Thank you, Mr. Chair. I too feel it is important that this senior management position be located somewhere outside of the city of Yellowknife. I come from a region where language is in dire need of revitalization. The Gwich'in language is one of the hardest languages to learn, and it's the least spoken language within the Northwest Territories, Indigenous language. We're losing our language at a fast pace. Our elders are -- we're losing our elders at an equally fast pace too so they're taking this language with them. We have a few knowledgeable people, such as our translators back there, that do take a good role in saving our language. So I too do not want to delete any numbers from this budget. Location, I would fight for having it located in one of the other regions, having it located where it's needed. I believe all the other locations would be appropriate. It would be well accommodated because, in essence, you're going to have to put something where it's needed, not a thousand miles away. So like I said, I don't want to delete any numbers, but I would like to see this position located in another region within the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from the Deh Cho to the motion.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Like my colleagues that talked about, I too would like to see that. I don't want to see the budget deleted or reduced or whatever but would like to see the position moved into one of our regions.

We need -- kind of like I said before, we need role models in our regions. We need people in our regions that are at a higher status so our young people can look up to them and say, that's what I want to be when I grow up. And we don't have that, and everything is centralized in Yellowknife. It makes it hard for us in the smaller communities. The government needs to help stimulate the economy in all our regions. We need something in our regions. So that's what I'm going to say about that.

And also language -- an ADM for languages, I'm not sure how that's going to work, you know, but the Minister obviously knows what will happen if that person is hired. All our regions are struggling at some point with different things. So that's what I'm going to say about that one for now. Thank you. I don't support deleting or reducing the budget. But I do support having position put into one of our regions. Thank you.

Thank you. Any further Members to the motion. I got the Member from Frame Lake to the motion.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I think it's pretty clear where this motion is going, but we should make a point of throwing our reasons out there for decisions that we're making.

I see where the Member is getting at in terms of kind of questioning whether now is a time to be growing senior management, and I do -- I do think that those are questions that are worth raising. With regards to reducing the budget by $200,000, similar to some of my colleagues, I just don't think that I want to see this budget reduced any further than it already is. I mean, one of the first thoughts I had when I originally cracked open the 2024-2025 Main Estimates was I was very disappointed to see reductions happening to education because I think of education as being such an integral part of the mandate commitment to grow and enhance the northern workforce by investing in skill development. You know, I've spoken to that ad nauseam in this House already and plan to continue doing that. For good reason, because I believe in it so much. And so I think it's important to discuss kind of the idea of senior management growth and whether that kind of is a wider issue, is really -- and adding positions, whether adding a position is always the answer, and I think that is a wider discussion.

Getting into each and individual decision and kind of trying to manage what departments are doing, you know, I haven't been part of operating this department, I haven't been in on the conversations that were involved in creating a position such as this, and I think we need to think very carefully about making decisions like this on the fly to change -- you know, changes to HR that are happening within departments that the department feels will help things move along more smoothly. So, you know, I would just note that something that stood out to me when I was listening to the Member from Yellowknife Centre speaking is he was speaking quite eloquently to, you know, a suite of inspired ideas. I would have appreciated those being brought forward for our report on the main estimates and think that we could have maybe advocated for those that way. But simply by cutting the budget by $200,000, obviously we can't achieve those things. But I understand the kind of symbology of the motion and understand that the Member may want to kind of make that gesture. But to wrap it up and try to be brief, Mr. Chair, I do not support cutting the budget by $201,000. Thank you.

