Kieron Testart

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Is the legislation division working at full capacity currently? There have been comments made previously in this review and in the House on the slow pace of legislation, so I am wondering if we are using this division to the fullest of its ability, as the Minister says it is sufficient at current numbers. Are all of our drafters currently being utilized to the fullness of their capacity? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So where would I find that federal contribution in these mains? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, just to be clear, this variance is: we are losing legislative capacity that the department now considers unnecessary to complete our current legislative agenda. Is that correct? Thank you.

Thank you. I'm sure that LGANT would have a better capacity. So will the Minister commit to sitting down with LGANT and evaluating whether or not that they are in a position to take on these activities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am wondering, under the line legislation division, there is a decrease from the revised estimates to this year's. Could the Minister explain what accounts for that variance? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate all the work that the School of Community Government does, however, the capacity issues since the New Deal have been noted by various reports and constructive criticism over the years, and we have another body in LGANT which is also working on the same thing, developing capacity. I note that in other jurisdictions they have developed similar organizations to LGANT, but have taken over this activity's functions and have been able to deliver that programming for a reduced cost comparatively and to greater success.

Is the department willing to consider finding...

Mr. Speaker, it would be nice if the Minister did have that information because I know from personal experience that the current rent supplement program doesn't capture middle class earners and it does not do a lot to support that bracket, and that's a very important bracket. When we want to attract new labour, when we want to encourage young people to stay in the North, we've got to do more than just offer SFA, student financial assistance, and municipal loans; we need to offer real opportunities in the North, and that starts with a place to live.

So again, will the Minister commit to...

How much of the $726,000 under the line item court reporters is used for contracts and how much is used for our own staff? Thank you.

Thank you to the Minister. I appreciate that she is well aware of this problem. It seems like this new program will not build houses. How is it going to save money or subsidize the cost of living for renters? It does not sound like we have much of a program, just an idea of one, but we do have that sixmonth commitment, so I am trying to tease out a few pieces of this so we can understand where we are going to be in six months.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I notice that contract services has decreased from a high of $1 million in 201516 down to $365,000. Could the Minister explain that variance? Thank you.