Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, committee wishes to make more general comments on the Tabled Document 143-18(2), Capital Estimates, 2017-2018. Committee also wishes to try to get through the Departments of Lands; Finance; Environment and Natural Resources; and Industry, Tourism and Investment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I was wondering if the Minister can commit to providing committee, this side of the House, with any results that he may have during discussions with small business on the impacts of minimum wage?

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment questions on the minimum wage. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to just as a refresher ask the Minister what the minimum wage is today in the NWT? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, our mandate is not incumbent upon money from the federal government as far as the Aging in Place goes. I'd like to ask the Minister if there has been any budgetary discussions pertaining to a program that will allow seniors to age in place?

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of NWT Housing Corporation pertaining to the Aging in Place, as it's laid out in our mandate. Mr. Speaker, in answering questions in February, questions from me, the Minister responded to a question I was asking about Aging in Place by indicating that she would be meeting with the federal government on March 10, 2016. I want to know what the results of that meeting were? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Marci cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the NWT Housing Corporation must begin to change the way they do business. Currently, the suite of programs they deliver are not desirable to NWT seniors.

Mr. Speaker, there are very few jobs in the small communities and the people cannot afford to pay house insurance and pay the copayment requirements of the programs. Also, Mr. Speaker, elders in small communities do not have money to leave to their adult children. All they have is their homes. On applying for any substantial programs, the elders must sign a document that encumbers their house for 10 years...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman, I just really have one area of concern and that area of concern is very similar to everyone else, and that's really the logistics of how we would handle a Department of Infrastructure in this type of setting. I wonder how we are able to consider a department which we have continued to discuss in the business-planning process which would then come to the Assembly in February.

So whether we agree with it then or disagree with it, if we consider the capital in this format, then we are essentially agreeing with the Infrastructure Department existing, which we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister if he can commit to providing the impacts on minimum wage increases, if increases were recommended, on the minimum wage earners and how that impacts our government in the area of social programs that we often extend to individuals that are at a minimum wage? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I'd like to ask the Minister if there's any plan or schedule for the minimum wage to change in the near future? Thank you.