Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the subsidies that this government provides to its residents are probably the best in the Northwest Territories. We have over $118 million roughly in subsidies and there are still some inconsistencies in the delivery of these programs that causes me some concern, Mr. Speaker. A good example is there is a young man that I know who is a summer student who is working for the summer. His family is on income support. This young man is getting his wages clawed back by income support because his family is on income support. That’s not sending a very good message to this young man. He may be better off, he may think, staying with relatives and he’s paying for his family for being on income support. We have to send a better message to this young man.

Another example would be land claim agreements are included in the assessment of income for calculating how much you receive. I was under the impression that land claims agreements were constitutionally protected and shouldn’t be included in the calculation of income.

ECE, when they took over the assessments from the Housing Corporation, the policy says that summer students’ wages will not be included in the household family income. Yet, ECE includes his in his family’s income and they claw some of the money back from his family. That’s not fair, Mr. Speaker. It’s not fair, Mr. Speaker, especially to the young man who is trying to work through the summer and who is trying to get a good work ethic and make some money before going back to school. Yet, he is penalized because the support payments to his family are cut back because of the money he’s making, so he’s having to supplement his family’s income with the money he’s trying to make.

So I will have some questions, Mr. Speaker, for the Minister of ECE, because I think this is an unfair situation for the young man and we have to try to do what we can to send a good message out there and support him trying to work for the summer. Thank you.

---Applause

Member’s Statement On Income Support Policy Application

Robert Hawkins

Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to draw attention to the plight of a constituent who is falling through the cracks of our system. This woman is suffering from a debilitating illness and, in her doctor’s opinion, requires round-the-clock care. However, she is entitled to home care services for up to 10 hours a week. The only alternative beyond that is she has been offered to be hospitalized. In order for her to be able to stay at home, her partner had to quit work to provide the care she needs. As a result, the couple now relies on income support. This couple owns their own home, but they are not able to make the mortgage payments. A family member, Mr. Speaker, a father, stepped forward to help them with this. He stepped forward to help them make those payments. However, this assistance is clawed back from their income support, leaving them to struggle to maintain their home.

Mr. Speaker, is hospitalization really the best we can do for this woman for this family? Surely a hospital bed would cost our government far more than providing more home care service hours or, at the very least, allowing them to keep the financial support from their father in order to make those mortgage payments before they are clawed back. Whose interest, Mr. Speaker, is it possibly in? Are we helping these individuals to go forward? Haven’t they been burdened enough? Why should we be making a choice: be with your family but be in poverty or go to the hospital? Mr. Speaker, those are not fair choices this family should have to make.

The system we have in place requires a greater deal of flexibility, sort of a real life real experience policy, Mr. Speaker, that takes into consideration that we are making sure we are allowing people to look after their families, not to penalize them.

Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that this government can see its way to find a solution to ensure this woman, Mr. Speaker, this family, can work together in this situation. It is my hope that this department can look through the situation and allow the dignity of this family to stay home and get the care they need. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister of Health later today. Thank you.

---Applause