Masi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the sitting in June, Members on this side of the House moved a housing motion in which we requested that the Minister take action on the level of core need, which is at 20 per cent for the NWT, including investing, coming up with a fully costed comprehensive plan and so on. We received her response last week and it doesn't address the questions we asked. So my first question is: how is the NWT Housing Corporation going to reduce core housing need? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In the public gallery today is my constituent Josee Clermont. Madam Clermont is the Directrice Generale of college nordique here in Yellowknife and I welcome her and all our guests to the Assembly today. I'd also like to recognize Steve Budgell, my friend and neighbour who is in the fourth year of the nursing program at Aurora College. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, colleagues. Masi, Mr. Speaker. We are grateful for various kinds of support provided by the federal, territorial and city governments as well as family and friends. The government programming I've mentioned, the employment insurance supplement, BDC mentoring, and ITI commercial loan interest payment support was targeted very effectively and showed that these organizations know what kind of help small businesses need in the early start-up period. Kudos to them. Our biggest thanks go to the people of Yellowknife and beyond who buy our products and services and have enabled us to turn an idea into a viable business. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today I offer my congratulations to everyone who operates a small business in the NWT during this Small Business Week. Last year in Yellowknife the city licensed 146 new businesses, most of them small businesses, and it's clear that small business is a major driver in our economy, creating jobs, spending and tax revenue.

Mr. Speaker, I have some insight into the effort involved in developing an idea for a small business into a money-making proposition. I was self-employed before I was elected, but the experience I want to reflect on today is the development of our family business. First, the idea: a couple of evenings a week my partner would check the funeral home websites in her hometown, that casual interest moved her to recognize that Yellowknife didn't have a funeral home and from there into thinking about whether she wanted to become a funeral director. She spent a year doing online courses to become a funeral director while continuing her day job as a social worker. Second, the plan: near the end of her training she spent a couple of months working in a large funeral home in Edmonton. She loved working with the families, and made a decision to go into business.

She began working out of Stanton offering funeral services in 2008. A family friend housed the caskets and hearse in her garage and the office for the business was in our laundry room. There were many sleepless nights at this point about giving up the certainty of a government cheque, benefits and pension in order to start a business. She had never run a business before and she worried about whether people would use her services. Government provided critical support by providing employment insurance while the business got rolling, alleviating some of the concern about cash flow.

Third, the expansion from funeral services to funeral home. We were referred to Akaitcho Business Development Corp. for mentoring. Together we developed a business plan. The bank agreed to finance the purchase of a building and renovations. We held our breath while acquiring hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, but believed community would support this business. At this point, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment provided support by offering a year of interest payments on the commercial loan. McKenna Funeral Home opened November 1st, 2010. This summer, with almost eight years of business, experience under our belts, we expanded the funeral home to include a garage and casket storage. The business has one full-time employee and three part-timers. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, October 20, 2016, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on October 20th, 2016, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, October 25th, 2016. And further, that any time prior to October 25th, 2016, if the Speaker is satisfied after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to table the "Social Assistance Act Income Assistance Regulations" and "Exemplars, Income Assistance Changes, July 2016." Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, the point here is that, had those regulations not been changed, the people on income assistance would have been receiving more money. What the Minister has said is that the Child Tax Benefit is the occasion for reducing those amounts of money. That means that he is making these changes on the backs of the people who most need this money. We're not talking about huge amounts of money here, but it's important to people with low income. I'd like to know whether the Minister will turn back these reductions in income assistance so that children are once again funded for food and clothing.

Mr. Speaker, my question for the Minister -- and please take this as I'm concerned, and it took a lot of work to get to this point. So I'm not too surprised you haven't heard from people who are on income assistance. My question is: why did your department change its income assistance regulations and stop funding food and clothing allowances for children? So we're talking specifically about NWT income assistance regulations.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like the Minister to answer this question: why did your department change its income assistance regulations and stop funding food and clothing allowances for children under 18?