Those abstaining, please stand.

Those opposed, please stand.

Question has been called. All those in favour, please stand.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to request a recorded vote.

Question has been called. You just asked to call the question. So Member from Yellowknife Centre, you spoke twice to this bill, yes. Member from Monfwi, you only get one chance to speak to the motion. Member from Range Lake.

Thank you, Member from Kam Lake. To the principle of the bill.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues for talking about our students, the importance of education, and also this Assembly's priority on building a strong economic foundation for our whole territory.

Mr. Speaker, changes were made to the Student Financial Assistance Program in 2023-2024, including increases to the benefit rates for remissible loans. ECE is analyzing the impacts of the changes, including impacts to the SFA loan limits, which is expected to be completed at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year.

Mr. Speaker, while I agree with the MLA that the student loan limit may require an increase, the analysis still needs to be done to determine the appropriate level of increase required. There may also be legislative impacts beyond the student loan limit itself, notably, the legislated $45 million SFA revolving loan fund also needs to be reviewed, and we need to assess potential regulatory changes pertaining to repayment terms as well, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to working with the Member to ensure changes to the SFA legislation account for all potential impacts and that the program meets the needs of the students, including the financial burden loans may place on them as well as accounting for public funds.

Mr. Speaker, as work is required to investigate the revolving loan fund and potential impacts, and since this is beyond what is proposed in the Private Member's bill, Cabinet will abstain from the vote for this motion. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. To the principle of the bill. Member from Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I support this motion as a seconder. It's an increase to the existing options available to the students. Some of the assistance that I've -- and that's based on cost. Everything else is going up, hopefully we can increase the threshold in some programs we deliver. So it's an option there for the average student to take. Whether they choose to do so, it's entirely up to them. But I learned a lot of finding out through the assistance of students that I helped to survey their options, and I'm quite satisfied -- I would say probably more so satisfied with the programs and services offered by this government to encourage the students complete their education. And one program that I'm quite intrigued by is the one offered by ECE in saying to the average student we will cover 80 percent of your salary as you're going to school. So that's a huge financial relief to the individual going to school. And I recently experienced a graduate that went through that program and completed and graduated in the Yukon university, and is back working for this government. So that's just an example of the many options out there for assistance, whether it's bursaries or scholarships or, in this case, a loan. It's optional. They don't have to take that. We're just increasing it there to align with the inflationary costs that keeps increasing there. Mahsi cho.

From Yellowknife Centre. To the principle of the bill. Member from the Sahtu.