Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today, I will be tabling a significant message from hundreds of Northwest Territories residents on an issue that we have all become far too complacent about. That message, Mr. Speaker, is that child poverty is real. It is not going away. Our government can be doing more about it.
The petition I will be tabling was sponsored by a single parent, by the Yellowknife Women's Centre and the Status of Women Council in the Northwest Territories. It was launched in October of last year. Since then, Mr. Speaker, it has generated 613 signatures from ten communities across the Northwest Territories. I wanted to list those communities because they deserve recognition for the effort they put into it.
Signatories, Mr. Speaker, are here from the communities of Lutselk'e, Inuvik, Hay River, Fort Simpson, Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic, Fort Smith, Holman, Fort Liard and Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker. The petition asked the government specifically to do the following:
- To stop the clawback from the National Child Benefit Supplement from monthly income support payments;
- Stop deducting child support payments from monthly income support assessments;
- Set income support rates at the DIAND 1998 study level, which is an average of $900 per month for food for a family of four.
Mr. Speaker, I direct your attention, or anyone who is in the Assembly today, to the display that is set up outside, which illustrates the dramatic difference between what our food allowances permit and what this DIAND level permits;
- Mr. Speaker, to re-institute income support for basic necessities like telephone, transportation, sanitary products, diapers and laundry soap;
- Provide the NWT working supplement to families on income support;
- Stop forcing income support recipients to liquidate their assets such as RRSPs or children's trust accounts.
Mr. Speaker, in Canada, one in five children lives in poverty. Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.