The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. The honourable Member for Baffin Central, Ms. Mike.

Rebecca Mike Baffin Central

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Ningark on March 14, 1994 regarding social assistance and the GST. The GST is administered by the Government of Canada, as a tax on goods and services. It is applied to any purchaser, whether they are on social assistance or not. The Department of Social Services does not have a policy on this, but of course it is expected that social assistance recipients will comply with federal laws, including paying the GST.

Social assistance recipients should be eligible for the GST tax credit on their income tax returns. The amount of refund that they would receive would depend on their annual income and the number of dependants they claim on their tax return. When social assistance recipients receive this refund, it is not counted as income in determining the amount of assistance they receive. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Aivilik, Mr. Arvaluk.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Minister of Safety and Public Services, Mr. Nerysoo.

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm not totally aware of all the advertising that is being done, so I'll take the question as notice and report back all the advertising and information that we provide to our communities.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Item 5, oral questions. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Jim Antoine Nahendeh

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. According to my statement today about March being Aboriginal Languages Month, I would like to ask the Minister responsible for languages, the Honourable Richard Nerysoo, does the Government of the Northwest Territories recognize that March is Aboriginal Languages Month? If they recognize that it is,

what has the government done to promote, support and enhance aboriginal languages for the month of March?

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Mr. Antoine, you have asked two questions of the Minister. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would ask that the question be deferred to the Premier, who is responsible for the matter of the aboriginal languages agreement.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Madam Premier.

Nellie Cournoyea Nunakput

Madam Speaker, in this last week, the issue of setting Aboriginal Languages Month was discussed between myself and the department. There is an initiative to proclaim a week or day or something to recognize this very special month. The question I asked is what the program of activities is to recognize the very important matter. We didn't have a program. We didn't have a plan of events to enhance this notification so people will have aboriginal languages brought to their attention. We are fully informed that this special month has been proclaimed.

My suggestion to the department is that we plan for another time, maybe three months from now before school ends, to set aside our own week. It should be accompanied with proper advertising, proper input, with special activities around it. At this time, it would be very simple to go along with the flow and proclaim something, but I don't believe we should just proclaim a week or a month and do nothing about it.

We are planning some activities and we will be proclaiming, once we have those activities in place, activities with schools, adult education and we will put out posters at that time. Madam Speaker, I'm not suggesting that we are ignoring this special time, but I believe we have to do something more than just proclaim a month and not have a program and action behind it. Thank you.

The Speaker Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Antoine.