This is page numbers 2575 – 2598 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 going.

Topics

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

We're still at the consultation stage. I think that's helpful for understanding our progress to date. In addition to northern institutions, their willing partners are very close to us in northern Alberta who have been trying to make inroads with our student population. Has the Minister had any interaction with these institutions in trying to bring their programming into the North and make it more accessible to Northerners?

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Yes, and we also support our students going to those institutions for post-secondary program. In 2016-2017, there was over $60 million paid in Student Financial Assistance benefits supporting our students to go to post-secondary education down south. We continue to work with partners at the University of Alberta, University of Regina, University of Saskatoon, University of Victoria, for some programs that we currently are delivering within the Aurora College, and we will continue to enhance and build on those partnerships.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Kieron Testart

Kieron Testart Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for that. I appreciate that the government provides probably the best support in Canada for students attending university down south. I am going to re-ask that question with just a bit of different language. Rather than send our students to these institutions, can we bring these institutions to the North? Can they establish a campus or a branch here? Has he had those discussions, and is he working toward that goal? Thank you.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and yes, we have had discussions with the partners that we are currently in agreements with, and as I mentioned, we are going through this foundational review right now. We are just waiting on the terms of reference feedback from standing committee. We will go ahead and proceed on that foundational review, and hopefully in the early new year, 2018, we will be moving forward and hopefully have some good structured programs in the 2018-2019 academic year.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I have some questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. Can he tell us when these fabulous new airport improvement fees are actually going to come into effect? Is it going to be July 1st? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would have to look up the exact details, but it comes into effect July 1st, so I suspect the airport improvement fee will come into effect on that date and the landing fees as well. I think there was discussion with committee that people who had booked airline tickets prior to the implementation of this date would be offset, and those charges would not be applied to them for the fees. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister for that response. A few more questions about the Yellowknife Airport Evolution statement that he made earlier today. I know I had asked previously whether the terms of reference for the Economic Advisory Committee were public, and now there are two more committees, an Airline Consultative Committee and an Airline Operating Committee. I am kind of confused here, but are there terms of reference for each of these, and can the Minister provide them to this side and make them public?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

As we went through the planning of this, we have made it quite clear that there were these other committees. I am sure that they are in a public realm, and they could be made available to the Member.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks to the Minister for his response. I am not sure they are actually in the public realm yet, and that is why I am asking. So he has got commitment to share them with this side, and I am sure he is going to make sure that they are posted immediately to the Infrastructure website, but the economic advisory committee, has his deputy minister made the appointments to that body yet?

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

The deputy has shared some names with me of people who have either approached us about having their name submitted and some possibilities, but I do not believe that those positions have been determined yet.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. Thanks to the Minister for that response. Of course, I have expressed in this House my view that I think the appointments should be made by the Minister himself rather than a deputy minister, but when those names are finalized, is there a commitment from the Minister to release them publicly and make them available to the Members on this side as well? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I can do that for the Member.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Oral questions. Item 7, written questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I have two written questions today. For the first one, my questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. The Minister provided Regular Members with the most recent version of its School Funding Framework that I tabled in the House yesterday. Can the Minister:

1. Identify the number of students enrolled in junior kindergarten alone, and in kindergarten to grade 12 cumulatively, and each school offering the Junior Kindergarten Program in 2016-2017;

2. Provide departmental projections of the above for 2017-2018; and

3. Identify differences between current K-12 funding and that same funding if it accounted for JK-12 in the items below, using estimated 2017-2018 enrolment figures and the formulas set out in the framework shared with Regular Members:

4. School Funding Framework – Administration – Administration O and M – item (i), Administration and School Services: (Administration Staffing for Assistant Superintendents, Administration Officers and Clerical Staff according to the tables);

5. School Funding Framework – Administration – Administration O and M – item (ii), District Education Authorities O and M: (Community Base of $15,000 + K-12 FTE x $86);

6. School Funding Framework – Territorial Schools – item (iii) – School Support Consultants: funded according to established table;

7. School Funding Framework – Territorial Schools – item (iv) – School Counselling: (K-12 community FTE x 0.0032);

8. School Funding Framework – Territorial Schools – item (v) – School Secretaries: (K-12 community FTE x 0.00028);

9. School Funding Framework – Territorial Schools – item (vi) – Custodians: (K12 community FTE x 0.0102);

10. School Funding Framework – Inclusive Schooling – item (iv) – Support Assistants: (Community K-12 FTE / 63);

11. School Funding Framework – Inclusive Schooling – item (vi) – Staff Development – Base funding of $2,000 per community + (community K-12 FTE x $50) x NCI;

12. School Funding Framework – Inclusive Schooling – item (vii) – Specialized Learning Materials / Assistive Technology: [Education Authority $10,000 base for minor projects + Base funding of $2,000 per community + (community K-12 FTE x $62)] x NCI;

13. School Funding Framework – Inclusive Schooling – item (x) – Healing and Counselling: Base funding of $10,000 per community + ($60 per K-12 FTE x NCI);

14. School Funding Framework – Aboriginal Languages & Cultural Programs – item (i) – Aboriginal Languages O and M: (Base funding of $100,000 per education authority) + ($9,000 x number of communities minus one) + (Aboriginal K-12 FTE x $125) x NCI; and

15. School Funding Framework – Aboriginal Language & Cultural Programs – item (ii): Education Assistants / Aboriginal Language specialists (EA/ALS): Aboriginal K-12 FTE per community, according to established table?

Merci, Monsieur le President.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Written questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. For my second question, my questions are for the Premier. Members of Cabinet and their support staff travelled to Ottawa in November 2016 for intergovernmental meetings and parliamentary presentations. In his January 31, 2017 reply to my written question, the Premier said that "there were no lobbyists or consultants engaged in the planning or coordination of this trip." Can the Premier explain why we pay the lobbyist firm Earnscliffe Strategy Group more than $120,000 per year to provide "media and government relations and communications" services in Ottawa, but did not use services during the one visit the full-time Cabinet made to Ottawa last year?

1. Did any of the seven Cabinet Ministers and 15 staff members participating in the trip to Ottawa meet with any representative of the Earnscliffe Strategy Group during the November 2016 trip to Ottawa?

2. Why did the Earnscliffe Strategy Group invoice the GNWT for a total of $30,450 for October, November, and December 2016 service if the firm did not provide services before, during, or after the visit?

3. Why the Federal Lobbyist Registry describing the activity of Earnscliffe on behalf of the GNWT says Earnscliffe, arranging meetings with the federal representatives, when we do not have these services while in Ottawa?

4. Will the Premier provide a copy of the Executive Indigenous Affairs Department's contract with Earnscliffe Strategy Group?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Written questions. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to Commissioner's opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Glen Abernethy

Glen Abernethy Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Knowledge Agenda: Northern Research for Northern Principles." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

Wally Schumann

Wally Schumann Hay River South

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled "Communities and Diamonds 2016 Annual Report," and "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 503-18(2): Northern Frontier Visitors Centre." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackson Lafferty

Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Finance.