Yellowknife Centre

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 33)

Masi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the sitting in June, Members on this side of the House moved a housing motion in which we requested that the Minister take action on the level of core need, which is at 20 per cent for the NWT, including investing, coming up with a fully costed comprehensive plan and so on. We received her response last week and it doesn't address the questions we asked. So my first question is: how is the NWT Housing Corporation going to reduce core housing need? Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and could the Minister just say or say again when he expects to have that information in hand about the number of schools that require upgrades and the timing for implementing them. Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 33)

Mahsi, colleagues. Masi, Mr. Speaker. We are grateful for various kinds of support provided by the federal, territorial and city governments as well as family and friends. The government programming I've mentioned, the employment insurance supplement, BDIC mentoring, and ITI commercial loan interest payment support was targeted very effectively and showed that these organizations know what kind of help small businesses need in the early start-up period. Kudos to them. Our biggest thanks go to the people of Yellowknife and beyond who buy our products and services and have enabled us to turn an...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So it's my understanding there are 49 schools in the NWT and so upgrades have been completed in some schools or are contemplated for some schools. So does the Minister have any information about how many schools will need upgrading or what the total cost of those upgrades will be? Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 33)

I have no further questions. Thank you.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 32)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, October 20, 2016, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Great Slave, that notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on October 20, 2016, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, October 25, 2016. And further, that any time prior to October 25, 2016, if the Speaker is satisfied after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 32)

Mr. Speaker, the point here is that, had those regulations not been changed, the people on income assistance would have been receiving more money. What the Minister has said is that the Child Tax Benefit is the occasion for reducing those amounts of money. That means that he is making these changes on the backs of the people who most need this money. We're not talking about huge amounts of money here, but it's important to people with low income. I'd like to know whether the Minister will turn back these reductions in income assistance so that children are once again funded for food and...

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 32)

Mr. Speaker, I'd like the Minister to answer this question: why did your department change its income assistance regulations and stop funding food and clothing allowances for children under 18?

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 32)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Debates of , 18th Assembly, 2nd Session (day 32)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in August of this year changes came into effect for the Income Assistance Regulations administered by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment. The department changed the amount of both the food and the clothing allowances available to low-income families. Mr. Speaker, the department refers to the number of people in a household as units. Until the end of July a household included each member in the family counted as a unit for the purpose of food and clothing calculations.

At the beginning of August the new regulations counted only adults and mature...