Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour, show of hands. Thank you. All those opposed? The motion is carried. Consideration of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, operations expenditure, 20242025 Main Estimates, education, is deferred.
Carried
We will now move on to the next key activity. Thank you, moving on to income security beginning on page 49 with information items on page 51 and 52. Are there any questions?
No further questions. We're moving on to security beginning on page 49 with information items on page 51 and 52. Are there any questions? Okay, thank you, I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So as my colleague from Monfwi has spoken to, very passionately in this House on many a time, there is a concern, I think, around the lack of funding for the senior home heating subsidy. So especially for elders who are on limited incomes. And I can see that in the main estimates from 20232024 and the revised estimates, there is a difference of approximately 500 and change thousand dollars, and now the main estimates for 20242025 have gone back down. Does the Minister wish to speak to whether she thinks that's adequate? Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, for the last two years well, probably longer than that, the department has watched this closely to make sure that they are doing anything that they can within their wheelhouse to ensure that seniors are receiving up to 80 percent of their fuel covered, seniors who qualify and who need that support. It is definitely a well-used subsidy within the Northwest Territories and one that a lot of seniors and elders are reliant on. So for the last two years, because of the increasing cost of fuel, the department has been able to issue onetime topups to seniors for this fund. And so continuing to watch fuel costs and uptake of the program is something that the department will continue to do and then reevaluate as and when needed. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And similarly to the income assistance line and the program detail, it has been historically lower, not that long ago, by gosh, I'm going to say math on the fly is not my forte, Mr. Speaker. But the difference between the main estimates of this fiscal is 43 almost $44 million, and in 20222023, the actuals were close to $36 million. So I guess obviously that's just a tiny snapshot, but if the Minister could speak to where she sees income assistance trending over time as well, that would be helpful. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minbister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, one of the things that is important to know in these two main estimates for 20232024, as well as 20242025, is they both have the funding for the new income assistance program included in them, but because we weren't able to launch that program, the actuals were far less because we weren't able to get those dollars out the door with the new program. I think it's also worth knowing as well that we still have not returned to our prepandemic levels for income assistance uptake as well. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So just to clarify, then, can the Minister explain if she expects to need more than what is currently funded? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. The department has asked for, in this budget, what they feel they will need. And also I hope that with the increased ability for residents to keep some of their earned income and work with client navigators as well as career development officers that hopefully we will be able to support residents to create pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, as well as education by combining our business plans with the dollars that we do have available. Thank you.
Thank you, I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Yeah, so thank you for that. I wonder if the Minister of ECE could have a conversation with the Minister of ITI around employment opportunities in our smaller communities and what we're going to be really pushing on in these three and a half years we have left to make sure there are good options for people across our territory. I'll leave it at that, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. I'll take that as a comment. Thank you, I'm going to go to the Member from Monfwi.
I see here senior home, in this activities okay, no, it's not that. It's income support assistance program. Okay, there's minuses, is $187,000. But I see increase of that $187,000 in senior citizens supplementary benefit. Is that a transfer from that program to senior citizens supplementary benefit?
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it's not a trade from one to the other. What is happening under the senior citizens supplementary benefit is we have more seniors in the territory, so we needed to increase that budget in order to account for the expected growth of that program that matches our population growth in that age bracket. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Monfwi.
Well, senior citizens supplementary benefits, it's not huge, but can the Minister explain more what that program does.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, it is a supplement for people. Once you reach a certain age, you get a small amount of money that is provided to you. And for further detail than that, I'd like to pass to Mr. Saturnino. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the ADM.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. As the Minister mentioned, this is an additional benefit provided to seniors. It is based on eligibility for the guaranteed income supplement. And so it is actually a benefit that is legislated, and it is administered by the federal government. So these benefits are paid out on the same cheque as old age security and guaranteed income supplement. So it basically works out to an extra $196 per month. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you for that information. Okay, senior home heating subsidy, okay, 20242025 was $2.7 million, and it went down for this current fiscal year to $2.1 million. And I okay, I just want to make sure I'm on the okay, on the right line here.
