This is page numbers 123 - 158 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 1st Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was work.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. That is the very reason why we’re doing the overall review of the Student Financial Assistance. We want to hear from the students and community members, such as Hay River North and the general public. If there are issues or concerns or ideas or suggestions that can be brought forward, and this particular area of concern that has been brought by the Member will be highlighted as part of our discussion as we review the overall SFA.

Robert Bouchard

Robert Bouchard Hay River North

Just one other question. My other question was an issue from one of the students in my constituency, who indicated that the core of the review for residency is fairly lengthy. Would the department look to streamline that process as well?

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

It’s not the first time we’ve heard that from a community member. That is part of the process that we need to discuss under the review. I hope that the general public and the particular individuals who may have some concerns, that they can raise that issue during the review process and that will be taken into consideration. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. They deal with his Minister’s statement on Friday dealing with the Aboriginal Student Achievement update. He set out four priorities, and my question is dealing with the early childhood and child care priority that he has put into his priorities for the ASA achievement.

What’s currently in place that he can provide us information on for early childhood and development programs throughout the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Within Education, Culture and Employment, early childhood has always been a priority for this government and it is a priority for ASA now. This is an area that has been a prime focus when we visited all five regions plus the Yellowknife region, so six regions; discussion on our priorities. Early childhood has always been at the forefront of our discussions. Within our department we provide various funding, whether it be the daycare operations, the workers and subsidizing those individuals that are in the child care programming, the Head Start Program. We have partnerships with the federal government as well. There are numerous, various different programs relating to early childhood and the child care services within our department. Mahsi.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

We do know there are programs out there and we do know that it is a priority for the government and within the Department of ECE. My question specifically was what programs are in place for communities that don’t have those programs and communities that need those facilities. What are the action steps that the Department of ECE is going to take within the next two years to make sure that those infrastructures are put in place so that people in our communities and children can succeed? Thank you.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

As I stated, there are a number of programs within the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Some communities may not have specific programming, but it is delivered through the regional programming officers as well. Just highlighting some of them is: Early Childhood Program administration operations and maintenance, Early Childhood Program, there are contributions in place within the communities; early childhood small communities initiatives; healthy children initiatives; Language Nest, Early Childhood Development Framework for Action. These are just some of the programs I’ve highlighted and there are a number of other programs that specifically relate to the communities and also to the regions. We will continue to increase those where it is badly needed. Mahsi.

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Like I mentioned earlier, I do know there are programs out there, but in some of the communities and regional centres specifically, there is not enough infrastructure to house the number of youth that we’re getting that need those programs. Moving forth with his Minister’s statement last week, he did mention that one of his priorities were Aboriginal language and culture. However, there’s nothing stating here in his next steps about increasing our Aboriginal and northern teachers within the Northwest Territories. As you know, we do have a high transition of workers in the Northwest Territories. I wonder what is his plan to create jobs in the Northwest Territories for Aboriginal and northern people.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, producing Aboriginal language teachers is also one of our top priorities, because we’ve heard from the forums that we’ve had on ASA, language immersion is their priority as well. We need to do that with qualified Aboriginal language teachers and language speaker teachers. With that, we’ve initiated the TEP program, ALCIP program through the Tlicho Community Services Agency a couple years ago. Now we’re initiating that in the Beaufort-Delta. The next step is also on the Hay River Reserve. Those teacher education programs and Aboriginal language instructors programs are being initiated as we speak. We need to reach out to those regions and to the communities and that’s what we’re doing. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

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

Alfred Moses

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Minister, for your answer on that question. In terms of your priorities – and I do know that the ASA does provide funding to all the communities – you mentioned that there were five communities that received funding this year. How were those communities chosen to receive that funding?

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Mr. Speaker, there may only be five communities at this time but we’re looking at the other communities as well. It is based on the committee that has been formed and established. There is a steering committee that consists of various groups and they make recommendations to my attention and we move forward on those initiatives. We have to keep in mind that we have to deal with all 33 communities, and the five communities I think is a good start. We need to work with other communities as well. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of the NWT Housing Corporation. I’d like to follow up on my statement earlier today. My colleagues and I have spoken in the past about including more creative mechanisms in our collection of rents in communities. With few jobs, the lack of wage opportunities could be offset by allowing tenants to reduce their rent by, for example, supplying wood for the community or public housing, or giving their labour in maintaining and repairing houses. I’m wondering if the Minister can say if such options are being examined in the Shelter Policy review that’s currently underway. Mahsi.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is quite correct; there has been some input as to how we can be creative in allowing people to take care of their arrears or pay on their arrears. There have been some cases in the past where this has happened, and it’s something that I can assure the Member and all Members that it’s something that we are looking at to find ways. I mean, obviously there are going to be other issues, but we have to sort through those and try to find common ground that will work for both tenants and the local housing authorities. Thank you.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

I appreciate the response from the Minister. I will look forward to the results there. It’s my understanding that under the current funding arrangements, local housing organizations who do not meet their rent recovery targets lose operating funds equivalent to the amount of uncollected rents. This is a very retrograde approach, because whether they collect rent or not, their costs of providing housing don’t go down. It only digs a pit of debt, and I realize there’s a balance here. Can the Minister say whether the options being considered in the Shelter Policy review include the possibility of disconnecting rent collection from operating funds allocation? Thank you.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Mr. Speaker, we ask all our LHOs to meet a specific target – usually it’s around 90 percent – and that would allow them to do the work that they have the money to do the work; the revenue could do the work that they need. As far as taking money back for rent not collected, I would have to follow up on that because I’m not sure if we really do that, but we do set a specific target and it’s an internal target that the LHOs try and reach so that they’re able to generate enough revenue to help with their repairs and that they need. But I’d have to follow up on the Member’s second point and I don’t really think that we do that. Thank you.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Again, I appreciate the Minister’s response and commitment to looking into that and getting me that information.

My next question is the Nunavut Housing Corporation has some interesting features, one of which I mentioned: a sliding scale for maximum rent from 10 to 28 percent. Another feature is that rent is re-evaluated annually on September 1st , to account

for changes in income. Income is based on the previous tax year. Many beneficial factors worth consideration must go along with that, and I’d be intrigued on what those might be. Will the Minister look at what the options are and/or, perhaps more directly, are these being considered in the current Shelter Policy review that is underway? Mahsi.

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

We have had internal discussions on doing the assessments on an annual basis based on last year’s tax receipt, as the Member has stated. One of the drawbacks is if they work in previous year and not work in the current year, they would be assessed on their rent or their tax or earnings from the last year so that may put them in a difficult position, but it is something that we are looking at.

We are looking at either doing an annual or a biannual basis. Feedback that I have had in some of my conversations with the LHOs, the assessment per month probably works best for the tenant and it would allow them to declare their income. It is something that we are looking at. We are looking at all different ways we can make providing housing and the assessments and that a lot easier for the LHOs and for the clients. This is all part of the Shelter Policy review. We are looking forward to the opportunity to meet with committee and go through some of the recommendations and options and get some feedback from them. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I noticed the Minister focused on the one negative of the Nunavut side of things. The income may be different but, of course, one would hope that over time a family’s income rises rather than goes down, in which case it would actually be a benefit in allowing them a little adjustment time.

The Minister has heard me cite the commonly heard case of people refusing work to avoid radical increases in rents. In carrying out the Shelter Policy review, can the Minister give information on what other more flexible models are being examined? What options are available for adjustment of the rental rate regime? Thank you.