Debates of February 10, 2006 (day 27)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. It gets back again to the issue of fairness and equity in the government’s providing funding to non-profit day cares. Just the other day, the Minister stated that by providing, in essence, free rent and free maintenance to some operators, they have a bit of a leg up he guesses. But, Mr. Speaker, that leg up might as well be Godzilla’s leg up for some of these other operators, which amounts to $100,000. That, Mr. Speaker, is definitely a bit of a leg up, if I could say so.

The first question I would like to pose to the Minister, and he didn’t answer this question the other day, is, what are the Department of Education, Culture and Employment’s plans to deal with the inequities that are in place here in Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 383-15(4): Non-Profit Day Cares In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I doubt that the benefit is $100,000. It is a very old building that we are talking about. The cost of utilities is probably a lot higher than what would be the case in a more modern facility. That facility is operated out of that building since far before my term as Minister. It is a situation that has developed over time where this one operator was in a facility. The government had a spare facility at the time and offered it to a non-profit organization to run a day care out of. In the intervening years, there have been a number of other operators that have come and started up. We can certainly have a look at the issue. Obviously, if we are talking about having to charge rents to everybody, we will have to take a look at phasing in a rental increase. We would also have to take a look at the other operations across the Northwest Territories. There are, Mr. Speaker, a substantial number of operations across the Territories using space in either government-owned schools or college facilities. We could certainly take a look at what the impacts might be of ensuring that the government is absolutely equitable to everybody. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 383-15(4): Non-Profit Day Cares In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I find it hard to believe that the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment could stand up in this House and say that we are going to start to charge rent to the other operators that are in charity leases so that the other ones will feel better. I take exception to that, Mr. Speaker. I think the government should be challenged with trying to come up with a way that is fair and equitable to all of the non-profit day cares. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister again. I don’t want him to paint me as the bad guy pointing fingers at other operators, but I want to ask him if the government could look at wage subsidies for the staff and/or maybe rent subsidies. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 383-15(4): Non-Profit Day Cares In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If we are going to provide subsidies to one, we have to provide to subsidies to all if we want to make sure that there is equity. I think that there are only two ways to accomplish the equity, but I would certainly be happy to take a look at what we could do. I would be happy to put more money into child day care. I think that it is an area that we need to invest in. It is an area that I am planning to bring forward some investment plans in. I think we have to be careful. We are not just talking about profit or non-profit things here. All of the centres in the Northwest Territories are non-profit. So there isn’t a competition between somebody who is making a profit and somebody who is not making a profit. All of our centre-based programs are non-profit. We have not just one in Yellowknife that is in a subsidized space; there are a number. So there are a whole bunch of people who will be impacted by this.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 383-15(4): Non-Profit Day Cares In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, free rent is a subsidy. I don’t care how you add it up. Free rent absolutely is a subsidy. I think the Minister does have a problem on his hands. I don’t know how they propose to address that problem. Again, I know the Minister said that he was going to have a look at this, but what type of solution can the Minister provide us with? There is a problem here. At the day care in my riding, Mr. Speaker, we are talking about 40 full-time spaces. We are talking about 20 part-time spaces. We can’t afford to lose any more day care spaces, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 383-15(4): Non-Profit Day Cares In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the Member is right; we do have a problem. I have had other Members telling me that we should look for space in government facilities and make them available for day cares to operate, because it is such an important service in the North. I am getting competing advice here. Yes, I will take a look at the situation. I will take into account the suggestions of the Members. But for me to say what the response will be, would be, right now, premature. So I can’t answer Mr. Ramsay’s direct question as to what the solution might be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 383-15(4): Non-Profit Day Cares In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I guess, as a final supplementary, I would just like to ask the Minister if he will commit to at least trying to put, without jeopardizing the agreements that are in place currently with non-profits, some kind of program that would put non-profit day cares on an equal footing. Will he commit to some type of a sit-down discussion that would allow that to happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 383-15(4): Non-Profit Day Cares In The NWT

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have already committed to Mr. Ramsay that I will examine the situation. To put everybody on the same footing means that everybody gets the same subsidy. I only have a certain number of dollars to work with, so that may impact on what we can provide everybody. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.