Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about the plight of the income support workers in my constituency, and I suppose right across the Northwest Territories. The funding formula that the department has implemented to provide the funding for the community to administer the program and pay income support workers, including to do justice to the task that they are supposed to perform. Mr. Speaker I know of one part-time income support worker who has had as many as 35 people waiting to see them in one day. There is no way that an income support worker could even hope to address any of the concerns or questions risen by the clients in 6.8 minutes. I strongly believe that this government has failed the people they are supposed to help by not giving the communities the resources and administration dollars for the Income Support Program. Mr. Speaker, under the present system the funding is based on he number of actual clients and not on the number of people you see over a course of a day. As a result, Mr. Speaker, the time spent with individuals is inadequate. The time allowed is inadequate and the income support workers cannot perform their jobs to their satisfaction.

Mr. Speaker, the income support workers are burning out and quitting under the stress of not being able to do what the income support worker is supposed to do which is to get people off of welfare and into leading positive lives. These income support workers have no time to assess the individuals backgrounds or skills on developing a plan to deliver and allow the clients to proceed in supporting themselves. For example, Mr. Speaker, if a trapper just needs a small amount... Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to seek unanimous consent to concluded my statement.