Jane Weyallon Armstrong

I'm sure if you approach Tlicho Investment, they will be happy to fill the positions, you know, because we know that trades, we really do need trades and we emphasize that with our young people that, you know  because many of the trades people that we have right now, they're passed retirement age but there's nobody to come after them. So it's, like, they're still working, you know, like  and a lot of them are saying that, you know, like, they want to retire but there's nobody to take their job. So, and I'm very grateful, thankful for the housing for having the  you know, the scholarship...

Okay, Mr. Speaker, I know that we have talked a lot in this House about the needs for elders and seniors to age with dignity, and my motion that I put forward, it's actions behind these words. There are many elders in my ridings and other regions as well. There are many elders out there who are struggling to make ends meet. We know that the NWT is faced with high cost of living, the fuel price, the groceries. It's very difficult for people in the small communities, especially the elders, especially with children too as well because many of the elders are caring for their grandchildren. So it's...

Thank you. This heating fuel subsidy, you know, if you go to small communities, especially in December and January, the coldest month of the year, a lot of these elders, they have wood stove, so they are eligible for either wood or heating fuel. And a lot of them are going for the fuel because it is expensive to maintain or, you know, it they are expensive to get especially in the small communities. There's also for woods, too, as well, but a lot of them they said they would rather go get the fuel. But, and I know some of them were asking why not why have you know, like, they like the...

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is the Housing Debt Among Elders and Seniors, and it's for housing Minister.

The accumulation of housing debt among elders and seniors in the Northwest Territories can cause serious financial hardship as they age. There are tools available for the Government of the Northwest Territories to provide relief to elders and seniors. Can the Minister of housing provide information to understand the extent of debt owed to the Government of the Northwest Territories from seniors' housing units and actions taken to collect on this debt:

Over the last five years, can...

Well, senior citizens supplementary benefits, it's not huge, but can the Minister explain more what that program does.

Yes, thank you. Can the Minister commit to reviewing the information bulletin 640.01, forgiveness and remission under the Financial Administration Manual to deal with this circumstance. Thank you.

I'm done with this part.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is for Minister of Finance, and I think Minister of housing can answer this as well, but due to FMB, I'll stick with Minister of Finance. The Financial Administration Act allows the financial management board to forgive debt owed to the government or a public agency where it would be just, unreasonable to do so. Can the Minister agree that it is not just or reasonable to require repayment of debt to the GNWT for elders that cannot afford their housing. Thank you.

It's good, thank you. Thank you for the information, which I'm sure there's people listening and our leaders are listening too as well. So it's good to know that number.

And, yeah, so minority language education a second language, well, that's for French. But I know it was in the budget that Aurora College was going to be or it was part of their budget where they were going to deliver a diploma program for language. Why that program never went further or, like, it was never the department never did anything about it knowing the importance of the Indigenous language and, you know and now that...

Thank you. Yeah, no, I know many of these programs that I know that our constituents use these funds for culture and language. So it is important for them. That's how we maintain and try to keep our culture and language, you know, going. Because just like my colleague from Mackenzie Delta said, you know, it's  it does have an impact, you know, now that younger generation are not speaking the language more. So it is important that it  it would have been nice if there was  if the budget was a little bit more than as it is here, especially for Indigenous language, knowing that there's more...