R.J. Simpson

Thank you. And I used to express the same frustration about $165 million one line in ECE's budget so I understand where the Member's coming from. I'll work with the department and with Finance but there could be rules related to how this is organized that are, you know, beyond my ability to influence. But we can provide committee with a breakdown, a more detailed breakdown. Thank you.

Thank you. So I don't want to open up a can of worms about where money comes from for regulators, but wherever it comes from it's the coffers of the GNWT is where it comes from. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Generally what happens is every two years the minimum wage committee is struck, and it does a review of the environment in the territory and produces some recommendations for the Minister in regards to the minimum wage. The department mentioned to me that they were embarking on that process again and I said, just wait. I'm not sure if that's the route I want to go.

The committee does a lot of great work, and I appreciate the work the members put in but, you know, given the criticism by the Members about that process, I might be taking a different approach. Thank you.

Thank you. The northern bonus is funds that are provided to students who return back to the Northwest Territories who have repayable loans, and I believe it depends on where you live, you are eligible for different amounts each year. I believe that comes into effect I know that if you live in Hay River, you can get $2,000 a year up to a maximum of $10,000. Thank you. And that goes towards repayment of your loan. Thank you.

Thank you. There's one position being added. It is a data coordinator, and it has to do with perhaps I can just ask the deputy minister to explain it because it's a technical position. Thank you.

Thank you. So after the 12 semesters of SFA, we have loans available and I know that there's also a number of scholarships available, and we compile a list of that. There's a significant amount of third party funding that people can access, especially once you get into things like medicine. And I know from experience that if you are pursuing a professional degree, the banks will also throw money at you in the form of lines of credit. And so you do have to pay that back but, you know, physicians, I mean, in the territory, make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. And so if you actually, you...

Thank you. So we have one associated position, and that position helps coordinate with other departments. But the ISD program or ISD, integrated service delivery, is more than just a position or a program; it's an approach that not just justice is implementing but we are trying to implement across the GNWT. For more information, I can hand it over to the deputy minister. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. From what I understand, the executive director was the one who was consulted. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We've just initiated that review. Thank you.

Thank you. So most exceptions are really tied to medical issues, so if a student has a medical issue. And they would call their SFA, the SFA officer or their SFA contact person, that would be the first point of contact. And if the Member would like, we can provide information on, you know, what that process might look like. Thank you.