Julie Green

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Does it also represent an increase in the value of income assistance itself? Can the Minister confirm that income assistance allowances are indexed to the CPI? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. With respect to the Minister, I do not see that reduced instructional hours fits into any of those objectives. Taking students out of the classroom for an additional 100 hours a year, or a total one whole year of education over the life of their school career, I just do not see how this is going to meet the outcomes that are put forward in the Education Renewal Initiative. So having said that, how will the department assess the results of the reduced instructional hours? What are the specific measures that are going to be used to measure the outcomes?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I realize this is a shared responsibility. The Minister's labour market forecast says that we need thousands, literally thousands, of people in the NWT over the next 15 years in different kinds of skilled professions. So is immigration not one of the ways that we are going to meet this demand for skilled workers? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it seems like an exit interview for people who are dropping out of the program would really facilitate collection of information about what the barriers are. In my statement I noted that social workers with degrees and diplomas will be in high demand over the next 15 years, a total of 600 jobs, so we want people who live here to take these jobs, not come for two years and then move away. Doesn't the number of people required in this profession make the case that social work training is, in fact, a going concern? Masi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, for being strict. I also have two numbers now for the number of cases in 2016-17 for people who require income assistance. I have 3,900 and I have 3,420. Could the Minister please point me to the correct number? Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I am trying to understand the department's goal of addressing attendance and graduation rates in light of the commitment to reducing instructional hours in the classroom. Could the Minister tell us how those two things are compatible? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So Mr. Chair, are we as a government actively looking for nominees for this program or are we just accepting applications as they come in? Thank you.

Rather than cutting the program, what does the Minister think he could do to help the college remove barriers to completing the social work program and improve graduation rates?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, at the time that the department presented its business plan it was not able to tell us about the projected growth in income assistance for the coming fiscal year. I am wondering if they are able to do that now, please. Thank you. That is, growth in the number of clients. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, according to the presentation we had at lunchtime, children often enter school with significant developmental deficits in all sizes of communities in the NWT so it stands to reason that their need for inclusive schooling resources will be greater perhaps than for other higher grades. So I'm wondering if, in fact, the Minister will consider increasing those resources to meet the needs of the additional students? Thank you.