Hay River

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 16)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The wages and salaries are based on information that we get currently from the boards in terms of the incumbents that they have. In terms of benefits, it is a percentage of those salaries that we use to calculate the benefit amounts. It is a similar system than what the GNWT currently uses in terms of the rates that are used in those sorts of things. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 16)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In 2015-16, we had a particularly high caseload under the Income Assistance Program. Now we received a supplementary appropriation to reflect that higher caseload. That was one-time money. It isn’t ongoing at this point in terms of the caseload. But as happens in many years, if there is higher caseloads then we would have to come back for another appropriation, but in 2015-16, there were higher caseloads than the historical case. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 16)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In terms of timing, the changes for income assistance that do not include the Canada Child Benefit and custody payments as part of the calculation. That'll take place on August 1st for the calculation for the August month. My understanding is that the federal changes will start to roll out in July, so it'll time well with those changes. The changes to the NWT Child Benefit will require the legislative changes and the likely timing is the fall for that. Once we have those changes in place, then we have to work with the federal government on implementing those, although we...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 16)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, we are absolutely looking at the impact on enrolments that are likely to happen when junior kindergarten is implemented in the communities that aren't currently offering it. We're doing the modelling to try to understand what the impacts will be overall financially on the system as well, given various scenarios around how that funding may take place. Yes, we are looking at those enrolments.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There are a lot of big pieces in this overall sort of area of education and culture. A couple of the ones I will note are the changes in early childhood program funding in terms of the subsidy adjustments that we are making is reflected in this budget. There are changes in terms of the funding of the education renewal initiative in that you see under some of the items here. There is some portion that is collective bargaining increases under the NWTTA which was the last portion in this first quarter of this year. There are also tweaks that were done around the Aboriginal...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 15)

Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I think in terms of the corporate management contract services, that is primarily related to the student information system that the ADM was speaking of earlier. There's been some purchases that had to take place under that in terms of both software and those types of things to get the new information system in place. Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the Minister touched on most of them, but the languages, the amalgamation of the two boards will be one; a piece of legislation to allow degree granting for Dechinta and College Nordique; Heritage Resources Act is one that has not been updated for a long time, but I know there's an interest in seeing that get developed; and then there may be others. There probably will be some minor changes to the Education Act and those sorts of things, but those first three are probably the big three for us. Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. What we're looking at now is for children under six, onechild family, this would be the maximum amounts, would be around $1,164. For two children, that would go up to around $2,088; three children, $3,000 and so on. For children six to 18, the amounts are a little bit less, $931 for one child, $1,670 for two, and so on. But we can get that detail to the Members, the exact calculations that'll be on that. It follows a very similar pattern as what the federal CCB is using. Our income thresholds are slightly different than the federal program, but, again, the reduction rate...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is early days, but it is my understanding that one of the positions has been placed in another one of these positions. The incumbent has been placed in another position. Two of them we expect are going to retire. They are in a position that they are able to retire, but we don't know for sure whether they will do that or not. One of the other ones, though, we are still working to find placement for them.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 15)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As the Member will note, the $101,000 that is up top, that is up for grabs. Anything that is under $15,000 we are handing out as a grant where there is much less onerous reporting. The other portions are contribution agreements where there is a required level of reporting that comes with the contribution agreements. That is the difference between the two: we consolidated all of our contributions under one program, but we left the grants for those under $15,000 in what is above with the $101,000 that are still. Those are small amounts that go out to individual artists and...