I would like to thank the Minister of Finance for that response. Can you tell us whether there are specific appropriations or line items in each of the departmental budgets for summer students or interns?

Mr. Speaker, my understanding, as far as the interns go, we do have, and I believe we have an appropriated number for that. Again, I will have to confirm that number. On the summer students, there is no specific appropriation for summer students. It is just part of our department's business, and, again, we do encourage them to try to bring on as many summer students as they can, but, as far as the actual appropriation for summer students, it is not in the budget.

I would like to thank the Minister of Finance again for that. If there is no appropriation or line item in the departmental budgets, do they have to find the money internally and take from various programs or divisions to come up with summer student funding? I would like to ask the Minister: how are the summer student positions funded within each of the departments?

A lot of the money that is used to fund summer students is through vacant positions that might be in the department, and the summer students would be on for, well, obviously, the summer. A lot of money for that is funded through vacant positions.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I would like to thank the Minister again for that. I am wondering, though, if we can come up with some kind of incentive for departments to hire summer students. To just wait for vacant positions or see if they can scrape some money from various programs doesn't seem to me to be a very systematic or comprehensive way to fund these positions. Can the Minister commit to looking at perhaps a government-wide policy on summer student funding and setting targets and so on?

Mr. Speaker, no, I would rather not set a specific target because that might be limiting us. Again, I will work with the departments to try to get as many summer students on as possible. We don't wait for vacant positions, but, if there is an opportunity, we use the funding for those vacant positions to bring on summer students, and it is kind of progressive employment. We get a lot of these summer students coming back year after year. I will confirm, but I would assume that some of these summer students actually turn out to be interns within the government system. I did commit to sharing some information with the Member on the number of interns. I will get that information put together, and I will share it with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier on today, the honourable Member from the Deh Cho was asking the Minister of Lands some questions in regard to support for elders, and I would like to follow up on some of those questions. In some of the communities, the tax fees, elders don't have to pay taxes; their taxes are waived. Has the department looked at something similar for elders? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Lands.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member opposite is quite correct. In certain communities, homeowners who have reached 65 do have their taxes or a portion of their taxes waived, but that is taxation, and I think it is a program that is just about unique in Canada. No, we haven't been contemplating something similar for land lease fees, but we have of course contemplated lowering those fees and also giving our seniors a 50 per cent break on them.

I thank the Minister for your answer. I know we are unique, with the high cost of living here in the Northwest Territories. I know the Minister and the lands department is looking at reducing to 5 per cent. Will the Minister look at 3 per cent, which then, if they give 50 per cent, it is only 1.5 per cent for an elder?

Of course, lease fees are fees for the exclusive use of the land, and they are based on the assessed value of the land. Of course, there are certain costs that are borne by the department. This is not a cash grab in any way. We think the reduction from 10 to 5 per cent is quite reasonable.

I appreciate the Minister's viewpoint, but I don't agree with it. I think it seems to me we are taking money the residents, especially our elders, who are our foundation. Even if he is not going go to 3 per cent for across the Territories for land leases, will he get the department to look to see what the cost will be if we waive the land fees for our elders?

The fees, in my view, when the contemplated reduction from 10 to 5 per cent goes through, are very reasonable. Again, they are fees that are assessed on the land value. If your property had a value of $40,000, which would be a very large lot, the 5 per cent of that would be $2,000. If you are a senior, it would be reduced to $1,000. I think those fees are reasonable. The government does have to collect revenue from some sources to fund all of our programs.

Masi. Oral Question. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Minister's answering that. Previously on this floor here, he said 10 per cent was reasonable in his opinion. Now we are going to 5 per cent. We are getting closer. Can the Minister get the department to look to see what it is going to cost the Government of the Northwest Territories if we waive the fee? That, to me, is reasonable for our elders, who have done a lot for us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Ten per cent was, on reflection, thought to be a little on the high side. Therefore, we are contemplating reducing it to 5 per cent, which I think is really very reasonable, as I say. In the example of the property that had the value of $40,000, 5 per cent of that would be $2,000. The seniors, in addition, could apply for a rebate. As I also mentioned earlier in response to another question, there is possible support through the Income Assistance Policy Manual. I don't think we are contemplating lowering it below 5 per cent, which is a reduction of 50 per cent from what it was. Thank you.

Masi. Oral Question. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Mr. Clerk.

Masi. Returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to the Commissioner’s opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Item 14, tabling of documents. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services 2016-2017." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Tabling of documents. Minister of Infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table to following document entitled "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 68-18(3): Infrastructure Projects in the Mackenzie Delta." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.