Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is on the government's involvement in childcare services in Yellowknife. As we are all aware,
Yellowknife is a very expensive city to live in. Most parents have to rely on day care and day homes to provide childcare because, in most cases, both parents have to work in order to pay the mortgage, the rent and other household costs.
I believe that government has an obligation to parents to ensure that there is adequate space and that there is a level playing field. It has come to my attention that there is not a level playing field in Yellowknife. I have a number of questions surrounding why this is the case. Day cares all receive the operator subsidy, which is dependent upon the number of spaces that they provide. There is a day care association in Yellowknife that operates from what I understand is a government-owned facility. This is not their own fault; just the reality.
I still do not understand who really does own the building. I think the GNWT owns it, but I am not quite sure. Does the GNWT own the building or does the association own the building? The reason I raise this issue is I know Public Works and Services pays all the maintenance costs, property taxes, et cetera, on the building and the association only pays the utility costs. There is no rent paid to a landlord, no property taxes paid and, like I said, I am not certain who actually owns the building.
My point is that the Government of the Northwest Territories does not treat all day care facilities fairly. There are other day cares in the city of Yellowknife that also get the operator subsidy, have to pay rent, they have to pay maintenance and utility costs and everybody has fixed costs for teachers.
I would just conclude by saying that whatever we can provide day cares is a great investment in the future. I believe that it is time to be fair to all day care providers, and I would encourage the Government of the Northwest Territories to address the inequities that have been created. Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time on today's Order Paper, I will have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, the Honourable Charles Dent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause