Monfwi

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 1st Session (day 8)

As I stated, we try to assess those individuals who are struggling with their payments as best as we can as income support clientele. As you know, income support covers the Northwest Territories with the 33 communities that we service and we cannot cover all mortgage payments, but we do cover to some degree some payments so they can get by through a couple of months or during the winter transition period. So we do assist those clientele as best we can according to our Income Security Policy. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 1st Session (day 8)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Over time we amended our policy on the income support security system to reflect the costs of being in the Northwest Territories. There is a mortgage payment. It is covered up to three times in the lifetime of the clients. We do assess to some degree on the mortgage as well. Not only that but the client should not be building assets while accessing income support as well. There are subsidies in place. We have amended those subsidies in 2007 to reflect the cost for the Northwest Territories. We will continue to make those changes as necessary.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 1st Session (day 8)

Yes, there is. Again, our overall goals and objectives of this government have highlighted those community employments as a priority for us. Not only that, but through my Department of Education, Culture and Employment we have a Labour Market Agreement that we provide training and services to the small communities and we’ll continue to do that. There is a training opportunity in that manner, in that fashion. Not only that, again reiterating the partnerships we have with the communities, with the mining industries, we do have a quarterly meeting with the industry representatives as well. We...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 1st Session (day 8)

That is what we’re doing. We’re topping up the wage that they’ve earned, and if they can’t get by on certain months, we do assist them. They have to fit the criteria, as well, where how much they make per household and how many children they have and so forth, and the cause of the factors as well. So we are subsidizing those individuals that are a pressing need for the Northwest Territories.

We realize there is a high cost of living in the Northwest Territories, so it’s all based on that as well. So income support we always say is just a last resort, because we want to have independence in...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 1st Session (day 8)

The Income Support Policy states that it is a top-up for those low wage earners in the Northwest Territories to assist them in whether it be the heating bill or light bills, necessary expenses that are before us.

Again, this particular Income Security Policy has been amended in the past. We are certainly looking at those changes as necessary to meet the needs of the Northwest Territories. We have those clientele that have accessed our income security within our system so they have qualified through the Mortgage Subsidy Program up to three times in their lifetime. We do assist as best as we...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 1st Session (day 8)

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment supports community-based teacher education programming which provides increased access to students across the Northwest Territories. Graduates of these programs will increase the number of Aboriginal educators in our school system.

Currently Aurora College is delivering the community-based Teacher Education Program, including a community educator preparation component, for both the Teacher Education and Aboriginal Language and Cultural Instructor programs. In 2010-11 the college began offering the first year of the Aboriginal...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 1st Session (day 7)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document, entitled “Annual Report on Official Languages 2010-2011.” Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 1st Session (day 6)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Within Education, Culture and Employment, early childhood has always been a priority for this government and it is a priority for ASA now. This is an area that has been a prime focus when we visited all five regions plus the Yellowknife region, so six regions; discussion on our priorities. Early childhood has always been at the forefront of our discussions. Within our department we provide various funding, whether it be the daycare operations, the workers and subsidizing those individuals that are in the child care programming, the Head Start Program. We have partnerships...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 1st Session (day 6)

Mahsi, Madam Chair. The school in Aklavik, as the Member indicated, is a fairly old building. We will be discussing that and we will be visiting the community as well. To be part of the capital projects, of course, the Member can I guess refer that matter to the capital process. So this is the time to start planning for the next capital projects. So we’ll definitely be mindful of that. Mahsi.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 1st Session (day 6)

Madam Chair, all I can say at this point is we will be putting in the sewage tank. Whatever happened this past summer or winter, it wouldn’t have made a difference because we are still waiting for a sewage lagoon to be completed. Even though it was completed this summer, it will be just sitting there. We will be going forward with this in the wintertime so we can be ready for summer when the completion of the sewage lagoon is completed by the community. We did commit and we are looking forward to having our staff going into the community and completing that project in due time. Mahsi, Madam...