This is page numbers 331 - 364 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 6th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.

Topics

Leon Lafferty North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a significant amount of time and energy has been spent by this government on the harmonization of public housing and income support programs. Harmonization is a word which indicates agreements. In reality, there is little agreement that the proposed changes will create harmony for the clients of these programs. As my colleague, Mr. McLeod, points out, there are faults with this initiative, particularly for seniors, and students as well. The rental scale is not based on the size or the condition of a house or the size of a family. The sole criteria is income, regardless if the income has to support two people or 10 people living under one roof. I am concerned for seniors and for students. The proposed guidelines say that seniors and students currently in public housing will not have their rent increased past $400. New applicants will have to pay rent based on their income, whether they are living in one bedroom, two bedrooms or three bedrooms.

Right now, for the first time, Treaty 11 scholarships are being taxed. Students will be assessed on money that is already clawed back by the federal government. It seems as though this government is clawing back every penny they can from the people who are most in need. We provide public housing as a way of assisting people on low incomes, but it doesn't seem as though we are helping them get into their homes because we are using their arrears against them. A person with arrears is disqualified from housing programs when they might benefit the most from these programs.

Options are available. By taking arrears and consolidating them into their mortgages and loans, people with a higher income would be better off owning their own home than if a higher percentage were simply taken off their rent. This is the situation which exists under harmonization.

Instead of harmonization, it might be better just altering existing policies and regulations. This would be simpler and fairer to all clients. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Item 3, Members' statements. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Miltenberger.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I have the privilege of recognizing two students from the Western Arctic Leadership Program in Fort Smith. They are Lance Lennie, Grade 12 from Deline; and, Daylyn Kakfwi, Grade 11, Fort Good Hope. I would like to welcome them to the Assembly.

---Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Welcome to the Legislative Assembly. Mr. Premier.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Stephen Kakfwi

Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my wife, Marie Wilson, in the gallery.

---Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Welcome. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. McLeod.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my two daughters, Robyn and Shawna. Welcome.

---Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Lee.

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I saw a whole bunch of legislative staff here, but maybe they were here to see Mr. Stewart. I would like to recognize my constituent Laurie Golchert. Thank you.

---Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

At this time, I would also like to recognize Joyce McLeod, Mike's better half. Welcome to the House.

---Applause

Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery
Item 5: Recognition Of Visitors In The Gallery

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Item 6, oral questions. Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a question that will be directed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Initially, I didn't have this planned, with Ms. Lee's comments about a research institute in the NWT and that our government doesn't have one, I just want to make sure that we still have one. In Inuvik we have, with the Aurora College, a research institute and there is probably another one. I just want to confirm with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, as it was an area raised in the past, that they are continuing with that program in Inuvik and that they are going to be enhancing what they do there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Thank you. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Return To Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we do have a research institute run under the Aurora College and we have two locations, one in Fort Smith and one in Inuvik. They are very active, both of them, and they will continue to be active. They do naturally run on budgets that are somewhat restricted. We would certainly like to see improvement in that. However, there is always the challenge of accessing additional funding. They are involved in many, many programs, Mr. Speaker, including the Arctic project on the ice with captured gas under the polar ice. That's been a very interesting project for the research institute, amongst many others, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Return To Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Supplementary, Mr. Roland.

Supplementary To Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I must admit, Ms. Lee raised a number of other initiatives that would be good for this government to proceed with. Are there any other initiatives that they are looking at to try to enhance the activities of the research institute? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Further Return To Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the federal budget of last week, Minister Manley - I got that right today - announced that there was $125 million per year that they are looking to provide to grants and councils. That's going mostly to universities, Mr. Speaker, and it's an area that we want to see if we can access in some way or other. There are chairs of research councils across the country at various universities. We are looking at getting in touch with all of those chairs to do more research here in the Northwest Territories, specifically through the Arctic Research Council. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Question 91-14(6): Aurora College Research Institutes
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Range Lake, Ms. Lee.

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. In the debate we have been having on the budget for the department, much of it centred on not just Arctic College, but also accountability or measuring how we are doing with the money that we are giving to the schools. We have increased their budget and it is in our interest to make sure we are doing the best we can with the money. In answering the questions, about 15 percent of the total budget that school boards are getting for student support services, which is to go to special needs, the Minister indicated that there are not a lot of standards on how it's done. I just want the Minister to clarify if that is the case. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.

Return To Question 92-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Question 92-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have guidelines for the usage of this particular funding. We do have the DECs and DEAs that receive funding for both PTR and for student needs support funding that apply the money for those particular areas, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 92-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Question 92-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 92-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Question 92-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

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Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could he explain in just easy-to-understand terms what is the direction of the department to the boards, in terms of how they expect the money to be spent as support services or student support needs?

Supplementary To Question 92-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Question 92-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

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The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Ootes.