languages. There are lots of buzzwords: "promotion," "preservation," "revitalization". I understand this department is going forward with an accountability and planning framework in ensuring that -- not a matter of throwing money to the situations or problems and then walking away from that. We have seen that. We all have responsibilities to communities, and they have tackled some very fundamental challenges in terms of capacity.
Similarly, there used to be at least a point of consideration in terms of understanding the roles of this government, its obligation to the Official Languages Act; namely, to Indigenous languages, that more could be done, but at the same time, if there are projects and programs out there that are successful, we need to build upon that and ensuring that we are just not devolving dollars to regions or communities and then walking away from that. We need to ensure that we have sustained effort, and that those are measurable outputs that we seek, at least, to hail as being very successful.
My final point is that my colleagues had raised the idea of small community employment initiatives. It is not just a wage subsidy. When I think of a wage subsidy, it is basically looking at the summer employment program initiatives for student who come back for the summer; we give them jobs. That wage subsidy does exist, but I think more has to be done in terms of ensuring that there is a focus on job creation so that it is successful; at the very least, we expect it from the small communities. Mahsi.