Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2005, the Accountability and Oversight committee decided to hold pre-budget consultations in communities outside of Yellowknife. This was a new process that was never done before by previous assemblies. To my colleagues of AOC, I thank you for having the foresight to visit communities outside of Yellowknife to hear firsthand some of the concerns people have with the lack of human resources and infrastructure in our smaller centres.
Mr. Speaker, this brings me to a concern heard by the AOC members that visited Paulatuk. An income support worker appeared before the committee to discuss the location of the income support office. The office is located in Angik School, Mr. Speaker. Students are able to see who comes and who goes from that office. The worker indicated that it's difficult for parents or students who required income support assistance to go to that office. Why should students be able to see their parents or see which classmates' parents have to access income support?
The people of Paulatuk are proud of their culture and heritage. As a government, we should not be belittling people, whether intentional or not, by making them apply for social assistance in full view of their children and their neighbour's children.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment will soon be administering the rental of social housing. This will mean even more people having to go to the income support office in Angik School.
The department is also considering setting up centralized government service centres. I don't want to see the centre located in the school, and urge the Department of ECE to look for alternate rental space in the community of Paulatuk, possibly in the hamlet office or the local housing authority office. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause