Thank you, Mr. Chair. A couple of years or last year I asked research -- to do some research on the percentage of recipients on income support. And the NWT as a whole was at 7 percent and the Mackenzie Delta's three communities were at 15 percent, and it's the highest in the NWT. I don't know -- with no productive choices being in play right now, and I don't know how the system works if they go there. Like, all the recipients go there at the end of the month, or is that how it works, or do they go there throughout the whole month? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the Member. To the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, within a few days of the end of the month, residents can contact a -- or any time after the 25th of each month, residents can reach out to their client navigator to work on their paperwork for the following month because the income assistance program is meant to be a month-to-month program to help residents meet their basic needs, so for example their rent, utilities, etcetera. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. To the Member, Mackenzie Delta.

But we have a full-time worker in each of the communities throughout the whole month. Is that correct? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the Member. To the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we have a client navigator that is responsible for each of the communities. So some communities do not have their own dedicated client navigator, but each community would still have access to a client navigator that serves their community. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. To the Member, Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. For clarification, is the client navigator working throughout the whole month? If -- I don't see -- I don't understand if the clients are just going to the client navigator's office any time after the 25th of each month to do their paperwork, and what's -- what are they doing? Are they in the office throughout the whole duration of the whole month? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the Member. To the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So client navigators do work all year round for the entirety of the month and are quite busy serving Northerners throughout the month. While some people are on, you know, a more routine of coming in, there's often people who come in midway through a month to receive supports from the government based on what their employment is like, what their needs are like. And so these people are incredibly busy all year round. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. To the Member, Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. How will this change the scope of the community or the navigator who delivers the income assistance program in terms of productive choices working with the Indigenous governments, or will it be contracted out? I don't -- I mean, I am all in favour of productive choices but, like you stated, the logistics of it has -- still has to be worked out. But, you know, I am curious to see how the -- how this will impact or change the scope of the navigator's work plan throughout the month. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the Member. To the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it's important to note that our client navigators do not have a social work background, that they are already very busy in their current roles working to understand the finances of Northerners and to ensure that they are being responsive to the financial need of Northerners. Before, when Productive Choices was used by education, culture and employment, it was incredibly administratively burdensome and so understanding the workload that already exists for client navigators, we need to make sure that whatever program that we bring into play for the North is -- you know, works for the scope of practice of client navigators and can also be supported within each community as well. So that is work that is yet to be worked out and figured out. But the scope of practice of client navigators and the time that they have and making sure that they can still support the needs of residents using the program is certainly top of mind. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. To the Member from Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's all I have. Thank you.

Thank you to the Member. Any further questions? To the Member from Monfwi.

Okay, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do support -- you know, I mean, right now with the mine closures so we don't really know -- like, many of the -- the agreement that's in place with -- from the -- between the Indigenous and the mining companies, the impact benefits agreement, many of the small communities or Indigenous government did benefitted from that agreement in place because SFA does not fund the bridging program. And just like my colleague said -- and I really do appreciate him talking on that -- the bridging program, due to the -- you know, due to the education outcome, many of our students they go through the upgrading program.

So with the SFA, is that -- if our students go through the Aurora College bridging program, the OCAP and UCAP that's in place, but it does not fund ABE program, so then our students will be funded, then -- you know, that are taking programs through the Aurora College. But students who -- you know, we should respect their choices of where they want to go. And students who wants to go south -- because some of them have never been or lived outside of their community, so it's the experience that they're looking for too, and this is a good time for them too as well because the two different level educations. They're coming from the low to the high so there is, you know -- I do support them because it's good that, you know, that they learn from both areas, and the bridging program is more like an upgrading program. So as a result because of that, you know, because of SFA does not fund that, many of the Indigenous government, they do fund the students that want to take the bridging program. But with the mine closure, we're not too sure if that funding is going to be there no more. And I do support, you know -- I do support -- I hope that the SFA or ECE will change their policy to support the bridging program for students who wants to take -- to go south. We should have respect -- we should respect their choices of where they want to go. It shouldn't be just only selective few. So I will say the same too is there -- does the ECE have any plan in place to change their policy to accommodate the students who wants to take the bridging program in southern Canada? Thank you.

Thank you to the Member of Monfwi. To the Minister.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, the upgrading through Aurora College is currently free to students and so that's where we have invested in that. In addition, through the feds, they do have funding for a university college entrance preparation program. And at this time, that is how we have invested in as to make sure that it is accessible to students as a midway point, and so certainly if we -- there'd be a significant policy change and an additional funding mechanism if we're then funding this outside the territory as well.

Thank you to the Minister. To the Member from Monfwi.

Okay, thank you. Can the Minister explain? Because I think she said it's free to students. How is it? If she can explain that, I will -- you know, then I will let our young people know that it is free to take the upgrading program or the bridging program, but OCAP and UCAP is a bridging program. You know that, and I know that. So how is it free? Because the students have to pay for their tuition, their books, and everything. So if she can explain that, I would really appreciate that. Thank you.

Thank you to the Member. To the Minister.