Thank you. To the motion. Question. I'm going to go to the Member to Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I won't spend too long. I just want to say, first of all, I know what the delete function is. Unfortunately, people have to appreciate -- and I think the Premier put it well except the part which he says I may not be aware of what I'm doing. I didn't take that as offensive. I took that as tongue in cheek, which is fine. I give it so I should taketh, as they say, so I welcometh. So the point being is, though, it's an interesting observation, and I think it's very important to stress that because -- but the Members themselves only have the ability to delete. That's our only mechanism. Hence, that's why the narrative is so key when you make these motions is because when you say I want to delete this, it's critical that people on the government side understand the message is we don't -- it's not a case we don't support the government supporting language. It's not that. It's the question that's come up, and several Members caught it, caught the issue, which is on the ground, in the communities, in the regions. I mean, I'll be the first one to say thank you for a new job in Yellowknife. I mean, that sounds -- it's not intended to be rude but that's what this -- staying the status quo is exactly what that's going to deliver. And I'm in Yellowknife saying put it out in the region. I don't care where it goes because its excitement will create so much more synergy and energy in the communities.

So as far as promotion, Mr. Chairman, something interesting that comes up every single year, even when I wasn't here, is the Languages Commissioner are constantly asks -- calls for a promotion role. And if we wanted to do more for language, there's the gateway of opportunity as well. I mean, I -- all I can tell you is -- without spending too much more time is -- I'm going to say, respectfully, it isn't micromanagement. I know the Member for Yellowknife North brought that up. But every time a Member asks for something, one could define that as micromanagement. Oh, I need a nursing care thing in Stanton, that means micromanagement. We should put some $10,000 in this. That's micromanagement. Like, in other words, where do we limit ourselves? I'm not offended by the comment but I'm making the comment back saying, then we should never comment on anything on this side because anything would be perceived as micromanagement I guess. Which I don't support. I think that if we're given a budget, we should be allowed to ask questions. If we're given a budget to ask our opinions, here's my opinion. How do we help languages? Ultimately, Mr. Chairman, I'm not going to spend any further time on this. It's okay. I mean -- and I'm okay with people voting the wrong way by not supporting my motion, and I'll get over it. And I respect that, that you folks will make a less good choice. I didn't say bad. I'll just say less good choice. Because my initiative, really, is about stimulating opportunity in the communities. And as a young people who grew up in Fort Simpson, I mean, people spoke Slavey all the time as kids, and it inspired -- I mean, I still remember a few words, which I won't repeat, but that said, the -- it was exciting to see people do it. And when I hear George -- or sorry, the Member for Mackenzie Delta speak to about how tough his language is, I'm just trying to find new ways and inspire new ways we can get more speakers of that language and every single language around here.

So, Mr. Chairman, on that, I respect the results on how it goes, but I hope the message resonates that I support community languages, and I think frontline is really -- frontline and grassroots is really the way do it. And I have every right to make that argument. And I think that every Member has the right to disagree, even though it's okay, it's less good. Thank you.

Thank you. I take it that all the Members have a copy of the motion in front of them. Okay. I'll read out the motion.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, it says on this motion here. I move that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, corporate management, operations expenditure summary, 2024-2025 Main Estimates, be reduced to $12,201,000. That's the motion. Do I hear a question?

Okay, the motion is on the floor. To the motion. Of all those in favour? Show of hands. This motion, if you -- this is to reduce -- so to the motion. Show of hands. Okay, thank you. All those opposed to the motion. Thank you. The motion is defeated.

---Defeated

Thank you. Members, noting the clock, and committee members, I will now rise to report progress. I want to thank the Minister and your witnesses. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the chambers.

Okay, I'll read it out again for the -- what I have in front of me. Again, it just says here that noting the clock, committee members, I will now rise and report progress. Thank you to the Minister and to your witnesses. Sergeant-at-arms, please escort the witnesses from the chambers.

---SHORT RECESS

Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 93-20(1) and would like to report progress with one motion carried. And Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of the Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. Can I have a seconder, please? Yellowknife South.

Thank you. All in favour? Opposed? Abstentions? It's a tie. As a Speaker of the House, motion has been carried.

---Carried

Third reading of bills. Orders of the day, Mr. Clerk.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

This House stands adjourned until Wednesday, June 5th, 2024, at 1:30 p.m.

---ADJOURNMENT

The House adjourned at 8:41 p.m.