Thank you, Madam Chair. So that, I think, is just an internal move from grants to contributions. So the total amount of funding allocated for Indigenous language revitalization would not have changed. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Debates of March 1st, 2022
This is page numbers 3603 - 3664 of the Hansard for the 19th 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 know.
Topics
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Macdonald
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Frieda Martselos Thebacha
One of our -- Madam Chair, at one of our government operations phone-in shows, the whole issue of bonuses for knowing a second language or a second official language was brought up. I just want to hear the explanation if that includes all Indigenous languages or just the French language? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Thank you. So I believe there is some sort of a GNWT policy on languages. I'm not -- I can't say I'm overly familiar with it. The issue that comes up through ECE is often Indigenous language instructors. There are Indigenous language instructors in the schools who might not have education degrees and so they are not paid at the same rate as teachers who have education degrees. And this is something that, you know, the department has brought forward on numerous times to the -- you know, to -- and has brought forward to Finance who has then brought forward to the negotiations with the union. So we are working on trying to ensure that Indigenous languages are valued the way that we believe they should be. Thank you.
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Frieda Martselos Thebacha
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just for real clarity, the Indigenous language teachers at the elementary school and the high school in Fort Smith all have degrees from the teacher education program, and are they paid on par with the French teacher at those schools? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Thank you. Perhaps I'll send it to the deputy minister for that level of detail. Thank you.
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Macdonald
Thank you, Madam Chair. Luckily with the recent conclusion of collective bargaining with the Northwest Territories Teachers Association, so my -- what I think I believe the Minister is speaking about has been addressed. So, for example, there is a provision within the collective agreement for a language bonus for Indigenous language instructors. So that's been increased. I think it's a little over $6,000 per year now.
As well, in the table, the certification and the salary grid for teachers, the parties agreed to remove the initial step which was one year or less of experience. So Indigenous language instructors are now paid at two years or less, which brings them up a pay level, and brings them to be equal to other educators within the system with that level of experience and education. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you, Member. Are there any further questions under culture, heritage and languages? Oh yes, sorry, Member for Kam Lake.
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So I wanted to start off on the travel line item. I see that there was a slight decrease to travel for this item. I'm wondering who within this key activity is doing the most travel? And so with this travel, given what line items are here, would this be mostly in-territory travel and why the decrease? Thank you.
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Thank you. I can probably ask Mr. Shannon to explain the -- or Mr. MacDonald to explain the -- on the changes. Thank you.
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Macdonald
Thank you, Madam Chair. As the Minister mentioned in his opening remarks, ECE's contribution to the government-wide travel reduction was a little over $400,000. In applying that reduction across the department, we looked at the various branches and divisions where staff conduct travel. So where there was previously a larger travel budget available, we made larger cuts commensurate to those organizations. So in this activity, the Indigenous language group would be providing travel support to Indigenous language communities as well as to education bodies for training and things of that nature. So that would be an example of where that would be reduced. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
So thank you very much, Madam Chair. So the cut then specifically would be in-territory travel; I just want to confirm that? Thank you.
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Thank you. There may be a possibility that there may have been some out-of-territory travel under this budget. And if that was the case, that would be the first travel we would look at not doing. So we are prioritizing travel within the territory if we do travel. Thank you.
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Committee Motion 193-19(2): Tabled Document 561-19(2): Main Estimates 2022-2023 - Infrastructure - Deferral of Department, Carried
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 2nd
Page 3628
Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and thank you for the clarification from the Minister.
My next, I guess more of a comment first, is I see, and I note that one of my colleagues mentioned this already, was the significant increase to the Francophone Affairs Secretariat and that the Indigenous languages portion is still undergoing discussions with the federal government for contributions available for that. Is there a timeline associated with when the department expects to hear about that? Thank you.