All those opposed, please stand.

All those abstaining, please stand. The results of the recorded vote are four in favour, 12 opposed, zero abstentions. The motion is defeated.

---Defeated

Clause 4. Mr. Testart.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I move that Bill 16 be amended by adding the following after clause 4:

4.1. The following is added after subsection 126(4):

(5) The Department of Education, Culture and Employment shall review the hours of instruction prescribed under subsection (4) within six months following the conclusion of the 2019-2020 academic year.

(6) The review shall consist of an examination of the hours of instruction, the effectiveness of the administration and implementation of the hours of instruction, and the achievement of the objectives behind the hours of instruction.

(7) The Minister shall consult with the Legislative Assembly, or a committee of the Legislative Assembly designated or established by it, in the review referred to in subsection (5).

(8) The Minister shall table a report in the Legislative Assembly detailing the outcome of the review referred to in subsection (5)

(a) at the sitting of the Legislative Assembly during which the report is completed; or

(b) at the next sitting of the Legislative Assembly, if the Legislative Assembly is not sitting when the report is completed.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. There is a motion on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Testart.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess we will try this again with different language. The intention here is to ensure that there is a mandatory review of this pilot project that is enshrined in legislation. It is very clear that the many concerns that have led us to such an extensive debate around these issues are well-reflected once the pilot project has run its course.

This amendment will enshrine the process that the Minister of Education has laid out in numerous public statements into the act itself and will allow both the government and the committee to work together to ensure that the objectives of the STIP hours are well-understood after the pilot runs its course. I appreciate that the Minister has laid out his case for working with the STIP committee, and this work will now go, if this amendment is passed, that work will go on with full partnership with the standing committee. Furthermore, this amendment can be found in other examples of legislation that this government is bound by, and is a good way to ensure sober second thought to major issues of important public policy. As we know, parents and teachers have a vested interest in ensuring this project is successful. For that reason, I would ask my colleagues, the honourable Members of this Chamber to support this amendment moving forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. To the motion, Minister Moses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and as stated in my previous comments, we are committed to giving updates on the implementation, monitoring the outcomes of STIP, as well as continuing to work with our STIP committee, and with the Standing Committee on Social Programs, to give them updates as well. The motion that was brought before us, currently in front of us here, is one that Cabinet can support, and we will also be supporting this motion. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. I see no further comments. Oh, Mr. Vanthuyne. To the motion.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and yes, I think that this sort of reaffirms what the department has been articulating all along, and something that I believe, and that is that ultimately, the Department of Education is wholly responsible for education in the NWT; and the language in this amendment ties the department to that responsibility, and still allows us and Regular Members to have a fairly strong level of, call it, contribution that will hold the department to account.

The language now starts to include the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. It refers to the Minister, and that he shall consult with a committee of the Legislative Assembly, and it also indicates that the Minister shall table a report detailing the outcomes of the review. This is the kind of amendment that I can find myself in support of. Frankly, with all due respect, the prior amendment that was trying to kind of attain the same objectives, really didn't put the department out there for being accountable. It was putting, in my view, the standing committee or the Legislative Assembly committee of whatever sort to be more accountable on the review. I believe now that we are putting that onus back on the Department of Education where it ought to be, and I will be in support of the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. To the motion. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think it's important to understand that this only came in response to the work of the standing committee, and this was a hard fought battle to try to get a mandatory review period. I guess the other thing I want to mention, I think this is a poor cousin compared to the previous amendment but I cannot speak to that again. There are two areas that concern me greatly with the amendment that is proposed. The first is this idea of consulting with the committee. I think I have been here for almost, getting close to two years, and kind of consultation I have seen from my Cabinet colleagues with standing committees has left a lot to be desired. I am very concerned about what sort of consultation the Minister, it is probably going to be the Minister over there, would undertake with the standing committee. If the Minister wishes to speak to that, I would appreciate hearing from him on what sort of consultation, if he was to continue, you would expect with the standing committee as part of this review. That is one of my major concerns.

The second one is the scope of the review that is proposed in this amendment. The scope of the review is, I must read this out because I am not sure everybody has really read this. "The effectiveness of the administration and implementation of the hours of instruction." What does that got to do with student outcomes or teacher wellness? And then, "the achievement of the objectives behind the hours of instruction," I'm not clear what the objectives are right from the start. There seems to be a shifting target here. If the Minister can convince me that the objectives of this review includes student achievement and teacher wellness, I would much appreciate that. I see the five bullets from his statement introducing the bill today here. We have got teacher satisfaction. Teacher human resource stats such as sick days. Use of professional development time, student attendance and student course completions. I am looking for something a bit more holistic like student outcomes. Are more students passing than before? Are they getting better grades and so on? Those are far more, I think, important indicators of student achievement. I am looking for some reassurance from the Minister that the scope of the review is actually going to deal with student achievement and student wellness, and I don't get that from what I see in the amendment before us. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. I will remind you that the amendment was moved by Mr. Testart, not by the Minister, and the Minister is on the witness seat and under no responsibility, or under no obligation to answer questions. I see no further comments or questions. I will return to the mover to close debate. Mr. Testart.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As with all things we do in this great institution of democracy, compromise is essential to ensuring we make good decisions for our people, and I am very thankful to have the support of Cabinet on this amendment. I am also thankful to the honourable Member for Yellowknife North for showing his support, and to the concerns raised by the honourable Member for Frame Lake.

The current Minister is not really in a position to speak to this amendment as it will take place well after the term of this Assembly. I have great hopes and expectations that the Minister at that time in the future, gazing in my crystal ball, will follow the aspirations of this amendment very clearly, and work diligently with the standing committee as designated by the Legislative Assembly to complete this review to the satisfaction of all parties. I believe strongly that this is an effective compromise that will bring legislative oversight to this very important issue of ensuring that this project achieves its desired results. It improves teacher wellness, and gives our teachers the flexibility they need to educate the next generation of Northerners. I would like to ask for a recorded vote. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Testart. The Member has requested a recorded vote. All those in favour, please stand.

All those opposed, please stand. All those abstaining, please stand.

The result of the recorded vote are 16 in favour; zero opposed; and zero abstentions.

---Carried

Clause 4 as amended.

Thank you, committee. Clause 5.

Thank you, committee. Committee, to the bill as a whole as amended. Does committee agree that Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Education Act as amended is now ready for third reading?

Bill 16 is now ready for third reading. Does committee agree that this concludes our consideration of Bill 16, An Act to Amend to the Education Act as amended?