Statements in Debates
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on the rollout of our childcare subsidies.
My understanding is that in order for childcare providers to sign on to an agreement, they have to agree to a 2.3 percent cap on a fee increase.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I recognize that if the goal is to get to $10 day, $10 a day childcare, clearly, our agreements are going to have to put a cap on how much fees can be raised. But I think in a year with record inflation, starting our negotiations at 2.3 percent is putting some day homes in a very difficult position...
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have been critical about statutory reviews in the past but I think if there was one that was, you know, an obvious contender for this committee to choose, even though they had to do it, would be the Child and Family Services Act.
We've had two rather damning Auditor General reports in this area. And those reports speak to how the department is implementing policies. They don't necessarily speak to whether those are the correct policies and the Auditor General is not in and of itself there to focus on prevention. And I think this committee made the right choice in...
One moment, Mr. Speaker.
Oh, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Thebacha that Committee Report 27-19(2): Special Committee on the Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs Interim Report: What We Heard about the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Negotiating Agreements be received by the Assembly and referred to Committee of the Whole.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Special Committee on Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs is pleased to provide its Interim Report: What we Heard about the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Negotiating Agreements, and commends it to the House.
Mr. Speaker, the chair of the committee, the Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, has asked me to read the executive summary today. But I would like to thank her, and all the members of this committee, for their work.
On October 29, 2020, the Legislative Assembly unanimously passed Motion 21-19(2) to establish a Special Committee on...
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I'm looking for a bit more of a commitment on from the Minister and when he says they're happy to have that conversation. I know the 20, 30 percent number can be complicated. In some cases, it's day homes who haven't raised fees in years, and so they're well below their competitors. And in other cases, I'm hearing from, you know, daycares who recently decided to give their staff a living wage, something that we are hoping to roll out in the coming years with the pay grid, but now they're essentially they're taking the step themselves, and they're ahead...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government is setting itself on a path to implement universal childcare in the next five years in this territory, and we all know how massive of a task that is. It involves hundreds of new spaces. It involves millions of dollars. However, Mr. Speaker, I have to I note there will be some growing pains but we have to ensure that in those growing pains, we don't leave anyone behind.
Mr. Speaker, the other day in this House the Minister said they have different motivations when speaking to the difference to describe day home operators as moneymaking businesses as...
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I see here that the NWT Council of Leaders has a working group, and we're working on legislation to implement UNDRIP. I guess the big question there is do we expect does the Premier expect to introduce UNDRIP implementation legislation in the life of this Assembly? Thank you.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate that. My concern is that with the service agreements they are relying on, you know, additional other GNWT resources to be provided, and we all know that there is a strain on those resources. And so what I think needs to happen here is either the child and family services workers have their own resources or there's some sort of prioritizing. We all in this House want to have integrated service delivery. But the reality is, is that there's just not enough houses for them to house all the homeless people presently. And I think we need to prioritize...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe we need to enshrine in the Child and Family Services Act that no child shall be apprehended on the basis of socioeconomic conditions.
Now Mr. Speaker, I am well aware that many cases by the time child and family services have intervened are due to severe neglect or abuse and likely the time of intervention was long before child and family services got involved. To solve those issues is something all of us in the House strive to do but it is one that will take healing of a whole territory. However, Mr. Speaker, it is clear that there are still children being...
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, I'm very happy to hear that. And, you know what, even at the scale that Aurora College is operating now, I've heard that concern. That people struggle to find housing whether they're at the Inuvik, Yellowknife, or Fort Smith campus.
I guess my last question is, you know, we're doing this facilities plan, which essentially is a capital plan. We will hopefully get some big dollars out of the federal government to build buildings, but, you know, I would welcome the Minister's thoughts on how we are going to find the programming money, because clearly to take the...