MLAs want better communication
Members speak out about their agendas entering
into this session of the legislative assembly
Kirsten Fenn
Northern News Services
Thursday, October 6, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The legislative assembly is set to reconvene in just under a week and several MLAs are hoping for better communication between members when it comes to tackling issues this session.
Kevin O'Reilly: Frame Lake MLA plans to push improvements to French education at the upcoming session starting Oct. 13. - NNSL file photo
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MLAs will gather in Yellowknife on Thursday and hope to address everything from French education to policing to economic development in the approximately three weeks they'll be there.
The last session ended on June 29.
Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly said he expects a proposal to implement airport improvement fees in customers' tickets and to increase fees for air operators will be raised in the upcoming weeks.
What he's really hoping to push is a different approach to French education - one similar to the Yukon where the school board itself can decide to allow non-rights holders.
A Canadian citizen whose first language is French, who have received elementary level education in a French language institution or is the parent or guardian of a child who has received education in that language has a right to attend a French language education institution in Canada.
Until recently, parents and guardians of non-rights holders had to appeal to the education minister for permission to attend schools under the French school boards. That had been the case since 2010 until Aug. 11 when the territorial government softened its stance, allowing non-rights holders who are francophone immigrants, immigrants who speak neither English nor French, and children whose families have lost the French language back to grandparents.
But O'Reilly said this is still too restrictive.
"The ability to attain an education in French here is quite limited," he said. "Once francophone schools reach 85 per cent of their capacity, there is no longer the ability to admit non-rights holders."
The Frame Lake representative said things have been challenging at times since last year's election, and that he's sometimes hit a wall trying to work with cabinet.
"There have been a few issues over the summer where we were finding out about developments or proposals in the media before we were even informed as regular MLAs," O'Reilly said.
Sahtu MLA Daniel McNeely said the government has been moving in the right direction this year but that "more consultation with the communities" is needed.
McNeely wants capital developments such as airport expansions, subdivisions and road expansions in isolated communities to make the upcoming session's agenda.
"With the world economy the way it is, these global recessions have a big impact . . . on the smaller, remote communities," McNeely said.
Kam Lake MLA Kieron Testart said the escape of a prisoner from the North Slave Correctional Centre in August is still weighing on his mind and is something he plans to address alongside emergency services.
"The RCMP has made a decision not to respond to public intoxication so I'm wondering if we have a plan to support the City of Yellowknife and make sure our downtown is a place people want to visit," he said.
Supporting post-secondary education in the territory is something Testart wants to see as a way to move the territory away from dependence on resource markets, he said.
"If we're going to really be a leader in the circumpolar world and of course Northern Canada, then we need to increase our knowledge capacity and start building a knowledge economy," he said.
Creating more summer job opportunities that would build students' skills would be a good start to that, if Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson had his way.
Thompson said doing so would encourage young people to stay in the North.
Fort Simpson's health centre is also in need of upgrades, Thompson said, and he wants that fixed. He added it's the only centre in the region that hasn't seen improvements.
On Wednesday, he was on a tour of four communities in the Nahendeh region with the ministers of Housing, Education, Municipal and Community Affairs, and Health and Social Services, to hear residents' concerns.
"So there will be some potential issues brought forth from this tour," Thompson said. "I'm just looking forward to the session and moving forward in making a healthy and prosperous territory."
