This is page numbers 6023 - 6088 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

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are in year two of the UN's decade of Indigenous languages. Here in the Northwest Territories, we have 11 official languages, nine of which are Indigenous languages. Half of our 6,800 Indigenous language speakers are over 50 years old and one-fifth are over the age of 65.

Mr. Speaker, the UN considers all nine of our official languages endangered. During the standing committee's engagement on official languages, committee heard that young people are losing their traditional language and language teachers shared concern over students being able to maintain language learned when language is not visible or actively used around communities.

The GNWT, Mr. Speaker, can play a significant role in building language speakers and a system for residents to access services in an Indigenous language by creating a meaningful system of public servants able to provide services in any official language across the Northwest Territories. But, Mr. Speaker, why is building a territory-wide system important to equitable access to service and language revitalization?

Mr. Speaker, one out of ten Tlicho speakers are not Tlicho beneficiaries in the Northwest Territories right now. More than half of all Chipewyan speakers are not Akaitcho territory government beneficiaries. Mr. Speaker, a significant amount of Gwich'in speakers are not Gwich'in Tribal Council beneficiaries in the Northwest Territories right now. But all of these language speakers have rights in the Northwest Territories regardless of their membership to a beneficiary.

Mr. Speaker, so why is understanding the demographics of language speakers across the territory important? Well, Mr. Speaker, the highest number of all Chipewyan speakers in the Northwest Territories live here in Yellowknife and N'dilo. More Cree speakers live outside of the Fort Smith area than in it. Most of them live in a combination of Hay River, Fort Simpson, and Yellowknife. And the third highest number of all NWT Gwich'in speakers live in Yellowknife and N'dilo area. And NWT Gwich'in speakers who live in each of the non-GTC settlement area communities of Fort Smith and Hay River than in Aklavik alone. And more than one-quarter of all NWT Gwich'in speakers live in non-GTC settlement areas or communities. So, Mr. Speaker, it is really that we understand that regardless of where language speakers live, that revitalizing language and caring for language speakers is a GNWT-wide issue. Mr. Speaker, language revitalization is possible but it will take targeted meaningful funded solutions that consider our territory as a whole and the members of the public service itself, supported by its employer, have the opportunity to play a significant role. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the new agreement that gives Nahanni Butte more control over the Nahanni National Park Reserve. It has been a work in progress with the Government of Canada. This agreement will boost the community's economy by creating ten new jobs. Beside the new jobs, the community will see three new buildings being built. The three building are a Parks Canada office, a guardians program office, and a lodge for elders and tourists.

In speaking with Jayne Konisenta, a long-term councillor, she was very happy to see the commitment made by Parks Canada fulfilling a request by the elders. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that she spoke to a lot of the elders throughout the years. Unfortunately some have passed away and some felt things were not going the way they wanted. She told them it's not going to happen overnight; it's not an overnight process; it's going to take years. She advocated for these facilities when she was younger, and now she is becoming an elder and she still at the table but the different is that we have come to a good place.

Mr. Speaker, when speaking to Chief Steven Vital, he stressed this agreement is for our past elders, it's what they wanted, and it's for our future generation.

Mr. Speaker, could you imaging ten new jobs coming to any community let alone a community the size of Nahanni Butte? These jobs are going have a huge impact on the residents and the community. We will see young people wanting to stay in their home community now. This agreement is a new and innovative model for cooperative management. In practice, that means reshaping the existing co-management where Nahanni Butte has a larger role in the Nahanni National Park Reserve. The beautiful thing about this agreement, the band will now have the resources to bring their traditional knowledge and to collect scientific knowledge to bring it to the table on their own terms. It was a true partnership with Parks Canada.

Mr. Speaker, part of the agreement is funding for a new on the land guardianship program which will operate within the park reserve. More on the land programming will be opened to the local youth and elders. Mr. Speaker, the Nahanni National Park Reserve is a giant park, the third-largest in Canada, spanning everything from canyons and mountains to waterfalls. Virginia Falls and the Cirque of the Unclimbables are among its treasures.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the community, chief and council, and Parks Canada for this signing.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Nahendeh. Members' statements. Returns to oral questions. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River North.

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R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With us today we have Mr. Matthew Miller, the president of the NWT Teachers Association, and Mr. David Murphy, the executive director of the NWT Teachers Association. They're joining us today for the rest reading of the Education Act bill that I'll be moving forward later. And Mr. Speaker, I also want to recognize my mother Bayline's in the gallery, as well as my spouse Chantelle Lafferty. Welcome.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River North. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Inuvik Boot Lake.

