I think -- Madam Chair, thank you for that, Minister. I think that I have other questions on further down. I'll wait until I come to that. That would be it for now. Thank you.
Debates of March 2nd, 2022
This is page numbers 3665 - 3710 of the Hansard for the 19th 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 know.
Topics
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. Are there any further questions on junior kindergarten to grade 12 school services?
Seeing none, Education, Culture and Employment, junior kindergarten to grade 12 school services, operation expenditures summary, 2022-2023, $198,676,000. Does committee agree?
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Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms, do you want to switch the witnesses for the next two sections? Is it the same witness, Member -- Minister?
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R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Thank you. Yeah, just so it's on the record for today I want to switch out Mr. Sam Shannon and bring in Mr. Michael Saturnino. Thank you. And the deputy minister John MacDonald will be remaining. Thanks.
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. Sergeant-at-Arms.
Welcome, Mr. Saturnino. All right. So we are starting on page 44 with information items on 45 to 47. Member for Kam Lake.
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Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm wondering if -- I see that the amount for the income assistance program is pretty much the same. I'm wondering if the Minister -- if the amount of people using the program is the same as previous year, and if the Minister can let us know the number of clients for that program?
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R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Thank you. And the income assistance program over the years has seen an increase in cost and the number of clients accessing it. For that information, I will just need one second.
I'm looking over at Mr. Saturnino, and I'm going to throw him right into the hot seat and see if he has the information. Thank you.
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Saturnino
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just with regards to the question itself, we have had some fluctuations in the number of the clients over time simply because of federal benefits and so, of course, we had a number of clients receiving the CERB benefit and that transitioned into the Canada Recovery Benefit. So our numbers have gone -- went up, and then have dropped down. And we're basically at a similar place as we were about one year ago. Thank you.
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Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I'm wondering where that place is. How many clients does income assistance have? Thank you.
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Macdonald
Thank you, Madam Chair. So during the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the income assistance program provided assistance to approximately 3,201 households. So just for a little bit more demographic information for the Member, 67 percent of those were aged between 19 and 59; 22 percent were disabled; and 11 percent were seniors or elders. Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair, I appreciate that. The next line item I wanted to go to was the senior home heating subsidy. And that one is staying the same as the previous year. The concern I have there is that the cost of fuel has gone up, and I know that the Minister and I have had this conversation on the floor and that the increase so far seen has not been hugely substantial. But I know that there was already concern about the switch going from a program that once calculated litres that now uses a budgetary amount, and so I'm wondering if there's an expected kind of shortfall in that budgetary item or a shortfall of fuel to seniors in the territory? Thank you.
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R.J. Simpson Hay River North
Thank you. So I will say that, you know, we have -- I have had many conversations with the Member, and I think that people around the territory did see an increase in their fuel prices this year compared to last, and I would say the biggest reason for that is because there was that sharp drop in prices from two years ago to last year. And so there was a very significant decline in the price of heating fuel. And the price has actually gone back up to around where it was two years ago. And so that's why people really are seeing those increases, because they're back to pre-pandemic levels.
With that being said, it's been pretty cold and I know my fuel bill has gone up, and so I imagine everyone else's has as well.
If a senior uses their full allotment of this program and they have no more fuel and they have no more money and they can't afford to fill their tank, the income assistance program can step in and provide assistance as well. A number of MLAs have come to me and said, you know, my client -- or my constituent's an elder and they used up their entire allotment, and they can't afford fuel. And in every one of those instances, the income assistance program has been able to provide assistance to those seniors. Thank you.
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Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. And I appreciate ECE's willingness to go out of their way to ensure that finances are available for home heating for seniors.
Does the Minister or his department have the actuals for the number of seniors who were clients of the senior home heating subsidy in 2020-2021? Thank you.
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