Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Consideration for Elders and Seniors in Debt Elimination.

WHEREAS elders and seniors who are no longer working and only receive a fixed income have little ability to get out of debt once it has accumulated;

AND WHEREAS some elders and seniors in communities, who have accumulated housing debt, face extreme financial hardship to get out of arrears;

AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories should be supporting our elders and seniors to age in place and to age with dignity;

AND WHEREAS section 62 of the Financial Administration Act allows the forgiveness of debt to the Government of the Northwest Territories, or a public agency, where it is just and reasonable to do so;

AND WHEREAS the policy that guides the consideration on the forgiveness of debt does not clearly identify how the Government of the Northwest Territories determines a debtor to be indigent, or how a debt is determined to be unjust or unreasonable.

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, that the Government of the Northwest Territories revise the Financial Administration Manual and related policies on the elimination of debt to provide specific provisions for forgiveness of debt owed to the Government of the Northwest Territories, or a public agency, for elders and seniors who are 60 years of age and older;

AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories review and revise the Financial Administration Manual and policies to define how it will measure and assess unreasonable or unjust financial hardship on elders and seniors.

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories review and revise the Financial Administration Manual and policies to ensure that elders and seniors who are on fixed incomes are not forced into undue financial hardship to pay debt to the Government of the Northwest Territories;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories respond to this motion within 120 days.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.