Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, I'm in full support of this motion. I think Mr. Johnson said it really well in regards to our young men and our men in our small communities that really need help and programming and having an outlet to be able to deal with issues that they're you know, that's affecting them. But just I'm really happy it's coming forward to this, and I look forward to full support of it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Could she repeat herself if that was a "yes?" Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. I thank the Minister for that, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, some provinces rebate provincial sales tax and heating bills. We don't pay provincial sales tax but we do pay GST in our heating bills, and that adds 5 percent on our tax on every bill. What measures has the Minister considered to support heating costs in the Beaufort Delta? Has the Minister considered asking the federal government for a rebate GST on heating bills in the territories when heating costs is most expensive? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Could we have that information that she just said before the end of the sitting.

Madam Speaker, our government's press release said nothing about the impact of higher carbon taxes in heating bills. It didn't say anything about the impact of cost of living average in a household or a business. When the government raises its taxes to explain the impact of people from $50 a ton to $65 a ton, it's not meaningful information for the people. Government should provide more transparent accessible information on its proposal, Madam Speaker.

Can the Minister commit to release...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Cost of living in the for Canadians and residents of the Northwest Territories is going up. We see it all around us, the cost of electricity, global fuel prices rising, home heating fuel rising, consumer prices have all gone up. The cost of food inflation is going up everywhere, Madam Speaker. We know the cost of food is going up, especially the fruit, the vegetables, the baked goods, and the cereal. Madam Speaker, people in my riding can barely afford to pay for that. We have to rely on traditional means, hunting, to feed ourselves but the price of gas has gone up...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I can't support the bill, because of the cost of living that's going to affect my riding. I'll support it going to into the second reading but the Minister has to hold the line with our federal government, Madam Speaker, in regards to holding that and working with this side of the House to get a tiered system. We have to have more control and we give so little, you know, offsets that we're getting with the federal government. I mean, the cost of NTPC, the power bills, and it affects so many with the cost of fuel. It's going to affect our housing. Even the...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the press release said, again, that GNWT offset its heating costs using a cost of living offset will the equal average out household heating cost increase and the people will still get impacted through the social housing due to the local LHOs going to still have to pay for that fuel which comes out of their budget which is so limited.

Madam Speaker, will the Minister consider a fairer approach to the carbon tax to offset such as a tiered cost of living offset payments to give more support to the people of the Beaufort Delta in a tiered system? Thank you...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My Member's statement was the GNWT presented legislation to increase carbon tax last week. Legislation will remove carbon tax rebate for home heating fuel, change increase of home heating bills by hundreds of dollars in my riding. In the press release yesterday, Madam Speaker, there was nothing said about the impact of heating bills. Can the Minister tell me how much heating bills will go up for the average household in the communities of Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok, and Tuktoyaktuk? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today I want to talk about suicide prevention across our territory. I am bringing to the House to recognize and honour all the youth that we lost to suicide throughout the year. Madam Speaker, when we lose a youth, the whole community grieves and the whole region grieves together.

Madam Speaker, our youth face difficulties in life. We need to do more for the youth, for our communities to come together to heal and be healthy. Engaging with youth, our leaders ask them directly what do you want to see in a community? They told us exactly what they wanted. In trying our...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It's for me, I was really honoured to be able to second this motion because we've been hardest hit, I guess in the whole Beaufort Delta in my riding of Nunakput this last few months. And then our communities are stretched out enough in regards to try to provide service for our youth, and it's being put back towards the community. I really think that something like this will be really beneficial because there's so many hoops you have to jump through to access funds when something like this happens, and then I think being able to access it through the I guess the...