Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I suppose the Minister is saying then that the $1 million is an arbitrary amount brought forward because of the lack of monies available. The whole idea behind having an increase in the food allowance, Mr. Chairman, is that nutritional food is critical to disease prevention, healthy development and children's school performance. That is a direct quote, Mr. Chairman, out of Mr. Todd's own budget address. We have been able to find money for other things in this government which have been recommended for, and against in this House. For example, it was recommended not to do a POL study. We spent a quarter of a million dollars on it. We have another study from this government called the Med-Emerg Report which was $750,000 that has been slam-dunked and put on a shelf and forgotten except for two recommendations. Two hundred and fifty thousand and 250, to me makes up another $1 million. So, I would like some type of commitment from the Minister today that he would again look at and readdress the $1 million put into income support. If we were going to say something, let us demonstrate it with me. I know the Minister, as he said, only had $1 million but it seems like we can always find other monies from other places for schemes, or programs or ideas that Cabinet, or the Executive or the government as a whole comes up with. I would ask the Minister would he again, hopefully, if there is some slippage in some areas that he would try to rebase the income food allowance support by more than $1 million?
Edward Picco on Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on January 28th, 1998. See this statement in context.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
January 27th, 1998
Page 386
Edward Picco Iqaluit
See context to find out what was said next.