Mr. Chair, I am trying to get more detailed information from my staff here. There has been some fluctuation in, of course, income support throughout the Northwest Territories, and we’re trying to reflect on that where if there’s an increase in funding. We realize that some of the regions are lacking, let’s say, job opportunities, so there’s been an increase in caseload in those areas. But at the same time, there are other regions that their caseload has decreased, so it balances each other. Obviously, we like to see caseloads go down.
In due time, where the economic booming is happening in the Deh Cho, Sahtu, or Beaufort-Delta, I’m hoping to see the income security funding go down a bit. That should be the overall target for this government. Slowly it’s happening. Maybe if my director has some detailed information pertaining to that, if we can allow him.
Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Mr. Devitt.
Mr. Chair, we monitor the income assistance monthly expenditures carefully, as we do with all of our demand-based programs. As the Member will see, the budget remains above actuals from 2011-12, so we did our budget. We felt, at that time, that there was sufficient money in the budget to cover it, but we continue each year to monitor the expenditures in this area very closely. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Devitt. Ms. Bisaro
Thanks, Mr. Chair. It’s one thing to monitor the expenditures but I would hope that we’re also looking at providing cost of living increases in some of the amounts of dollars that we give out to our income support clients. Certainly, their expenses go up and everybody’s are always going up. Does this figure in the budget include an adjustment for cost of living increases? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. It does capture some of those comments that the Member is referring to, whether it be fuel costs going up and food costs going up. So we’ve been monitoring that. If there is an increase in those areas, then obviously there is an increase in our budget as well. We will continue to monitor it. If there needs to be changes to the budget, then we will be before standing committee to reflect those high costs of living.
In 2007, again, we have increased our funding based on communities’ needs and high cost of living and so forth. We continue to do that. Based on the outcome of this Auditor General’s report, we may have to make some changes again. We are just waiting for that report to come out. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Chair, I wanted to ask a question, as well, in this section under the Student Financial Assistance funding. I note that it goes up almost $2 million between the revised estimates and the main estimates for this year. I think the House approved an increase in funding for Student Financial Assistance because we’re getting more students asking for assistance, which is a good thing. It means more kids are going off to post-secondary. Does this increase in funding allow for students taking upgrades to get student financial assistance from the department? Thank you.
Mr. Chair, this was also addressed in this House. SFA is a basic supplementary grant to students that are entering post-secondary. It is directly for post-secondary. It’s not for upgrading, but there are access programs that individuals can access towards their… Whether it be a diploma or degree program, they would be eligible for funding partially. Those are just some of the areas. We do have other subsidies available as well.
Again, going back to our federal funding, Labour Market, areas where we funded students in the past, there is also funding available through Aboriginal governments, the scholarships and so forth. To answer Ms. Bisaro, the upgrading is not covered through Student Financial Assistance because it is strictly for post-secondary. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Ms. Bisaro, your time is up. If you have any questions, let me know. I can put you back on the list. Moving on with questions on 10-27 I have Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have just a really quick question in regard to Productive Choices. When was this program initiated? When was it implemented? How successful has the Productive Choices Program been since the department initiated and implemented it? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. The Productive Choices I believe has been in the running since just over 10 years. There have been some ups and downs with that, but it was built so that there can be positive choices in the communities working with the organizations so that individuals can be prepared to enter the workforce. Again, some experience, the life skills and employment experiences. In my view, it has been very successful. At the same time, we always look for improvements, enhancement to the programming. There are ways where individual Members have approached me to say why couldn’t we locate in those areas where maybe they can get some wood or fish for the elders and so forth. It’s organizations that we have to work with. We have a list of organizations. We always add to them as well. The Member did approach us earlier, as well, where there is limited capacity in the community when it comes to organizations. How can we effectively make it work in the communities? Those are areas that we are continuously monitoring and making changes. Mahsi, Mr. Chair.
Can the Minister just maybe confirm or give us input on whether or not Income Support has the Income Support dollars and if applications have gone up over the last 10 years?
Mr. Chair, I’m not sure we have that information here at this point, but we can certainly provide it. Actually, I do have some information that we will provide to the Members as well. Since 2007 it’s roughly 2,800 cases. In 2008 it increased a bit. In 2009 it increased. It has been gradually increasing over time. From 2007-2008 it was 2,800 roughly. In 2011-2012 it was just over 3,000. There has been some incremental increase. We will provide that to the Members.
Mr. Chair, maybe just a question here in terms of the Productive Choices Program itself. Has that program ever been reviewed and taken maybe a harder stance in terms of what type of choices would be guaranteed in terms of receiving your income support, such as job applications or resume upgrades on a timely basis? Say instead of somebody going and shovelling snow and getting their income every year, that they come and they show that their resume and cover letter has been upgraded every three months, or else either they have a letter of support from a business for a job or that they have applied on a few different jobs looking at trying to get back into the workforce.
Right now we do have some… As he mentioned earlier, there are some people that know how to play the system and it actually affects those people who are actually trying to continue on income assistance but they can’t get into any voluntary positions because all of the voluntary positions are being taken up by everybody that is already doing the productive choices and taking that voluntary sector, taking all of those voluntary positions away. Has the Productive Choices been reviewed? Would the Minister be willing to review it and come up with a more comprehensive plan to add some of those suggestions that I had made such as updating resumes, job applications, those kinds of things? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Chair, the Productive Choices, we obviously review it on an annual basis. We made a lot of changes in that area, adding to what kind of chores that those individuals should be doing, individual meaning without dependents, and with dependents and so forth. We will continue to make those changes. I am always on the look-out to regional representatives and also Aboriginal organizations and even from Members. What kind of improvements should we be making and in what areas? If there’s an area that the Member just referred to, resume writing or updating, definitely we’ll take those into consideration. I’d like to make changes where it benefits the communities, and part of the regulation is we have to provide some accountability and oversight.
