Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize for the confusion. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that my colleagues from across the floor are following the good intentions of your comments and direction earlier in the session. However, we will bear with it.
Mr. Speaker, on October 9th, 1996, in response to Members' concerns, the Legislative Assembly passed a motion referring issues of changes to the seniors' fuel subsidy to the Standing Committee on Social Programs. The standing committee believes that the Minister of Education, Culture, and Employment has been given clear political direction to keep the seniors' fuel subsidy in some form.
As we noted in an October report to the Minister, there is a clear consensus among the Ordinary Members and agreement from the N.W.T. Seniors' Advisory Council, that this program should remain in place. When we approved the change to the fuel subsidy as part of the 1996/97 budget, it was with the understanding that the change would address only those high-income seniors who are getting the subsidy. The actual implementation went far beyond what we thought we were approving. The committee addressed the issue with the Minister with no resolution.
On October 18th, 1996, we gave an interim report, Committee Report 12-13(3) in the House identifying the need to retain the subsidy in the short term. In that report we also identified possible options for funding the program. We again tried to address this issue during the review of the draft main estimates in December. The Minister continued to indicate that he was unable to find the funding necessary to continue the program, but would consider the options put forward by the committee.
As a result of our discussions, we offered a number of potential sources for some or all of the funding required to support this program. There is a social envelope working group looking at the array of programs and subsidies available to seniors. This group may recommend changes to the seniors' fuel subsidy or replacement of the subsidy with a different option. However, there is no indication at this point of the time frame for completion of this comprehensive review of seniors' programs and subsidies.
It is not appropriate to eliminate the fuel subsidy until the standing committee and Members of the Assembly have had an opportunity to review and approve other possible options. We had hoped the Minister of Education, Culture, and Employment would be willing to work co-operatively with the standing committee to ensure that seniors were able to access some form of fuel subsidy. The Standing Committee on Social Programs strongly believes that the Minister could have identified the $250,000 necessary for this program within his $218 million budget.
Given the lack of positive response from the Minister to date, the standing committee would support the introduction of a formal motion directing the Minister to maintain the seniors' fuel subsidy until such time as the Assembly directs otherwise.
-- Applause.
Mr. Speaker, that concludes the report of the Standing Committee on Social Programs, and I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik, that the report be received by the Legislative Assembly and adopted. Thank you.