Statements in Debates
I want to thank the Premier for that. I think there are hundreds of millions of dollars at stake here and that, if we made the right pitch to the federal government, we could tap into that. Can the Premier tell us what specific work has been done to pursue this opportunity to drive economic recovery in the NWT through this strong federal investment in contaminated-site remediation here?
Thanks, Madam Chair. Can someone explain to me what, if any, role the review had in terms of the funding in this budget? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Merci, Monsieur le President. On April 17, 2020, the federal government announced $1.72 billion in financial assistance for the remediation of orphan and inactive oil and gas wells in Western Canada. This includes:
Up to $1 billion to the Government of Alberta;
Up to $400 million to the Government of Saskatchewan;
Up to $120 million to the Government of British Columbia; and $200 million as fully repayable loans to the Alberta Orphan Wells Association to support its work to clean up sites across Alberta.
There are currently about 4,700 orphan wells in Alberta, 600 in Saskatchewan, 350 in B.C...
Thanks, Madam Chair. I know we're supposed to be dealing with the budget, but can someone tell me how much it cost? Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thanks, Madam Chair. I was kind of curious to hear the Minister say that the homecare review needs to go to Cabinet first, before it can even be shared with Regular MLAs. Can I find out from the Minister who actually conducted the review? I would have thought that this is sort of like a contracted service or something. I'm just trying to understand why it would have to go to Cabinet first, before it could be shared with Regular MLAs. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that explanation. Look, I understand where this came from, but it's where it's taken us. That is the issue here. We heard the Premier yesterday say that it would be a sin to roll back the progress on some of these programs. This is one of the ones that it would be a sin to roll back. This program was not limited to essential services. It was for all people here who are paid minimum wage. They have to get the employer to do it, but that is what this is about.
Can the Minister make a commitment that she is going to work with her...
I want to thank the Minister for that. Clearly, the wage top-up program serves a specific purpose just for us here in the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister, though, tell us how well that is going in terms of the take-up for it, in terms of the number of applications received so far for the wage top-up program, the number of employees covered, and how quickly the applications are being processed? I did give the Minister a heads-up, Mr. Speaker.
Merci, Monsieur le President. To support low-income workers during the pandemic, the Department of Finance has implemented a wage top-up program. NWT workers aged 15 or over and earning less than $18 per hour are eligible. Program covers April 1 to July 31, 2020. Workers who receive commissions or tips must include those amounts as part of their income for the purpose of the program. Students who, as part of their school curriculum, are employed in the work program and those who are self-employed are not eligible.
Employers are required to apply and receive one-time compensation of $50 per...
I want to thank the Minister for that. It's great to hear that 242 employees here are going to benefit from this right now. That is great. The turnaround time, I am really pleased, and I want to congratulate the Minister and her department for the hard work on that. Our minimum wage, though, is a measly $13.46 per hour, which is not enough for a decent standard of living in any of our communities.
Last time the minimum wage was increased was April 1, 2018. That process involved stakeholder committee. It looked a lot like the previous one. Given that the NWT Wage Top-up is a clear sign our...
Merci, Monsieur le President. My question is for the Minister of Finance who administers the NWT Wage Top-up Program. As I said earlier today, I support this program. However, it's not clear how it relates to, for example, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. Can the Minister explain the relationship or difference between the NWT Wage Top-up Program and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.