Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Part of the productive choices within the income security division is to provide options for those individuals that are accessing income support. A part of that is by way of productive choices. We are trying to help them and assist them in opening doors for them to better their lives in the future, whether it be workforce development or training. Some of the productive choices, of course, are casual employment, education, there’s also career training, planning, attending wellness programs, parenting a young child, caring for a disabled adult dependent and volunteering. So those are just some of the areas that we want them to engage in, the community, the organizations, so at least they can get their foot in the door with opportunities that may be available to them. Mahsi.
Thank you. I don’t believe I got an answer to the question that I asked. In communities we have limited office spaces. So you’re very fortunate if you go on the productive choices and you work in an office, but most of the time you have to take your productive choices outside. That means you have to do some outdoor work. Most of the time people that have to have productive choices, there are volunteer hours that they have to amass. Some of them, unfortunately, have to go on people’s roofs shovelling snow sometimes and at this time of the year it’s usually picking garbage. So what type of oversight or evaluation is taking place to ensure a productive choices placement is favourable for both clients and the organizations hosting them? Mahsi.
The productive choices, again, we work with the organizations, the corporations and the community to satisfy their needs as well. Those individuals are employable, ready to work and should be out there doing productive choices whether it be on a volunteering basis. I realize that from the small community perspective there may not be huge opportunities to do those productive choices, but we’re working with wellness programming and other programs in the community. So from time to time we do evaluate our productive choices and we’ve made some changes. In 2014 we made some changes. We added wellness programming. So as we move forward, this is a part of the Auditor General’s recommendations that we need to enhance our productive choices and that’s what we’re doing. Mahsi.
I think the point of my question is that, as an example, if someone has to do productive choices, say for their band council or maybe for the hamlet council or maybe for the Metis council, and they’re forced to go on somebody’s roof and they’re shovelling snow and they fall off the roof, who’s liable? That’s the point of my question. I don’t think I got a very confident answer that tells me a…(inaudible)…local organizations that have to take on these responsibilities that they’re covered, and I’m not getting an answer from the Minister.
On the same topic, why are client service officers allowed so much discretion and so much power in administering productive choices placements? How does the government prevent unfair or inconsistent treatment from one client to the next?
Client service officers are there to implement the regulations and the legislation that we pass through this House, and we provide the guidance to them, the direction that they have to follow, the legislation and the rules and regulations that are in place that we have established for them. We are trying to be fair to each and every client service clientele out in the communities, the 33 communities that we service. We have client service officers in most of the communities, and the regional centres assist with those that may not have it. We’re doing what we can in the income security division to assist those individuals. This is intended to be short term. It’s not a long-term subsidy program. We’re trying to get them to productive choices or enter the workforce or training program or such opportunities that may exist.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It seems like the Minister and the department are taking a top-heavy approach, and if you have a top-heavy approach in terms of a system, the small person that’s involved with income support, you know, sometimes they experience a system that, again, does not make their work with income support very good. But I’m encouraged. The Minister has indicated they have evaluated the program before and they have made some changes. I would like to get a commitment from the Minister, if he agrees, that changes to the productive choices are needed.
I don’t see this as a top-heavy approach. I don’t believe in that. I believe in working together. I met with the client service officers, most of them, just a couple months ago, to share their perspectives, coming from a small community perspective, working with the chiefs and working with the council members, community members. As I stated, in 2014 we made changes. The wellness is part of it now and we will continue to make those changes. All those recommendations, ideas and suggestions that are coming to my office, certainly consider those part of the changes.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a lot of places to start with today, and by golly, I think I’m going to give the Education Minister the pleasure of my questions today.
May I remind the Education Minister that in Yellowknife the education boards are administrative boards and not advisory boards. Now, in the capital, the YK school boards raise approximately 20 percent of their funding from their tax base.
Perhaps the Minister can explain the funding formula in this situation where YK schools raise part of their own money to educate our students and the difference between the other schools that don’t need to do this, because we need to know what’s changing as he’s out there poaching money from our schools to fund other programs that he dreams up.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Education, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure where the Member is getting that poaching word from, but we’re dealing with the public purse and we’re dealing with the public funding that we contribute to all school boards across the Northwest Territories, 33 communities, seven regions. We will continue to do so and which will benefit our students.
