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

Supplementary To Question 96-14(6): Recognition Of Volunteer Firefighters
Question 96-14(6): Recognition Of Volunteer Firefighters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 339

Paul Delorey

Paul Delorey Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also asked the Minister back at that time if we could supply licence plates for our volunteer firefighters to recognize them, to give them some recognition in the community. Mr. Speaker, when I asked for that, I was asking for regular licence plates that go on the back. It's done in other jurisdictions that firefighters in the community stand out and it gives them some sort of special recognition. I would like to know with the Minister where this issue is with licence plates for firefighters. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 96-14(6): Recognition Of Volunteer Firefighters
Question 96-14(6): Recognition Of Volunteer Firefighters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 339

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister of MACA.

Further Return To Question 96-14(6): Recognition Of Volunteer Firefighters
Question 96-14(6): Recognition Of Volunteer Firefighters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 339

Vince Steen

Vince Steen Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this particular question was taken to the Department of Transportation and we've been advised that it would require a change of the legislation to allow for such a licence plate. Although there may be some complications with actually keeping track of the licence plates afterwards, it was not recommended by Transportation that we do this. They recommended, and I believe both departments agreed, that the only way to go would be with front licence plates, rather than back licence plates and so long as they didn't have the NWT polar bear image on it, there would be no problem with creating such a licence plate. In that case, Transportation would have no issue at all with the licence plate. That was what we took back to the Member and to the fire departments for consideration. I know it's not what the Member recommended, but it's basically what the department arrived at as the only possible way we could respond to the question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 96-14(6): Recognition Of Volunteer Firefighters
Question 96-14(6): Recognition Of Volunteer Firefighters
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 339

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Item 6, oral questions. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister responsible for the harmonization initiative. However, in light of the Premier's response, I will change my line of questioning to what is calculated as income for the people in social housing. I would like to ask the Minister Responsible for the Housing Corporation, I have gotten a lot of complaints that there is a new methodology of calculating gross income and based on the income, your rent is adjusted. I would like to ask the Minister if he could tell me what's included as part of the calculations. I am told bingos and gambling winnings are all part of what is calculated. Could he clarify to me what is part of the calculations? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister Responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Return To Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will speak to the current status of what is declared as income. Since harmonization is not in effect yet, the other calculations such as bingo earnings and various other incomes are not calculated into the current rent scales. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue has been raised to me on a number of occasions that we are now trying to incorporate a system that will include items that are considered income. There may not be a formal methodology of tracking it. Could the Minister tell me what would be in place to ensure that information is not based on hearsay? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister Responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a very critical point that should be conveyed to the Members is that the NWT Housing Corporation is responsible for the implementation of the harmonization policy in terms of calculating rents. We have sent out a formal letter about the methodology that is going to be used to calculate rents. How we calculate income is something we need to address. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

Michael McLeod

Michael McLeod Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Given the answer from the Minister, I take it that these new formulas for calculating income are not in place and we're not going to have a bunch of repo men lurking behind the doors and in the shadows trying to calculate what is income and what is not income and who is winning bingo and who is winning card games? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Minister Responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think those are some of the unknowns that we need to really look at carefully. I know the traditional method is to have each tenant coming to the local housing association each month and declaring income and that is the normal procedure, so hopefully we can eradicate some of the misnomers in a very short while. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Question 97-14(6): Income Calculations For Social Housing Rent Scales
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Item 6, oral questions. Ms. Lee.

Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

February 25th, 2003

Page 340

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pursue the questions I had earlier about the funding for special needs in our schools. Mr. Speaker, I wonder if I could ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, not for technical accounting data of where the money goes, but what his instruction or guidelines have been. Is there anything that he's told the boards about what he expects to be done with the money for special needs? Thank you.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

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

Return To Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on a twice annual basis, I meet with the chairs of the district education councils and authorities, and the superintendents meet with our staff at the same time. During those meetings, we have discussed the issue of funding, PTR and special needs funding, and I've given specific instructions that this money is to be used for the intended purpose to ensure that it goes into student needs funding, meaning that it should go into areas such as school consultants and program support teachers, supports for our students, for materials, supplies that they may need, special transportation and student support assistance and extraordinary situations where students my need some help. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In those conversations, has he also talked to them about the end result of that? What sort of evaluation does he engage in within these board officials to determine how well the money is being spent? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

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

Further Return To Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 340

Jake Ootes

Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I mentioned earlier, it is easy to quantify the PTR because that is measured and reported in that fashion. It is a little more difficult to quantify and to tabulate every expenditure that is made in support of student funding because of the variety of areas it could be used in: support teachers, student support, et cetera. That is reported back though, Mr. Speaker, in general terms through our annual reporting system. We have a very, very good reporting system from the DECs back to headquarters with annual reports. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 341

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker David Krutko

Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Question 98-14(6): Funding For Student Support Services
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 341

Sandy Lee

Sandy Lee Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question has to do with the special needs funding, not necessarily PTR, and the Minister said two things. One is that, because the area is so complex, he can't itemize everything and yet he is getting excellent reports from the boards. So there is a contradictory message there. I'm wondering if the Minister could provide the House, in writing, with the instructions he gives or guidelines he gives to the boards and what the evaluation is that is coming back. Thank you.