I know this is a very important program, especially for our elders living in small communities because I think you go by tier one, tier two, tier three. Okay, there are some some of my well, a couple of my communities are on tier three, and they have said that the amount that's allocated, it's not enough to make ends meet. It's not enough for them to heat their house. So if my constituents are saying that, that lives in the tundra, so what about the other communities that are living further with the high price of fuel? You know, like, I mean so it must be this must have a great impact on them as well, especially the elders who, you know, needs these subsidies. Why did the department I just want to ask the department why a decrease in that with that program when it's greatly needed to accommodate our senior citizens who there's quite a few of them, and we keep talking about elders aging in home or seniors aging in home with dignity, and this is not enough, you know, to help our seniors. And there are lots I know that that do not want to go to regional centres because a lot of them are still independent, they can do things, but they don't want to go to a senior home because they're still capable, they can still they're mobile. Because for us for a lot of them, that's a last stop and that's they don't want to go there, not now, not yet. So why there is a big decrease in budget for that? Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'm very happy that Members have been so vocal in the House about the use of this program and how successful, or how reliant I should say, seniors and elders are. I think it's really important that everybody have the opportunity to hear what is working for residents and what is not. And so I'm very thankful to Members that they've shared that this is definitely something that is needed.
The reason that you see the difference of just over $500,000 between the revised estimates for 20232024 and the main estimates for 20242025 is that due to the increase cost of fuel, and in recognition of that, the department was able to go and do its best to find that additional funding and work it into that budget in order to ensure that they were doing what they can to make sure that roughly around 80 percent of the fuel costs of seniors and elders in the territory were covered. The reason that the actuals for 20222023 are also higher than the annual budget of $2.192 million is because that same type of work was done in the previous year. So education has really worked hard to make sure that additional dollars are found because they acknowledge how important that program is for seniors in the territory. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Monfwi.
Thank you. This heating fuel subsidy, you know, if you go to small communities, especially in December and January, the coldest month of the year, a lot of these elders, they have wood stove, so they are eligible for either wood or heating fuel. And a lot of them are going for the fuel because it is expensive to maintain or, you know, it they are expensive to get especially in the small communities. There's also for woods, too, as well, but a lot of them they said they would rather go get the fuel. But, and I know some of them were asking why not why have you know, like, they like the options but they would like it if they could be accommodated especially in small communities with elders that would like to use the wood, but they don't have anybody there to help and provide. So why not have two you know, like, the senior home heating subsidy, there be one for wood as well so they'll be eligible for both in small communities. Not just only that but here in Yellowknife as well and I'm sure there are some elders, some senior citizens, who use wood for heating purpose. So it would be nice if there could be for burning for wood to heat your house instead of, you know, because it's not enough. It's not enough in most of the program because sometimes in the small communities it's hard to get wood, you know, like for others to do it. And it's based on contract too. So it's not reliable. So a lot of them, you know, they go for the heating fuel but it's not enough. It doesn't fill the fuel tank. So that's what they were saying, why not have wood too, you know, to be eligible for wood as well instead of just, you know, having an option of choosing one over the other. Thank you.
Okay, so I'll take that as just a comment. Okay, thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Sorry, I just wanted to make sure that residents know that they can either choose one or the other or both and that they can work with their client navigator on that one. Thank you.
Thank you for that clarification, Minister. Any more questions on page 51 to page 52 information item? If not, I want to continue on. I want to continue on to no further questions. Please turn to page 50.
Education, Culture and Employment, income security, operations expenditure summary, 20242025 Main Estimates, $66,360,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Moving on to the labour development and standards on page 53 with information items on page 55 to 57. Are there any questions? I'm going to go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. So excuse me for one quick second here as I find the pages on the business plan I'd like to refer to quickly.
In the business plan on page 15, the department speaks to supporting pathways to employment for NWT youth through SNAP and specifically talks about measures of number of high school students participating in SNAP program as students.
