Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My Member's statement today is on the Income Support Program and Productive Choices Policy. During the summer, Tuktoyaktuk hamlet council sent a letter to the regional superintendent of the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment regarding limited numbers of productive choices for small and remote communities. These productive choices programs are something all clients must partake of in order to receive their income assistance.
I agree with the objective of the productive choices polices, but I question how practical they are in small and remote communities such as all the communities in the Nunakput riding. Our small communities have many challenges. Limited jobs and programs often contribute to the cycle of dependency. Adjusting these concerns can hopefully improve our unfortunate cycle.
The Minister did respond, indicating they would wait for a list of the productive choices provided by the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, but I think the Minister should have gone the next step given that the community governments are overstretched and overworked, and given that the community governments that are most knowledgeable in how various programs should be administered. The Minister should have provided resources for the community to review these concerns adequately, to provide the report.
In the letter to the community it had some suggestions, such as the suggestion that certain counselling and wellness services could be carried about by a group of elders identified by themselves. I believe all government assistance must be administered with respect to regional cultural sensitivity. Currently many income assistance recipients in small, remote communities feel a serious disconnect with their client services officer, the programs and activities they must complete and the way it's administered. These concerns are: one, programs should be administered with respect; two, establish clear and productive policies for staff to follow and provide adequate options for unique challenges in the small and remote communities.
I'll have questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment at the appropriate time. Quanami.