Denny Rodgers

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know oftentimes, you know, some of our issues are communicating what we're doing in our regions. And I'm not sure if working with other departments such as ITI or ECE, can the Minister kind of let me know how the Government of the Northwest Territories is ensuring that our communities that are eligible for the harvester support grant and the country foods subsidies are being made aware of this support? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member's statement I spoke about the inspiring work initiated by the Indigenous governments in my region in providing food baskets and country foods to residents or beneficiaries up there. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs and our Premier. I know he's well versed in all things food security, and I'd like to ask him how is the Government of the Northwest Territories working with Indigenous government in the Inuvik region to address food security? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, Mr. Chair, my colleague from Range Lake is not wrong. Certainly I am a huge proponent of positions, particularly senior positions being not centralized in Yellowknife, but being in the regions, such as the regional director position, which I would love to see as an ADM position. I would love to see many ADM positions or any new ADM positions moved to the regions and/or new positions go to the regions. Having said that, I don't want to delete money from this budget. I know the department has done their diligence on why they want it. I do question and I would fight...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And, again, I apologize. I wasn't supposed to take this long. But, yeah, listen, our country is ran on the fact that if you make more, you pay more, and that's how our country's run, and I don't have an issue with that at all. Look at our tax brackets, and you can see that, Mr. Chair. But, again, I my only comment and I don't expect an answer is that I don't know why we have to be across the board with these things. We can look at individual programs and income testing differently as far as I'm concerned. But thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, I understand that. But is that not the touch point? Is that not the issue that seems to be what's causing grief? Or is that someone for example, I've heard stories that are on income support and then I know this doesn't qualify for a higher income but then would take a I won't say menial, but a small parttime job on the weekends, then lose the income support benefits, then left with no benefits at all. So and then same applies for someone who's making that you know, what is a living wage? I mean, there's way more and you can't really compare us obviously to the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my question is so if I understand correctly, the Fort Smith correctional facility equates to about 40 percent of what the department has. Is that or there was a 40 percent occupancy in the corrections facility itself?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I apologize to our amazing interpreters and I try and move slow today.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I presented the AOC response to the 20242025 GNWT budget. These are the items that we generally agreed up and support, and I am proud of the work committee done and the work the committee put in to create this document, Mr. Speaker. But make no mistake, there are areas that I am concerned about that are specific to my region and that may not have been in that document, and I want to present those today, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, several years ago, between 2011 and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I thank the Minister for that answer. And, yes, of course, I mean, the funding that they receive to for in the Gwich'in for the Gwich'in centre to renovate, they got the feds, and I know that the Inuvialuit as well got federal funding to build their new centre. You know, and, yeah, we need their money likely more than what they need ours. But certainly for programming, and I get that. And I know this will both these programs will dovetail very nicely into the new aftercare centre we're going to build there next year. So that's great to hear.

So the other thing I...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that the committee defer further consideration of the activity administrative and support services in the main estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of activity legal aid services of the main estimates for the Department of Justice at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.