Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. We talked about the overall review back in 2007, made some changes, and now the Auditor General is going to make an actual review of our Income Assistance Program. More specifically on the Productive Choices program the Member is referring to, if it’s working, what’s working, what’s not working. We have been exploring some areas, as well, within our department and of course we need some support from the communities and also Assembly Members. These are just options that we’re throwing around.
We’re individuals working in the community, especially for the elders, getting wood or firewood or fish nets and other activities that they’ve been adapted to in the community. Again, it’s a liability issue that we have to be faced with. We have to deal with an axe and chainsaw and other equipment. Those are just some of the areas that we are exploring.
Our goal is, of course, to get people off income support. Every opportunity I get with my department, I’m always giving them a target that we need to get people off income support. I feel the
same as the Member does, and we’ll do what we can to continue pushing that through Productive Choices and through labour market agreements. Individuals fall through the cracks. If they don’t qualify for EI, then the funding is there for them. We’re doing what we can to assist those individuals so they can pursue productive choices.