This is page numbers 5441 - 5516 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

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Final supplementary. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Richard Edjericon

Richard Edjericon Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Obviously, elders do not need to undertake productive choices, mandates attached to the income support funding. Can the Minister waive these requirements for elders living in poverty? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think it was just yesterday in this House that I made an announcement about the changes to our income assistance program. I'm sure it's all over the news right now, and everyone is reading about it. But part of those changes is to remove the productive choice. So I can say yes to the Member. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of education tell us what dialogue or community outreach has taken place with Fort Smith to date regarding the replacement student residence for Breynat Hall? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So as Members may be aware, we've recently, in partnership with Aurora College, released a facilities master plan. And that is a plan that outlines potential infrastructure developments for the college for the next 10, 20, 30 years. As part of that work, a team travelled to Fort Smith in September and they met with Indigenous government leadership. They met with Town of Fort Smith staff and leadership. They met with Aurora College staff. They met with Aurora College students as well. There is also -- there was also an online survey that was open to the general public. What we heard back from Fort Smith was primarily focused on the expansion of the trade spaces, office and meeting spaces, and integration of family supported spaces on campus as well as student housing and, of course, the future of Breynat Hall. This information can be found in a "what we heard" report that was released last year. Thank you.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain how constituents of Thebacha can provide their direct input of potential ideas for the future student residence that will replace Breynat Hall? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And in my last response, I believe I said the team travelled to Fort Smith in September but that was actually when the master plan was released. So it was earlier than that, and I know from my discussions with Indigenous government leadership in that community that they did appreciate that consultation and they felt it was valuable. The master plan is a plan, and it requires money to be implemented. And so we are currently looking for some funds to start that work, undertake a planning study. And once we do that, then we can start engaging with groups in the Member's community, so Indigenous governments, other interested stakeholders, and we can start talking about what the school will look like, how we're going to work together, and the college may decide as well to undertake some public consultation on their own but I can't speak on their behalf. Thank you.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister have an estimated time for when his department will have a concrete plan in place for a new structure that will replace Breynat Hall? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have a date however we are working on securing some funding to do the planning study. We are approaching the federal government. I've met with a number of Ministers to try and sell this project. The Premier has taken it directly to the prime minister, so we are looking for money to get this going as quickly as possible. Hopefully, you know, we'll see something in the next budget but if not, I guess we will have to figure something else out. But we do plan to move ahead as best we can and hopefully with the support of the federal government. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Thebacha.

Frieda Martselos

Frieda Martselos Thebacha

Mr. Speaker, is the Minister aware of any plans to put a plaque or a memorial of some sort at the site of Breynat Hall within the future polytechnic university and if not, would the Minister be open to the idea? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am a fan of plaques and memorials. They're ways that, you know, the public can learn about the history of the territory and the people of the territory. So there is no current plan to do this however if that's something that community leadership, Indigenous governments would like to do, we're happy to have those dialogues and start those conversations because, you know, we need to know our history. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

During my Member's statement, I spoke about access to child care funding for teen parents in the territory. And I spoke about how income assistance requires that participants are over 19 years of age, and that is not the case for many teen parents in our territory. And so I'm wondering if the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment will create a door through ECE where teen parents can access funding specifically for child care? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the income assistance program is for residents who are 19 years and older. Residents under 19 can access funds through health and social services or have the -- they may be able to access funds through health and social services as well as other supports beyond just financial supports that ECE would not be able to provide regardless of the age of eligible applicants. Thank you.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, also during my Member's statement today I identified that there is a historical stigma associated with child and family services. And this stigma might be heightened especially in somebody who is 16 and already feeling a little bit nervous about their new role as a young parent and really looking to, as much as they absolutely can, continue their studies to be able to graduate with their peers and gain the support and the champions in their life to be able to do that. And so while I understand that the government has codes that they use to do their administrative work, to charge costs to the right places, I'm wondering if ECE will create this door and then code it however they want in order to work within the budgets they need to work with within the greater kind of government funding that I know exists on the back end but that I don't think is appropriate for the residents of the territory to have to fall within because they're looking for a safe place to enter that door that works for them to access education. Thank you.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And what the Member is talking about is the dream of integrated service delivery where someone would approach the government, not the department of health or ECE or whatever; they would just approach the government and they would receive the services they need. Unfortunately it is much much more complicated than applying the right codes. So I wish I could say yes that we can do this, but it has proven to be a challenge to really kick start integrated service delivery across government, and I can't make the commitment to do what the Member is saying. At some point in the future I hope that's how things work, but not today. Thank you.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm the kind of person that tries to look for the cup half full in some areas but talking about integrated service delivery is not cup half full for me right now, because this is something that we need to be able to do now and not 5, 10, 15 years from now for students across the territory. What I'm looking for here isn't full-on integrated service delivery. It's an opportunity to open a door for teen parents who are just looking for funding supports for child care. And while I understand what the Minister is saying as far as health having that funding, what I'm asking for is an ability for ECE to either take that in or to work with health in order to create a new door for them to be able to facilitate that access for kids who are looking for daycare. So whether that is working with a route for that to happen through school counsellors or school administrators, having forms that are safe for students to fill out where they don't have to fill out voluntary service agreements in order to be able to access these funds. And then on the back end if that at the end of the day ends up being some type of a service agreement with health and social services, awesome. And luckily, we know that health and education can work together because they've done that in the past. And that is the beginning of potential for great things.

So what I'm asking from the Minister is if he will work with health to figure out to do this in a safe and accessible way that is culturally safe for teens in the territory to access funding for child care? Thank you.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So there is a program, and it is not through the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. It's through the health department. So a lot of what the Member is asking for already exists but it's now with health. So we did just undertake an extensive review of the income assistance program. There's a significant amount of money in this budget to enhance that program. We could do so much with that money, and we could make, you know, so many enhancements, but we couldn't do everything. So I don't expect there to be any significant changes to the income assistance program like the Member is talking about during the life of this government. Thank you.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate what the Minister is saying. But I'm not asking for him to dive into his income assistance funding pot that I know that he's worked very hard to increase and has worked very hard on improvements to that system, which I'm very thankful for. But what I am asking the Minister to do is accept that I am saying that he is a safe place for students to go. He is a safe space for students to say hey, I need help to continue to pursue my education.

So will the Minister please work with health and social services to open that door? Thank you.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you. I think what we should be working on is increasing the number of child care spaces and making them accessible to high school students. It would be great to include child care spaces in schools. We've amended our school capital standards to make sure that that is now possible, and going forward that's going to be an option. We have a bunch of money flowing in to the early learning and child care sector. So we're doing a bunch of things. To get at what the Member wants, we're not doing exactly what the Member wants but we are trying to achieve the same goals. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.