Mahsi, Mr. Chair. We are seriously looking at the Sahtu region, especially with the downturn of the oil and gas operations in that region and what will be the implications on those community members. Are they going to be accessing income security programming? How many individuals are we talking about? We can definitely give you the detailed breakdown for the last two years and going onwards because we need to monitor this. This is part of our Skills for Success, as well, the needs analysis that we have done, the needs assessment, how can we integrate those individuals to be trained for future projects.

I will get Mr. Dana Heide to elaborate a little bit more. There have been some changes that we have made as well. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Heide.

Thank you, Mr. Heide. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the additional information and thank the Minister for the commitment to look at the issue in the Sahtu. I realize that there is some work that is needed to be done, and certainly through the assistant deputy minister, you guys have come through with some good numbers for us in the communities. We appreciate that.

I guess the point that I want to make, there are certain individuals in our communities that certainly look forward to the help in seniors’ heating subsidies or the early child benefit or even student financial services and the income assistance as required by some of our people. The main point that I want to close off, is that we want to contribute to our own well-being in the region. We appreciate that government is there. It takes a lot of money every year for our government to commit to the needs in our region and we want to have them move off a dependency type of an attitude and so we want to pay our own way in society, contribute to society. That is what happens when you don’t have economic development happening in our region. We become dependent on government. They become our bank, so to speak. We would like to move away from that and pay our own way through society. I am going to leave it at that. I have no questions for the Minister. I just wanted to make note of that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. I will treat that as a final comment. Committee, income support. I think I have Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have one other question that I forgot earlier around the Student Financial Assistance program, and certainly it has been mentioned a number of times over the years that I have been here. It seems to be, up to this point, the department has basically said no, we can’t do it, but I am referring to students who leave high school, who are not ready yet to go on to a post-secondary institution, no matter what it might be, whether it be a technical institution or whether it might be a college or a university. They require some upgrading of the courses that they have taken in high school. My understanding, to date, is that student financial assistance is not available for students who happen to be doing upgrading.

I would like to know from the Minister if that is the case, and if that is the case, is there any appetite on behalf of the department, as Mr. Heide put it and hopefully there is, is there any appetite to open up financial assistance to those of our NWT residents who wish to do upgrading so they can get into the program of their choice? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that response I will go to Mr. Heide.

Thanks, Mr. Heide. I am very glad to hear that there is something being considered. It doesn’t have to be under Student Financial Assistance. So, if there is an opportunity for a student who needs upgrading before they can go on to a post-secondary institution and there is financial supports available to them through the Skills for Success or whatever other program, that’s a great thing.

When might people expect that that support, that program would be up and running? Thank you.

Thanks. I’ll just confirm there’s no money in this budget, I presume, for this kind of a program, and is the department aiming for money to support upgrading students in the ‘16-17 budget? Thank you.

When?

Thanks. I guess I have to wait for the action plan. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Committee, we’re on page 71, income security, operations expenditure summary, $43.424 million. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. Page 72, income security, grants, contributions and transfers, total grants, $11.136 million.

Thank you. Page 73, income security, active positions, information item. Any questions? Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I see an increase of five positions here. Can I be advised what they are? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. We made some changes to our income security area where we want to have people entering the workforce as part of our target initiative, and we have five employment services officers into the regions. We have slated one for each of these communities: Fort Smith, Inuvik, Norman Wells, Fort Simpson and Behchoko. So, five in total. Mahsi.