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Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize two pages from Inuvik Boot Lake, Cayley Rueben as well as Angelina Wainman. And I'd also like to recognize Mr. Matt Miller who used to be a teacher at the East Three in Inuvik. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Great Slave.

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Katrina Nokleby

Katrina Nokleby Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier in this session I rose to acknowledge my page, and I realized I did not use their preferred name. So I would like to recognize my page Andy Sieben who is here from Great Slave, and all of the pages who have done a wonderful job. Thank you.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife South.

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Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to have a page from Yellowknife South here again, Cayley Ibusosch is with us. If we could recognize her today, please.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife South. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Hay River South.

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Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I won't recognize my wife who is in the gallery, but I will recognize the Minister of education's mother. Thank you.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we have missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the Chamber and I hope you are enjoying the proceedings. It's always nice to have people in the gallery. Mahsi.

Acknowledgements. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.

Question 1484-19(2): Income Assistance
Oral Questions

March 29th, 2023

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Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I brought up the recovery of households getting income assistance frozen across the North and especially my riding who people who need it most, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell me how many residents are having income assistance file reviewed or files frozen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have those numbers on hand. But I can say that what the Member is speaking about is a few years ago, the Government of Canada introduced a number of different benefits for Canadians to help them get through the worst days of the pandemic. We as a department exempted CERB payments so those were not counted against income assistance applications; however, the later benefits were not exempted. And so clients who received those benefits, all they needed to do was declare that they received those. So even just verbally telling the client service officer that they received them so that we could count that because that's all income needs to be declared to receive income assistance. So what's happening now is that we're discovering clients who did not declare that income and we're following the regulations, and unfortunately there are some individuals who are being cut off. Not individuals. I've given direction to take a compassionate approach to this while still making sure that we comply with our own laws. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister consider putting the Canada Recovery Caregiver Benefit, which was more important than CERB as far as I'm concerned because people needed it the most. Would the Minister consider stopping penalizing people who needed the help the most at that time? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So as I said, we did exempt CERB, but we did not exempt the subsequent support programs, but we did inform all applicants that if they received those programs, they needed to declare it. So at this point, I can't go back and exempt some individuals and not others because others did declare it, and they didn't receive this benefit. And so it wouldn't be fair in that sense. Thank you.

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, I think this Minister has the authority to do that. Like I said, CERB payment was given by the government so easily at that time making themselves look good. Now they're doing clawbacks, we're doing the federal government's dirty work by taking CERB payments, Canada recovery, taking it all back. People with nothing -- that have nothing in their fridges, elders got no food. What's happening? This government, no empathy on this side? This government has to take a step. Our Premier said take a step back, let's help the people. Let the Minister make the right decision, Mr. Speaker, and get this -- go down that list. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I agree it's a terrible situation. There's some individuals who are suffering. And if you're on income assistance, you're not making a bunch of money to begin with and so I get the concerns. And we took a more compassionate approach than other jurisdictions by exempting certain amounts, but at this point I can't commit to exempting these amounts now. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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

Jackie Jacobson

Jackie Jacobson Nunakput

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our Premier said it best before, lessons learned, take a step back. All this money that was given by the federal government, we should take a more lenient approach and put it all under from your T4, for your CERB payment, for your Canada revenue payment plan, should be all exempt from people. Our government, there's no jobs. There's nothing going on in the Beaufort Delta and in my riding. There's no jobs to be had. We live -- they have no choice but to go get income support. This Minister has the authority. Our Premier has the authority to take this off, Mr. Speaker. Do we have to make a motion in the House? Mr. Speaker, this government could do that. All it takes is a Minister's directive to make it happen. This government should show empathy on the people that we work for across this territory and have -- I guess not have it as good as down here in Yellowknife or in the south. People are suffering. You know it too, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And we did learn lessons from COVID. That's why this budget includes the biggest overhaul to the income assistance program in a generation with millions of dollars more budgeted that will go directly to clients. The situation the Member's talking about, though, in the future we're still going to see those situations because at the end of the day, the program requires people to declare their income. And if they don't declare their income, there's consequences. However, we are looking at even that aspect. There needs to be some rules but we're definitely taking a more compassionate and lenient approach going forward. We want to avoid these types of situations. We want to help people budget. We want to help them so that they don't run into these situations. But unfortunately this is the situation we're in. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

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