Thank you, Ms. Saturnino. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That still doesn’t change the principle of the question, which is if somebody takes a loan through the loan program, goes and gets an education and they say to themselves if I’m only going to pay 2 percent interest to come back to the Northwest Territories regardless if its 2 percent, zero percent, 1 percent, I don’t really care, to be frank, low, low, and that’s the point. They say, well, I can get a job elsewhere. Well, it’s almost like it’s free money. So they choose to go elsewhere. That’s the issue.
The whole idea of the loan program is get people to come back and invest here in the Northwest Territories. So we invest in them and they come back and invest in us by working here. I’m asking about what type of evaluation and how do we crunch the numbers to encourage that if people choose not to come back to the Northwest Territories, which is their choice under mobility reasons, they’re certainly welcome to do that, we cannot make them do that. So should we re-evaluate our loan system to say if you want to go stay somewhere, whether you took your school in Toronto or who knows, Houston, Texas, wherever, and you want to stay there, that’s fine, but now you kick into the secondary loan interest rate program.
The whole idea is we send people out to get technical skills, training, well-educated people and bring that strength here back to the Northwest Territories. If we almost give it away, we’re really giving it away and what benefit has it been to the people of the Northwest Territories?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Chair. Obviously, this whole remissible loan within the SFA area, we want to attract those individuals to come back to the North. As Mr. Hawkins alluded to reviewing, we are doing that as we speak. We want to evaluate our current system in place to make it more attractive, to make more incentives for those individuals who are going south. We want them to come back. If not, what other options can we provide to them? Mr. Chair, those are the areas we are currently reviewing. Mahsi.
Mr. Chairman, I asked this question well over three months ago and I’m still waiting for an answer. I’ve asked it in committee. The Minister said that they would get back to me. If it’s my error that I’ve received your response, which I’m pretty sure I haven’t, please resend.
The fact is my understanding is that no one has responded to me after three months on this issue. I, frankly, want us to find ways to ensure that we attract well-educated people back to the Northwest Territories. I think it’s of great value that we have people from the Northwest Territories who have spent most of their life or all their life here, going out, getting education and coming back to the Northwest Territories and continuing on to the next chapter of their life. I like us to find every reason to do that and I think maybe looking at a tiered loan system can do this.
We need to put pressure on people to say this really is your best choice, not your only choice, but your best choice. Can I get that information and perhaps maybe he could give me an idea when? This question is at least three months outstanding.
I just did commit to that. Sometimes when it comes to a review, it does take time, but we will provide that information to the Members. Mahsi.
I don’t know what else to say. I’ve already said it. I’ve already waited three months. The Minister says he’s going to come back to me, so I guess that’s it. Thank you.
Any further questions, Mr. Hawkins? Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. General comments. Committee, are you prepared to go clause by clause?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. I’d like to turn your attention to Bill 24, clause 1.
---Clauses 1 and 2 inclusive approved
To the bill as a whole.
Agreed.
Does committee agree that Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Act, is ready for third reading?
---Bill 24 approved for third reading
Bill 24 is now ready for third reading. I would like to thank Minister Lafferty for coming here today. I would like to thank Mr. Chutskoff and Ms. Saturnino for joining us today. If I could get the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses out of the Chamber. Thank you.
Ms. Bisaro, what’s the wish of committee?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move we report progress.
---Carried
Mr. Dolynny, can I have the report of Committee of the Whole, please.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your committee has been considering Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, and I would like to report that Bill 24 is ready for third reading. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Do I have a seconder to the motion? Ms. Bisaro.
---Carried
Orders of the day for Monday, June 2, 2014, at 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Opening Address
Petitions
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
Motion 19, Financial Compensation for Medical and Non-Medical Travel Escorts
First Reading of Bills
Bill 28, Supplementary Appropriation Act (Infrastructure Expenditures), No. 3, 2014-2015
Second Reading of Bills
Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act
Bill 27, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2014
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Committee Report 6-17(5), Report on the Review of the 2014 Report of the Auditor General of Canada on Northwest Territories Child and Family Services
Bill 8, Write-off of Debts Act, 2013-2014
Bill 9, Forgiveness of Debts Act, 2013-2014
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Madam Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Monday, June 2nd, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 1:53 p.m.
