(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I will speak to you about the IBA agreements...(Translation ends)
...for the impact agreement payments and the Income Support Program. When a person on income support receives an IBA payment, the government takes it away by reducing their income support. The net result is that the beneficiary gets nothing -- nothing, Mr. Speaker -- and the GNWT saves money on the Income Support Program.
When our leaders negotiated IBA agreements with the diamond mines, I am sure this is not what they had in mind, Mr. Speaker. They wanted to make sure our people, especially our elders, receive some direct compensation for the use of our land and resources. IBA payments are not the same as money a person might receive as a gift or by winning a lottery. It is compensation for use of the land, in accordance with our rights under Treaty 11 and the Tlicho agreement, Mr. Speaker.
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The diamond mines are taking something away from the Tlicho people and they are compensating us for that. People who receive IBA payments do not profit. They are just being compensated for what has been taken away from them, Mr. Speaker. It is the same as if your home had a broken window and an insurance company pays you. You have money instead of a window, but you do not have any more than what you started with, Mr. Speaker.
The social assistance regulations already exempt money received in accordance with the treaty or land claim agreements from being taken away under the Income Support Program. They recognize that these payments are a form of compensation, which is different from income. It is clear to me that IBA payments fall under this category. If it is not clear to the Minister and his department, then I think this could be very easily fixed with a small change to the regulation, Mr. Speaker.
On June 6, 2003, in a letter to then-Minister Jake Ootes on impact benefit agreement income from Minister Dent, then chair of AOC, Mr. Dent stated, I quote, Mr. Speaker, "The committee does not feel that income support should be reduced as a result of IBA payments." Charles, you believed it once; believe it again.