Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of Housing presented a progress statement on NWT housing. So in one of her statements she goes on to talk about moving vacant units into three-bedroom four-plexes. Can the Minister please provide this House what communities she's looking at doing it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister responsible for NWT Housing Corporation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently within the fiscal year, we're looking at doing the four-plexes specifically for single people to address homelessness in the communities of Fort Simpson, Behchoko, and Aklavik.

I thought it was something new. I knew about that, so I apologize. I thought we were looking at something new. Mr. Speaker, she goes later on to talk about demolition that is happening in the community. Does the corporation have a scheduled plan, because I've been talking about three houses in Fort Liard for a number of times and they've gone for sale and that. So now does the government actually have a plan that they're actually going to be able to share with us, when we're going to see these implemented?

I'd first like to address the first comment that was made in stating that this report was a report of what we've done up to this last year, up till now. So it's not about something new, although we have discussed that we will be looking at the last region, which is the Sahtu, within the next fiscal budget, so I haven't forgotten the Sahtu.

The other thing that we're talking about, the question that the MLA had asked me was about the surplus units, so yes we have a plan. We had committed that we would be doing 50 within this current fiscal year and 50 within the next. We had 101 vacant surplus units totally. We have decided that as many of those units will be sold as possible that are able to be sold that are still able to be renovated to live in. So we're in the process of trying to sell them still. We have been demolishing some of the units that have no use at all. We will continue to do that, and I am hoping that within the survey results there'll also be some more creative ideas such as hopefully things like how can we use the materials, how can we support employment, those kind of ideas that I'm hoping will come out before we get rid of all of these surplus units.

I thank the Minister for her answer. It still didn’t really give me a plan. We're going to get rid as many as we can, and it's unfortunate because I know in Fort Liard we've been trying to get that information from the Minister. Later on she talks about the importance of the local housing authorities in the communities of Fort Liard, Gameti, and Whati and people can go speak to the maintenance officers who might be there. So can the Minister please advise this House when these positions will be filled? Because in Fort Liard I know the housing manager is there, and I appreciate the government for doing that, but the maintenance officer is not there. So when will that position be filled?

In regards to the surplus units that the Member brought forward before he asked the question, if he would like to contact me we can provide a detailed list to any Member. In fact, I've done that for other Members here already on the surplus units that are in their communities, how many are up for sale and how many are to be demolished. Like I say, I have done that for other Members and I'm willing to extend that to all Members if they would like that.

The other thing on the local housing organizations in the new communities, we have job offers open and it's just the process. So I can't actually give a timeline on when positions would be filled because there is a process, again. You put the job offer out, you advertise it, people apply for the position. If there's a suitable candidate, we offer the position; we have to go internal first. We have to wait for the appeal process that can be closed. So to give an actual defined date on when somebody will be in the seat is something I cannot do.

Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for her answer. Just for the record, she has given me this information and the houses are still there. They still haven't been demolished and that. I appreciate that we're going to be doing this sometime hopefully by the end of this term. It will help the community.

My final question is: in regard to the Fort Liard Housing Authority, are they going to have a board? Presently in other communities they have a board. In Fort Simpson they have a board. So I'm trying to figure out, with the new local housing organization, will we have a new board or will they have to still report out of Fort Simpson? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The community of Fort Liard actually at this point hasn't really come forward. We've had one individual from the community who has asked to have a board. If the community is interested in having a board, then we would be more than willing to provide that for the community, but we would like the community to come forward, more than one single individual, to express their desire to have a board. Once we get the community on board, then we're more than willing to provide that.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and they are with regard to the recent announced closing of Aurora College's Teacher Education Program and the social work program. I'm wondering: how does the Minister in fact see the department meeting the goals of Skills 4 Success and the requirements of our mandate in the absence of these programs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department will be continuing to work with the college and other post-secondary partners to ensure that program is better aligned with the needs of the labour markets. We're also reviewing the Student Financial Assistance program to see how it might be used to incent and encourage NWT residents to pursue post-secondary education that is aligned with in-demand occupations and the needs of the labour market.

The Skills 4 Success document is also being used in high schools, and we sent it to all the schools across the Northwest Territories so that information can be shared with future post-secondary students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you to the Minister for his reply, and he may have partially answered my next question. How is the Department of Education, Culture and Employment working with the current and prospective students to address their concerns and support their educational and professional needs? Mr. Speaker, we recently know that some students wrote to us with these concerns, and so I'm wondering how the department will work with them specifically to support their needs.

I mentioned a little bit of this yesterday, as well. The current students of these programs will be given the opportunity to complete their program at Aurora College, but there will be no new intakes, as was mentioned. Former students will also be given the opportunity to complete these programs. Aurora College staff are providing students with the support staff they need to ensure that they have the best chances for successful completion of the program that they're in. Potential future students, as I mentioned yesterday, we are meeting with our access program students to help them align with the best career path moving forward with them as well.

Again, thank you to the Minister for his reply. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to know: how is the Department of Education, Culture and Employment growing and enhancing post-secondary options in the North, particularly if these two programs are to be eliminated?

We're expanding opportunities for post-secondary education that includes other institutions such as Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, as well as College nordique, and some of these will be addressed as government looks at developing a new overarching legislation for post-secondary education in the Northwest Territories.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, lastly I'm wondering: can the Minister make a commitment to provide the figures on historical enrollment and graduation for these two programs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we can commit to getting that information for the Member and all Members on the other side of the House. I just want to let the Members know that we also have approximately 33 NWT students attending teacher education programs outside the Northwest Territories, and we continue to support them through our Student Financial Assistance program; 13 are coming from communities outside Yellowknife, so we're getting students from the communities outside Yellowknife attending this. Additionally, there are approximately 19 NWT students presently attending social work programs outside of the NWT and eight coming from communities outside Yellowknife.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.

Masi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.