Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk about the incentive to work. Due to COVID, we have seen the economic and business opportunities put on hold or disappear. The federal government, along with this government, has provided financial support to the residents and businesses of the NWT and continue to do so during this difficult time. Payments made to those who have been chronically unemployed but were very capable of working acted as a disincentive to seek or accept employment, while others leveraged it as stop-gap and opportunity to move forward.
Mr. Speaker, what I find in the NWT is that most people of working age who want to work are currently employed. This is true in Yellowknife and the regional centres, where opportunities actually exist. In smaller communities, employment opportunities are limited and almost non-existent for some. Any opportunity for employment in a smaller community is mostly short term and negatively impacts any government support one receives for basic needs. Because of this, there is not the incentive to accept temporary employment when one knows it will only set you back financially. It is in these communities where a living wage should be considered.
Mr. Speaker, I have talked to employers in the private sector. Many have the same concern, and that concern is that we are enabling a generation of people who have come to accept that living on government programs is not only acceptable but is now considered a way of life and a right. I do believe that there are people who are experiencing hardship, have limited opportunities, and do need government support, and providing that support to them is the right thing to do. However, there are those out there who are very capable but, for one reason or another, are not interested in joining the workforce nor in seeking training or higher education. This failing not only falls on the shoulders of those not wanting or willing to work, it also falls on our shoulders and the shoulders of parents and the community, as well.
Mr. Speaker, my expectation and hope is that all capable people are willing to get out of bed in the morning and be productive, but that is living in fantasy land as there are a few who are very capable and, for whatever reason, have no intention of ever doing that. I do have hope that there is a way to get them out of bed, off the sofa, off the games, off the cell phone, and out to work. Therefore, I challenge them: what will it take for that to happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.