Debates of Feb. 20th, 2017

This is page numbers 1779 – 1836 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd 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 program.

Topics

Oral Questions

Prayer

Minister’s Statement 138-18(2): Slave Geological Province Access Corridor

Minister’s Statement 139-18(2): Education, Training And Youth Development: Education, Culture And Employment Progress Statement

Expanding The Economy Through Investments In People

February Statutory Holiday Proposal

Return Of Fort Providence Minor Hockey Program

Regional Benefits Of Mackenzie Valley Highway Construction

Status Of Transboundary Water Agreements

Territorial Marine Resupply Services

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Social Work Program

Overflow Water On Beaufort Delta Highways

Connie Loutit Memorial Soccer Tournament

Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery

Territorial Marine Resupply Services

Status Of Transboundary Water Agreements

Supports For The Agriculture Industry

Whati All-Season Road

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Programs

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Social Work Program

Status Of GNWT Open Government Policy

Overflow Water On Beaufort Delta Highways

Increased Investment In The Mineral Incentive Program

Impact Of Slave Geological Province Access Corridor Impact On Caribou Populations

Proposed Elimination Of Aurora College Programs

Tabled Document 287-18(2): Follow-Up Letter To Oral Question 525-18(2): Sahtu Regional Health Council

Bill 17: An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act

Bill 18: An Act To Amend The Health And Social Services Professions Act

Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Education And Culture Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Labour Development And Standards Activity

Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Further Consideration Of The Estimates For The Department Of Education, Culture And Employment

Report of Committee of the Whole

Orders of the Day

Committee Motion 53-18(2): Tabled Document 261-18(2): Main Estimates 2017-2018, Education, Culture And Employment, Deferral Of Education And Culture Activity, Carried
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The full funding that the Member is referring to is, I believe, on page 44. Under the expenditure, we have some contract services. When you add those contract services to the amount that we put into the small community employment support program, those two together were about $1.2 million. Then, on top of that, we were able to add that extra $3 million this year. Yes, I believe on page 44, under the expenditure category, there is a line item that says contract services for $2.4 million, and some of that money came from there.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So approximately $1 million out of contract services is targeted for small community employment? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, it is $928,000 that is targeted for wage subsidies. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, so that is a wage subsidy. Does that mean that the small community employment would be job creation? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Yes, Mr. Chair. As I mentioned, we do a wage subsidy that provides on-the-job training, working with our partners. Plus, we also have some community initiative projects that focus on the development of skills, working with employers to put our residents to work, and with a focus, of course, on youth. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Beaulieu, your time has expired. Next, we have Mr. Vanthuyne.

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If I could maybe go over to a couple of pots that I need some clarification on: the labour market agreement for persons with disabilities grants and the labour market agreement for persons with disabilities contributions. I apologize if this has been asked before. I appreciate that the contributions have gone up since 2015 a little bit, and I also appreciate that the grants seem to be something new that started last year. I am wondering if the Minister or the department can explain the difference between those two pots, because the descriptions in here seem to me very similar. Who accesses these pots? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister Moses.

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. With the grants, those are more dollars for the individual, where, under contributions, we try to work with community organizations that will help employ people with disabilities, so the dollars there are a little bit higher. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the pot that is eligible to individuals in the form of grants, that was not something that we did prior to 2016-17? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister Moses.

February 20th, 2017

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

There could be a few different reasons for that. It could be that we just didn't spend any money that year or that there was no uptake on the program itself.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Vanthuyne.

Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The only reason why I am going down this line of questioning is because we clearly have it stated within our mandate that we want to focus on the demographic of the 18- to 24-year-olds and finding ways in which to get them into the workforce. We are aware that a number of folks in that age group are people with varying degrees of disabilities. I want to make sure that we are making the proper investments to achieve that goal of having this particular demographic move successfully into the working environment and helping us on so many levels. I may have questions along those lines a little bit later. For now, that is fine. My next questions aren't until another activity, Mr. Chair. That is all I have for now.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Any response, Minister Moses?

Alfred Moses Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. At the FTP level, labour market agreement for persons with disabilities is, I want to say, a hot-ticket item. We all know, as the Member has stated, that people do have disabilities in that age range. It has been discussed at the FTP level, so hopefully we will start to see more supports from the federal government on that side of things moving forward.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister Moses. Next we have Mr. Thompson.

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am going to build up on my college question about contract services: the $928,000 for small community employment, was that program utilized completely? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The Chair Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister Moses.

Debates of Feb. 20th, 2017

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