Just a final comment, but when I was reviewing the Budget Dialogue 2012, Living Within Our Means, there was a lot of suggestions there in terms of personal responsibility, and I think Productive Choices could take that first step in helping our residents of the Northwest Territories learn, give them life skills, give them the information that can start helping them make those productive choices and start taking on some of that personal responsibility to become part of society and help in that way, rather than just having some residents depend on government. As it was stated in the budget dialogue, it was heard quite a few times, actually. Just more a comment and I look forward to possibly being of some assistance in reviewing these productive choices and giving some of my insight and some feedback. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. I know the Minister took notes down for that. Good point. Moving on with questions on 10-27 I have Mr. Blake.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a question under the seniors home heating subsidy. I’d like to ask the Minister if the department has been doing any plans to actually increase the amount elders could make. I’m getting a number of concerns from the communities I represent. As you know, the cost of living is almost double up in the Mackenzie Delta riding, and for five gallons of gas it’s between $40 and $50. We have elders that like to go out on the land and also to buy groceries. It’s double what we pay here in Yellowknife. I’d like to ask the department, are they planning to increase the amount elders make and still be eligible for the seniors home heating subsidy. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. For that we’ll go to Minister Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. This is an area that we’ve been tackling for quite some time now. When it comes to subsidizing the seniors fuel subsidy, that’s one area that I’d like to see some changes. The Members have raised that issue in the House already, that their kids or grandchildren are living with them and how we’re still penalizing the seniors. So I instructed my department to look at options and I believe we’re at the final stages of looking at those options, and I want to move forward to present to standing committee and that will make some changes to how we subsidize the seniors fuel subsidy, which will benefit the seniors, obviously. That’s my goal. It will be before standing committee soon enough.
With the high cost of living that’s an area that, again, we’ve been exploring. With the fuel, it’s based on the litres or a cord of wood and so forth. So what the Member is referring to, of course, is the small communities and the high cost of living. So it does reflect on that, as well, but any increases we monitor and make changes along the way like we did in 2007, and if there are changes coming, then it will be reflected on our budget. I will be before standing committee. Mahsi.
Thank you. I’d just like to ask the Minister, will we see those changes this year. Thank you.
I, like the Member, so direct. I knew that was coming. Currently, we are going through the ‘13-14 budget. As I stated, the options are coming. They should be on my way to my office soon enough. Unfortunately, one of our senior staff is on personal leave right now and I’ve instructed him to do a bit more in-depth work in this area.
Within a few weeks I’d like to see those options and I want to make those changes as part of the next business planning cycle. So because it’s not before me yet, I can’t really make a commitment within this budget, but I’d like to make those changes in the next few months. Mahsi.
Thank you, Minister Lafferty. Committee, 10-27. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just one quick question. I understand the Auditor General report may be out soon, in the next week or so. What will be the lag time for when we see it or do we all see it at the same time? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. It gets tabled, I believe, this coming Thursday in this House. So Members will have the opportunity.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Again, committee, 10-27, Education, Culture and Employment, activity summary, income security, operations expenditure summary, $41.591 million. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Page 10-28, Education, Culture and Employment, activity summary, income security, grants and contributions, grants, $11.136 million.
Agreed.
Page 10-29, Education, Culture and Employment, information item, income security, active positions.
Agreed.
Page 10-30, Education, Culture and Employment, information item, Student Loan Revolving Fund. Any questions?
Agreed.
Okay, 10-33, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. If I could get an update here, I note that Yellowknife District Education Authority No. 1 includes funding for K’alemi Dene School in Ndilo and I know the Minister is well aware that they’re looking for their own educational authority. Actually, they have their own, but it’s sort of been on hold and they agreed for some period of time to be under the umbrella of the Yellowknife District No. 1 and now they’re striving to be on their own. Will that be happening this fiscal year? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. This is an area we’ve been exploring for quite some time now with the Ndilo K’alemi Dene School, the DEA and so forth. So the Member is asking if it’s going to be part of this year’s budget. My staff is telling me yes.
That was my basic question. I appreciate that straightforward answer, that’s good to hear. Will it be as straightforward for carving out the budget from YK1 for this DEA or are we anticipating that to be a challenge and what are the issues? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. For that we’ll go to Mr. Devitt.
Mr. Chair, the budget for Ndilo is already separated. They’re contracting with school district 1. So I don’t believe that will be an issue. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Devitt. Moving on with questions on 10-33 we have Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wanted to ask a question with regard to the numbers on this page. We see funded positions from ‘12-13 and ‘13-14 go down 23 positions. My first question would be do we have a corresponding reduction in student enrolments. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. For that we’ll go to Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chairman. I’m trying to find that information here. The information we have, of course, is based on projection and the enrolment, if it goes down, reflects on the actual budget. Unless my director has more detailed information that he can follow up on.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Devitt.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the Minister mentioned, this particular information item, because of when it was done, is based on projections. I believe the projects were for about a little more than a 2 percent decrease in enrolments. Enrolments have actually gone down about, I think very close, but about 1.7 percent and we’re just completing the actual contribution calculations for next year now. The amounts here are fairly close but enrolments have actually gone down 1.7 percent as opposed to just over 2 percent as projected.
Thank you, Mr. Devitt. Ms. Bisaro.
