Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Thank you. What is the length of time the average person is an income support client? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is for the ECE Minister. Does the Minister track the outcomes of income assistance clients other time? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Social Development is pleased to provide its Report on Bill 2, Missing Persons Act and commends it to the House.

Mr. Speaker, report on Bill 2, Missing Persons Act.

Thank you to the families of missing people that spoke courageously on their thoughts and experiences with the Standing Committee on Social Development. Committee's thoughts are with the family and friends who have experienced the disappearance of a loved one.

Committee acknowledges that subject material related to Bill 2 is very challenging for many families across the Northwest Territories...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Getting back people to work and off income support assistance.

Mr. Speaker, I care for and am concerned for the future generations. I am concerned that we are losing the resilience that our ancestors survived for generations on. Life is different now than 50 years ago.

Mr. Speaker, income support was created as a temporary solution, a band aid solution, to give people assistance for a short period of time. But, unfortunately, what it has become is a system that people get on and do not get off of the income assistance. For some young people, some young adults, it has...

Okay, thank you. I know that we're going to be talking about it, you know, as long as we're here because it is an important issue. So I just there's another issue that I had is that lately I know in small communities people are having you know, that need medical travel or that are travelling on medical travel to the south, we've been having issues where people are having a hard time trying to find a medical escort that require medical escort. And I know a lot of them are saying due to high cost of living, I can't leave my work long. Like, they will be granted some leave but not for two or...

Thank you. I know it is complex, but there are some that can be brought back to the North. And I only if you if the department's talking to some of the families, I'm sure. Because there are some that are there without no families. We know that. And the power of attorney, and they don't know who is the power of attorney. And I know that from talking to some of the people here who have loved ones over there, they said they only find out after the fact that their loved ones was in the hospital like, you know, and because they don't have anybody. There's no family anymore or not like, not that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Consideration for elders and seniors in debt elimination. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Tuesday, June 4th, 2024, I will move the following motion:

Now therefore I move, seconded by the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, that the Government of the Northwest Territories revise the Financial Administration Manual and related policies on the elimination of debt to provide specific provisions for forgiveness of debt owed to the Government of the Northwest Territories or public agency for elders and seniors who are 60 years of age and older;

And further, that the Government of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to speak about good governance and leadership that I believe we, as MLAs, and we, as the government, should demonstrate. This is my thought on some of the things when I first came on, okay.

Mr. Speaker, when I first became an MLA, I thought the way that I was supposed to act was like a boxer getting into a ring for a big fight when I go into session. That's what I thought, okay. I thought I had to always try to get one over the Cabinet or a Minister. I thought that I had to be strong all the time with everything and with everyone I deal with in...

Thank you. Yeah, that's it.

Thank you. Thank you for that. And I'm sure our leaders are listening, so I guess, you know, I am glad that, you know, that you said -- well, that this government is working really hard to maintain a good working relationship with the Indigenous, which is good. So I know that something -- this kind of program, it's good for other regions as well. So hopefully we will keep it in mind for the next fiscal year, you know, because due to the resources we have.

So this program for -- the transition program that's going to Yellowknife and going to Inuvik, is that going to be operated -- the service...