Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with respect to the income disruption support payment, that was the first one that was provided and that was really meant to be an opportunity, really, just to acknowledge the fact that individuals who had been evacuated at that time may be in situations where they didn't have anything to provide some of their daytoday costs and to sort of mitigate some of those daytoday costs. $750 was we were looking at we certainly did do a jurisdictional scan of what was going offered elsewhere. It was very clear at that time that very few jurisdictions, indeed I...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our residents were already receiving a much higher rebate than what many residents in other parts of the country were. What we did in our system was, and what we understood would not have been offered had we come under the federal modeling, was to zone the three types of rebates that were being received. And under the home heating oil tax situation, that meant that those living in zone C who were really in some of the communities that are the most remote, most rural, they would have been receiving a much higher benefit to account for the fact that the...

Sorry, Mr. Speaker. If it's the amount of home heating fuel home heating oil revenue, I can certainly get that number for the Member. For the current year, that's the taxation just to be clear, so I can get the correct information, it's the tax the number I'm going to get is the tax being collected for home heating fuel in the Northwest Territories. We can certainly provide that in due course. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the details of this program, which I don't have standing in front of me right now in terms of the specific policy, but the details were communicated back in August when the program was announced. That included the timelines for making applications, the process for making applications. The initial evacuations when the programs that we had for those who were evacuated early in the year, we actually had staff attending at the facilities within the Northwest Territories to help people make their applications and to explain the process to them. And so all of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I suppose if I'm not clear it's because the question is not clear what is being asked about the tracking. Every application that is sent to the department is logged, and every inquiry that is being sent in with respect to say that there's been an issue, that one, they are also being monitored. And to the best of my knowledge in terms of the tracking, most of those that have applied and have been processed are, indeed, paid and have been paid. So there's been some late payments. But, I mean, as far as someone saying that they made an application and haven't...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm conscious that you want us to stick to our times. So I'll try to be brief, but this is a source of some frustration for myself and for the department.

Yes, the Department of Finance certainly has engaged with officials from ECC or Environment and Climate Change Canada. We've made the case. We've pled the case. We were told quite frankly that no, we will not get any extension in the amount of time that we can offer an exemption. No, there will not be any blanket exemptions. No, there will essentially be very little that accounts for the realities of costs...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm certainly alive, as is everyone else in this territory, about the high costs associated with being in the North, the high cost of fuel, but specific to the carbon tax we are exempting the heating oil cost of carbon tax. It's taken this long for a couple of reasons, Mr. Speaker. First of all, people who are using propane or who are using LNG, other forms of fuel, they are not seeking any other kind of exemption to the carbon tax, so we wanted to make sure that we took that into consideration, and we took into consideration the impacts on revenues before...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document: 20222023 Public Accounts, sections I, II, III, and IV. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge my parents. Ed and Bev Wawzonek are in the gallery here today to actually watch what the Assembly looks like. Thank you for coming.

And, Mr. Speaker, I have one more acknowledgement. I don't see my young page in the room right now, but I know he's around. Ben Mager is a resident of Yellowknife South. We are always very grateful to have the pages here with us. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I also have some thank yous I'd like to take the opportunity to share today. Firstly, this campaign period was, of course, delayed because of the wildfires and the evacuations, and I want to start by saying thank you to all of those who supported our efforts in responding to the wildfires, from the firefighters to those who stayed here in Yellowknife to support efforts in Yellowknife to protect the city, the EMO staff, city emergency staff, and so many public servants and volunteers all working together. So much was accomplished, and I am very grateful...