Thank you. Next I have Mr. Bromley, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The same sort of thing, I’m finding a lot of constituency work related to income security clients that, because of the way we deliver the programs, we are dealing often with disadvantaged people and the bureaucratic requirements are amazingly onerous, I have to say. I would be challenged with the hoops they have to jump through in terms of repeatedly submitting the same paperwork. The examples I’m thinking of, though, if you’re not on income support for a month or two, then you have to resubmit all of the applications and papers all over again and try and meet deadlines. This, like I say, is onerous. Everything is on file already. Their birth certificates and SIN don’t change, obviously. Often clients are made to apply for employment insurance or even housing when it’s clear that they won’t get EI and they won’t get housing, that’s very clear, and yet they’re made to go through these hoops. These are extremely onerous and the system just seems so rigid that they end up losing their support for a month and that just exacerbates and it ends up, you know, the snowball rolling down the hillside and getting bigger and bigger when what we’re really trying to do is help these people get out of poverty.

By way of a question here, when was the last time the delivery of income security was reviewed and are there plans for that in the near future? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. The last time was 2007, I do believe. We made some changes to some of the subsidy programming. We may be up for a review as well. Like I said, our policy is always changing, so we

clearly hear from the Members that there are certain areas. There is a poverty discussion that’s on the way that will definitely have a reflection on our income security framework as well. Mahsi.

I appreciate those comments from the Minister. I think some big gains were made last time. I think, probably, the main structure is there. It’s more at the delivery and it’s sort of like we’re hearing about our businesses, the red tape that seems to be involved is becoming a barrier. I’ll leave it at that. I appreciate the Minister’s intent to consider our comments seriously, because I think some tune-ups could be done here without too much kerfuffle, and I’m happy to sit down with the Minister and go over some of the details of the barriers clients are encountering.

I want to move on to the child care user subsidy program and ask what is the budget for this as proposed and what is it during the current year and the previous year. If I could get those numbers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Daniels.

If I could just get that repeated and confirmed that that’s the same for the current year, the proposed year and our previous fiscal year. Thank you.

What is the understanding of the Minister in terms of this amount meeting the need for this service?

I appreciate that information. That wasn’t actually what I asked. I was asking how this fits with what the understanding is of demand. Thank you.

Are there other sources, other programs for example on the education side of the department that provide child care subsidy?

Just for my clarity, for example, in the student financial assistance we don’t really provide child care subsidies through that program. Is that correct?

I appreciate all that information. What I hear is a real need for additional child care out there and I am also aware that in some jurisdictions where they provide child care there is a real benefit to society in general. Has the department considered broadening our provision of child care? I realize that we are in crunchy financial times right now, but is that something the department has looked at through just their work with policy and potential for expansion? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we are going through a financial crunch, but this is something that we can definitely explore for next year’s budget. We have already identified the $150,000 and Student Financial Assistance program, of course, with a number of family members, but this is an area that we can explore further. Mahsi.

I heard somebody estimated that if we provided child care for all in the Northwest Territories it would cost us something like $18 million a year in the line of the Quebec model, but we would probably get that back through other economic benefits, so it would be interesting to explore some of that.

I guess my last question is, the Minister, again, is aware that we have been interested in having a milk subsidy. Obviously he was able to get our support last year with the $400,000 support for nutritious foods and now that is disappearing. I think the interest still remains high on that. I don’t see it in here. The Minister continues to say he is continuing to consider it, but I am wondering if he is planning to recommend that the Minister in the next Assembly give serious consideration to that repeated request and note that the will of the House has been defied by himself repeatedly here during the term of this Assembly.

That is an area that is sunsetting and I can do that, I can make a recommendation to the potentially coming up Minister, but that will be at their discretion if they want to move forward with it. Mahsi.

Thank you, Minister Lafferty. The next on my list is Ms. Bisaro, but before we go to Ms. Bisaro we will take a short break.

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I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. Prior to going on break we were on page 10-27 and next on my list was Ms. Bisaro.