Jane Weyallon Armstrong

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, has the Government of the Northwest Territories saved income support dollars due to the federal COVID emergency and recovery benefits? Can the Minister explain how ECE assists income assistance eligibility for those receiving CERB or receive CERB or CRB payments? Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. According to the income support, what does the income support program means, it's right here. It says the program provides financial assistance to the Northwest Territories residents to help meet basic needs and enhanced needs. The program encourages and support greater selfreliance to improve the quality of life. Okay, that's yeah, that's what it says on there.

With that in mind, I want to ask the Minister, I know that with the income support, when the person earns some money from parttime employment or any money earned are usually clawed back. And it seems...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I cannot predict when and where the next pandemic will occur, but I believe we should have learned some lessons from the past pandemic to protect the vulnerable people. First, let me begin with the financial support.

We all heard stories, all of us heard stories, about people having to pay back emergency and recovery payments received from the federal government during the pandemic. We also heard stories about people who received federal COVID support dollars and became ineligible to receive territorial or provincial income assistance. Mr. Speaker, it does...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I know well, it is frustrating, you know, because if we get a seat if Tlicho get a seat, then Yellowknife automatically get a seat. I mean, that's well, it doesn't sit well with us because for a long time we've been asking for an additional seat, you know, in Tlicho region, since 2011 that I can think that you know, that I can think of, that we've been asking for an additional seat in Tlicho region because being Behchoko being the largest Dene community, second by Tuktoyaktuk, Indigenous community. So it's like, oh okay, it's just that it's not right what's...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is for Minister of education. Can the Minister provide data on how many small community graduates directly enter university as compared to larger regional centres? Thank you.

Okay. Well, that's good, thank you. Okay, well, I think he explained a little bit here. My next question is that so he said some, you know, how, but I just wanted to ask how is the department helping people get off the income support program? How is the income support working with the people on income support so that they make so that they are that, you know, we help them be selfreliant, because I'm sure some of those people do not want to be on income support and they would like to help themselves be productive in their communities, do something good for themselves, so I just want to know...

Mr. Speaker, thank you. Can the Minister explain the purpose of the income support program? Thank you.

In favour.

For.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I do agree, and I do support this motion. At this time, I know that we a lot of our community members are migrating. This motion will put more emphasis, pressure on the Housing to build more houses in small communities, create more employment, and reduce high cost of living, especially in small communities.

At this time, there are a lot of people in the North that are it's because of the high cost of living, it is difficult for them to make ends meet therefore I do support this motion. Thank you.