This is page numbers 6353 - 6412 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 3rd 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 assembly.

Topics

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6401

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Ms. Green.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6401

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you for that information. Is it possible for the Department of Education to work with childcare providers in Yellowknife to create space in the new school building that will replace J.H. Sissons, to explore that possibility? Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6401

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister McLeod.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6401

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Minister Cochrane.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6401

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Minister Cochrane.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6401

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do want to clarify, it's not like the capital city, Yellowknife, has been neglected in this. The MLA had brought up the name of the Yellowknife Daycare Society. That daycare society, that infrastructure building was provided free of cost for decades within this community. We haven't done that in other communities. So Yellowknife hasn't been neglected in that. The reason I'm working with smaller communities is they don't have any daycares. They have zero daycares. Some of them have zero early childhood programming, period. So I always say a society is judged by how we treat or most marginalized people, and I've heard in this House even today, if we support the smaller communities, Yellowknife benefits. Those children are mobile.

The other thing, too, is that, with the smaller communities, like I say, there are opportunities for financial partnerships. I agree, and I've said that in the House, that childcare should be a priority in the next government. It's going to come in the next month or so. I think that MLAs who are here should bring that forward, if we're going to look at infrastructure. This is not the time. It's the end of the Assembly. We need to look at that in the next one, and hopefully it will become a priority in the next one, because everyone in this House agrees that early childhood is important.

So we're not neglecting Yellowknife. Yellowknife has daycare centres. We've given for decades a free-infrastructure place in Yellowknife for daycares. We have not done that in the communities. It's time to support our smaller communities, as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Cochrane. Next on the list, we have Mr. McNeely.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I see on page 13 there are several schools that are identified in this budget and this department, the community of Cold Lake being one. I thank the Minister and the department and the government for allowing that capital cost to proceed ahead, here, after witnessing the buildings, and I just see it as not a need to continue treating our children that way, where they have to go to school behind bookshelves as dividers from one classroom to the next. From what I have been told by parents, they're told that their children have to whisper not to interfere with the neighbouring classmates. Then having to outside one building, to put on their warm clothes in the wintertime, and walk to the next building and do the same thing and undress, then finally sit down at their desk and focus again on their studies.

I look forward to our continued work and relationship with the community leadership and having them, as we had some initial discussions with the leadership, I told them in our recent education forum that we put together in Deline on July 4th, "It's your school, your building, and, in my view, I think you should work with the government through a partnership arrangement and participate in the design or even the colour of the building." They were quite happy to hear that and, in the same process, what I had mentioned to them was done to have input into the health centre design in the community of Tulita. So they were quite pleased and quite open to hear suggestions and, at the end of the day, everybody agreed it's your community school for your community children. Thank you.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Would the Minister care to comment?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Yes, thank you. We appreciate the Member's comments. In all the years that I've been here, I've had an opportunity to travel to all 33 communities; I've seen some of the infrastructure in a lot of the communities, and the schools and that, and some of them, all they want is a nice building where they can send their children to focus, as the Member said, focus on their studies. Sometimes you have to be without something to really appreciate things when you actually do get them or you have them, so we continue to work and try to provide for all the people in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. Any further questions from committee? Seeing none, we will start again on Education, Culture and Employment, early childhood and school services, infrastructure investments, $33,798,000. Does committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Agreed. Thank you. We will now turn back to the total department. Education, Culture and Employment, total capital estimates, $33,798,000. Does committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Agreed. Thank you. We will move on to Environment and Natural Resources. We will defer the departmental total until after consideration of the activity summary. Environment and Natural Resources, corporate management, infrastructure investment, $200,000. Does committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Agreed. Thank you. Next, we have Environment and Natural Resources, environmental protection and waste management, infrastructure investment, $325,000, with information on page 19. Does committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Agreed. Thank you. Environment and Natural Resources, forest management, infrastructure investment, $1,100,000, with information on page 21. Does committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Agreed. Thank you. Environment and Natural Resources, wildlife, infrastructure investment, $534,000, with information on page 23. Does committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you. We will now turn back to page 15. Environment and Natural Resources, total department, capital estimates, $2,159,000. Does committee agree?

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6402

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters

Page 6403

The Chair

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you. Next we have Finance. We will defer the departmental total until after consideration of the activity summaries, beginning on page 26. Information systems shared services includes information item on page 27. Finance, information systems shared services, infrastructure investments, $4,277,000. Does committee agree?