Debates of Feb. 20th, 2017

This is page numbers 1779 – 1836 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was program.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Minister’s Statement 138-18(2): Slave Geological Province Access Corridor

Minister’s Statement 139-18(2): Education, Training And Youth Development: Education, Culture And Employment Progress Statement

Expanding The Economy Through Investments In People

February Statutory Holiday Proposal

Return Of Fort Providence Minor Hockey Program

Regional Benefits Of Mackenzie Valley Highway Construction

Status Of Transboundary Water Agreements

Territorial Marine Resupply Services

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Social Work Program

Overflow Water On Beaufort Delta Highways

Connie Loutit Memorial Soccer Tournament

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Territorial Marine Resupply Services

Status Of Transboundary Water Agreements

Supports For The Agriculture Industry

Whati All-Season Road

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Programs

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Social Work Program

Status Of GNWT Open Government Policy

Overflow Water On Beaufort Delta Highways

Increased Investment In The Mineral Incentive Program

Impact Of Slave Geological Province Access Corridor Impact On Caribou Populations

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Programs

Tabled Document 287-18(2): Follow-Up Letter To Oral Question 525-18(2): Sahtu Regional Health Council

Bill 17: An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act

Bill 18: An Act To Amend The Health And Social Services Professions Act

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Education And Culture Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Labour Development And Standards Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For The Department Of Education, Culture And Employment

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 53-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Education And Culture Activity, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't have that answer for the Member right now, but we can speak to our immigration folks and see if we're getting any Syrian refugees who are coming through the Nominee Program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Vanthuyne, your time has expired, but if you'd like I could put you on again. Next we have Mr. McNeely.

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is related on page 45 to the Small Community Employment Program. Seeing that it got a significant increase, give me an example on what the guidelines for this pot of money is? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We don't know what the full guidelines are on this new pot of funding that we did get that was announced in the Budget Address and we're still working on that as it's a significant increase to the Small Community Employment Program. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. McNeely.

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Because this is sort of relatively a new program, are there expectations throughout the year to access further federal funding? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In terms of this project itself, we do wage subsidies as one area; we also do community projects if a community wants to work on a project. In terms of federal funding, we do have labour market agreements with the federal government that focuses on a few different areas, and we're always negotiating that and trying to find if we can even get multi-year funding rather than year-to-year, which has been a concern. So I want to make sure that our employers out there, industry or partners that we work with, can rest assured that we're always going to have that funding for them, whether it's through a wage subsidy or some kind of training or some kind of community project. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. McNeely.

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is this program sort of going to have some reserved amounts there for all of the small communities? As you know, there are quite a few smaller communities out there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is on the application basis, and we do work with the communities to have those kinds of programs. I know in Fort Good Hope, for instance, we had that really great program where we were able to employ youth for the summer, and I encourage all communities to look at contacting the department to see how we can utilize this to get employment in our smallest communities or find projects in the small communities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Next we have Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So I just want to confirm what the actual amount of the Aurora College contribution cut actually is, because in the main estimates if you look at page 45, college contribution, it's less than $2 million, $1.8 or something, but if you look at the business plan it's actually $3.851 million, and that's found on Schedule 4, page 7 of 12. Beside that it says TBD, presumably to be determined.

So can someone from the department indicate what the actual cut is in contribution funding to Aurora College? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. At the time we were doing the business plans, we had also given some direction to the Aurora College to look for reductions. So at that time, during business plan review, we weren't exactly sure what the Aurora College was going to be doing or coming back in working with the department. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. So just to be very clear, then, the actual reduction in the contributions is $1.8 million, or whatever it is, found on page 45 of the main estimates; is that correct? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

February 20th, 2017

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Lovely.

Lovely

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, the reduction to the contributions to Aurora College for 2017-18 is the amount that the Member had stated.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Lovely. Mr. O'Reilly.

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that response; it helps clarify it for me.

Earlier in the House I had asked whether the Minister was prepared to give Regular Members the terms of reference for the strategic planning exercise that the college is going through; we still don't have that, and I think that's, like, over a week ago now; and one of my colleagues asked for copies of the mandate letters from the board of directors to be tabled in the House as well.

Does the Minister have any timeline for providing this information to the Regular MLAs on this side? The reason why I raise this is that is critical information for us to be able to review these main estimates properly, and we don't have that information. When is the Minister going to provide this information? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses.

Debates of Feb. 20th, 2017

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