I don't have any particular issue with that but what I would like the Minister to speak to is if her department has thought about other pathways to career education within the JK to 8 segment. I heard a lot from folks on the campaign trail that that's what they would like to see, specifically the construction industry, so I wonder what the Minister is contemplating on that front. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, in addition to, you know, students who want to go through like the SNAP program, there is also the career education advisors. But can I just confirm the Member was talking about what's being done for JK to grade 8? Thank you. Oh, yes, I'm getting a thumbs up. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Chair, the new curriculum that is being implemented in the Northwest Territories would have more practical courses that could relate to employment readiness. And the other thing that I think is really valuable within the new curriculum is that it's a lot more projectbased. And so there's a lot more onus on the student and excitement on the part of the student to be able to do a lot more hand's on learning and a lot more creative learning, whether or not they're learning math, science, social studies, or the rest of it. And so I think that the new curriculum really speaks well to empower our youth to roll their sleeves up. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And thank you to the Minister for that. I would really encourage her staff to reach out to various trade associations and see how the connections could be made through the new curriculum.
Moving on to the NTNP, I notice that you have some actions and measures under the business plan on page 17, namely, approving accessibility to the program streams, continuing to promote immigration to the NWT through the program, and on the following page on page 19, pardon me increasing the number of health and social services positions supported by the NTNP. And I know the Minister knows where I'm going with this because I'm constantly talking to her about it. I seem to be the MLA for foreign nationals who have health backgrounds.
So could the Minister tell me more about how she plans to promote or explain the program and access points that best serve folks who are already in the NWT? I know she knows I'm coming to her pretty much weekly with this, so I would love to hear if there's anything else that I don't know already, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the Member's excitement and ensuring that we're continuing to work on this. I think that it'll be a exciting term for creating systems for people wanting to come to Canada and make the Northwest Territories home.
We have a staff member within Education, Culture and Employment at this time. Moving forward, we will be transitioning a second staff member from ITI over to Education, Culture and Employment. And so being able to really double that team, I think, will do a lot of good for ECE in being able to support people within this space. And from our allotment from the federal government for people within the nominee program is currently set to 300 people. We have not yet within the territory met that number, but we have big plans within Education, Culture and Employment to ensure that we are doing our part to continue to support Northerners to build a skilled workforce, and that means we need more people. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll go to the Member from Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And, really, just one more question. Can the Minister speak to the engagement and promotion and discussions in a general way. I don't want her, you know, speaking to anything confidential, really. It's just, as she noted, I am super keen to see where ECE can go with this, and I'm interested to see where ECE can go with our federal partners on this and looking at those new pathways. So is there anything she can speak to on timelines or big dreams she might have, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm going to go to the Minister.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, at this point, you know, these are early days, but do I have dreams? I most definitely do. And I've had the opportunity to travel to our immigration FTP meetings in Montreal just recently with deputy minister Fulford, and in those meetings had the opportunity to speak to things like settlement services and credentialing here in the territory, which are things that we hear quite a bit about, and especially credentialing just recently in the House here. So in addition to working with federal counterparts, working with or provincial counterparts outside of the NWT, I've had the opportunity to create some relationships with some of my own counterparts in other parts of the country and how we might be able to support the needs of the territory within their provinces, but I've also had the opportunity to connect with some of my Cabinet colleagues as well on some of the needs because this will definitely pull in a lot of different departments to be able to ensure that we're creating systems that support people to come and make the NWT home as part of the nominee program. Thank you.
Thank you. Is there any further questions from the Member for Great Slave? Don't see none. Is there any further Members that want to question information item on page 55 to 57?
I'm going to go to the Member from Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In Inuvik at the Aurora College facility, they have these trailers, trades trailers I think they're called. They've been sitting there for a number of years without moving to any of the communities, outlying communities. I know in my community of Fort McPherson, they've been expressing interest in seeing if they can bring these trailers to the communities and get some of our local people trained in some trade or another. Is it covered in here on page 55 or 56 somewhere? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
