Jackson Lafferty

Mr. Speaker, we did increase in 2007 for basic food, clothing and other expenses. We have a program that’s always changing the Income Security Framework. Definitely, those are areas that we continue to look at and we continue to make changes.

Mr. Speaker, the Member is alluding to the high cost of living. We include that into our programming as well. So we’re fully aware of the high cost of living in the communities and continuously we change our programming. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are currently, through income security and a variety of support to the communities to deal with basic food, shelter and clothing allowances. We also have other subsidies such as seniors’ home fuel subsidy, public housing rental subsidy, which will be transferred to the Housing Corporation soon, and a variety of supports that are available such as NWT child benefits, child care user subsidy, and senior citizen supplementary benefits, along with other benefits that we do provide. We’ve made some changes to our income security in 2007 to increase our funding as...

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document entitled Part I 21st Annual Report of the Victims’ Assistance Committee of the Northwest Territories, 2009-2010. Mahsi.

Mr. Chairman, my understanding is that it is part of the regulation. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. I have with me to my left Mr. Dan Daniels, the deputy minister of Education, Culture and Employment; and also Blair Barbour, legislative policy advisor, to my right; and Ian Rennie to my far right, legislative counsel. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to introduce Bill 5, Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification Act. The purpose of this legislation is to provide a modern statutory framework governing the apprenticeship and occupation certification programs in the Northwest Territories, and to repeal the existing Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification Act.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment commissioned a review of the apprenticeship, trade and occupations certification system in 2006 with a view to identifying those aspects of its programs that need to be revised to...

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate Mrs. Groenewegen about the questioning. I will certainly be prepared for that. We will do some research in that area and find out more detailed information in that respect. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. I will refer that question to my deputy since we are getting into more detail of operations of apprenticeships. At the same time, we do have a good working relationship with the Alberta board. Dan can elaborate more on the process as well. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to recognize some of the people who are in the gallery who are inducted into the Hall of Fame and also people who are accepting on behalf of posthumous inductees, as well, and their supporters: Sylvia Boyer, Brent Kaulback, Irma Miron, Miki O’Kane, Chuck Tolley, and also Audrey Enge, who’s here with us, and Marc Miltenberger, Debbie Reid, Vicky Ruben, Ashley Ruben, Fred Carmichael, of course, and Marilyn Kaulback and Jeri Miltenberger. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.