Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we increased the minimum wage just this past week and it is scheduled for April of this year; another one next year. Those are the areas that we are continuing to focus on right now. With respect to the other thresholds the Member is alluding to, we have increased the threshold in the seniors home fuel subsidy just recently. The policy is always changing, so those are things we need to consider. Mahsi.

I go back to the specific questions on increasing thresholds on GNWT programs, specifically to low cost housing. It’s staying the same and I’m not sure if this Minister can answer for another Minister. However, programs like that, Legal Aid, child support payments, those types of programs certainly help single parents out there. Is there some general type of communication plan that this Minister will put out in terms of thresholds of programs in the GNWT?

Yes, we do have a program available to community members, even on the website as well, even at the community level through regional representatives. With those, Mr. Speaker, they are available even to the Members. When there are changes in the programming or policies, then we do update the Members. So, with that, Mr. Speaker, the changes to the thresholds we talked about in the past, and as we go forward, we realize the high cost of living in the Northwest Territories, so we have to keep those in mind as well. We just increased the minimum wage. I think it was a good step in the right direction and we continue to improve our programs. Mahsi.

With regard to the question I am going to ask the Minister, this person does not qualify for low cost housing because their income is $5,000 too much. They probably won’t get a low cost housing unit. So this person has to go from pay cheque to pay cheque, paying $1,700 a month for rent, fuel is about $300 -- probably a little more in the small, isolated communities -- power is about $200, water is about $100, phone is about $40 and food and all that. How can we help a person like this, a mother of three daughters, with the example of low cost housing units?

Individuals like that with a family, we provide subsidies for income security programming. There are a variety of programs that we can certainly offer to those individuals. So, Mr. Speaker, we do what we can through the income security area. As I stated, there are always amendments to our current policies that we have on hand, but so far it’s been up to date to meet the standards of community needs. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to continue working with the Minister on this issue and probably many other issues or situations like this in the Northwest Territories. In terms of a situation like this, can he work with his counterpart Minister Robert C. McLeod and look at low cost housing units and their thresholds to help a person like this make a living in the North?

I will continue to work with my colleague, the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, because we are transferring the program and we want to have a

smooth transition along the way. So the subsidy programs are part of the process as well. We’ll do what we can to make that effective. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Item 9, returns to written questions. Item 10, replies to opening address. Item 11, petitions. Item 12, reports of standing and special committees. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document titled 2009 NWT Community Survey – Housing Component. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 15, notices of motion. Item 16, notices of motion for first reading of bills. Item 17, motions. Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Bill 2, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2009-2010; Bill 4, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act; Bill 7, An Act to Amend the Summary Conviction Procedures Act; Tabled Document 62-16(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2010-2011; and Minister’s Statement 47-16(4), Transfer of the Public Housing Rental Subsidy, with Mr. Krutko in the chair.

I’ll call Committee of the Whole to order. Today we have under consideration Bills 2, 4, 7, Tabled Document 62-16(4) and Minister’s Statement 47-16(4). What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The committee would like to continue with Tabled Document 62-16(4), NWT Main Estimates, and specifically Education, Culture and Employment. If that is concluded, to also get into the NWT Housing Corporation.

Does committee agree?

We’ll take a short break.

---SHORT RECESS

I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order and ask if the

Minister... Is committee agreed to continue with the details of Education, Culture and Employment? I would like to ask the Minister if he would like to bring in witnesses. Mr. Minister.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you could escort the witnesses into the House and we shall proceed with details, starting on page 10-17.

I’d like to ask the Minister to introduce the witnesses, please.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I have to my left, Mr. Dan Daniels, deputy minister; and, Paul Devitt, director of strategic business services. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. First on my list is Ms. Bisaro.