Let me thank Robin Hood over there for that answer. I want to know from the Minister, is he in a position to fund all Yellowknife school boards at 100 percent, because it’s unfair that in Yellowknife the citizens are double taxed. For the education of anybody following this issue, you pay through your property tax and then that money can go to the school boards where it doesn’t apply elsewhere in the Northwest Territories. The citizens of Yellowknife are being double taxed on this issue. Is he prepared to fund them properly, 100 percent?
Again, we’re contributing to all the school boards across the Northwest Territories based on enrolment across the North.
But the fact is, that’s not a straight line funding formula. He has one for the communities, and then he has one for the regional centres, and he’s got ones for Yellowknife. By the way, you have a large funding formula for the communities – which I support because it’s important – and I certainly say the fact is the problem is he’s taking from the large centre of Yellowknife to fund them. He should be asking for money.
By the way, on that note, has the Justice Minister ever had the courage to come to committee or the Assembly, for that matter, and ask for the proper money and funding to fund JK from the very start, rather than going and poaching the money from other school boards?
Mr. Hawkins, that is a different line of questioning to a different Minister. Were you asking the Minister of Justice or the Minister of Education? Minister of Education. Mr. Hawkins, rephrase your question to the Minister of Education, please.
See, Mr. Speaker, you’re so correct, because this is such a frustrating issue. I happen to look at all of them, and they all look the same because they all give the same answers: nothing.
The Education Minister is the one I’m, frankly, pointing at right now. Thank you for pointing that out. Frankly, has the Education Minister ever had the courage to come to the committee or the Assembly to ask for money to properly fund this program from the start, because I don’t know how he’s going to do more with less money.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I’m going to remind all the Members about respect for each other in regard to answering and your tone of questions and that. I know it’s heated and I know it’s sensitive, but respecting one another in this House to make a common good for the people of the territory. Mr. Lafferty, Education Minister.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The answer would be no. We’re using internal resources.
Okay. Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t know how you get more with less money, and he’s spreading this around. But all of this problem really began, this epic journey, all the narrative of when the Department of Education gag ordered the superintendents in the fall, so none of us really knew what was happening, so maybe let’s start getting to the bottom of this issue by working backwards.
We’ve talked about how we got here through the process of funding, how we’re getting there and the problems. What about the problem about gagging the superintendents from the start on this particular issue? Why would the Department of Education tell the Yellowknife superintendents they couldn’t tell their boards, which in essence, as I said at the very start, they’re administrative boards, not advisory boards, so those superintendents were put in a horrible position. Why would the Education Minister do that to our superintendents? They’re accountable to the people. What is the Minister being accountable to in this regard?
This Minister is accountable to the general public of the Northwest Territories. We did work with the superintendents where they gave us an idea of instead of just 10 to 12, cover all aspects K to 12. We listened to them. We made those changes that reflects on that. Also, 16 to 1, if they’re beyond that there’s new money with PTR that we are going to influx into the school boards.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The time for oral questions has expired. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Item 11, replies to opening address. Item 12, petitions. Item 13, reports of committees on the review of bills. Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to report to the Assembly that the Standing Committee on Government Operations has concluded its review of Bill 8, Write-off of Debts Act, 2013-2014, and Bill 9, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2013-2014, and wishes to report that Bills 8 and 9 are ready for consideration in Committee of the Whole.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015.”
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Abernethy.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled “Report of the Director of Child and Family Services for the Years 2002-2012.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table a group of e-mails and letters from constituents concerning funding for Yellowknife school boards.
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. There is one item before Committee of the Whole on our agenda today. What is the wish of committee? Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We wish to deal with that tabled document. I don’t know the number, but Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. It’s Tabled Document 87-17(5), Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015. Is committee agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will commence with that after a brief break.
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I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. We’re dealing with the Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015. I would like to ask Minister Abernethy if he would like to bring opening remarks on behalf of Minister Miltenberger. Minister Abernethy.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am here to present Supplementary Estimates (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015. This document provides for an increase of $58.515 million to the capital budget.
The most significant item in this supplementary estimates is $58 million in capital carry-overs for the completion of infrastructure projects. This represents a carry-over of 21.3 percent of the previous year’s capital plan, our lowest in the past 10 years. These costs are offset by an equivalent lapse of infrastructure funding in the 2013-2014 fiscal year.
I am prepared to review the details of the supplementary estimates document. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Before we go to general comments from Members, I would like to ask Mr. Abernethy if he would like to bring witnesses into the Chamber.
I would.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses to the table.
Minister Abernethy, for the record, could you please introduce your witnesses.
