R.J. Simpson

Certainly, commissioned art is different from something that someone might buy at the store to fill an empty wall, and there is not much consideration put into that piece of art. No, it is a different level that the Member is talking about. I will work with the Minister of Infrastructure. The department has some expertise in asset management and combine that with the expertise that we have in the culture and heritage division and see what we can do to remedy this problem because it is a shame when you see a piece of art that means a lot to a lot of people buried under the snow and degrading...

Right now, there are no government-wide guidelines. However, not just ECE but ECE in collaboration with all departments has put together the Culture and Heritage Strategic Framework that is 2015 to 2025 as well as four-year action plan that is 2019 to 2022. As part of that framework and action plan, one of the goals is to safeguard heritage, including artwork in government buildings that requires special consideration and preservation. We have put our mind to it, but the work has not quite begun yet. I will leave it there. I won't answer all of the questions in advance from the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document: "The Northwest Territories Public Utilities Board Annual Report for the Year Ending December 31, 2019." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On a regular basis, I badger the Minister of Finance and the Premier to give me more policy staff so I can pursue some of these types of initiatives, but, in the end, ECE does a lot of work. We provide a lot of people with a lot of support, and that's what the focus is on right now, especially during the pandemic. I would love to be able to go out and get some more policy staff to do this type of work in the background, but I think that the staff we have right now are doing a great job at delivering services that are needed and being adaptive and responsive to the situation and, in this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have said before in this House that we could always do better with every program in the territory, and the Income Assistance Program is one of those. The Member asks whether it's working, and that depends on what exactly people want out of the program. There is a seniors' component where seniors are supported, and we are not trying to incentivize people who have aged out of the workforce to get back to work. There is a program for persons with disabilities who just can't work. We are not trying to incentivize them. The program is there to help people with their basic...

I've already done that work. Thank you.

We actually have less staff now than we did when the Member asked that questions. There are dozens of employees from ECE who have moved over to Health to help with those efforts. There are employees working from home who are having issues accessing government files, and things like that, so we are in a worst position to do that type of work, especially given what we have.

I appreciate the Member's comments earlier that we could start this program tomorrow, if we wanted. This pandemic has shown that departments can be responsive, and they can move quickly. However, I don't know if we can move...

I can't speak for all of the other Ministers involved, but the Member points out one of the big issues here. This is not just a student housing issue; there is a homelessness issue; there is a vulnerable persons issue. There are all sorts of things going on here, and so we all have to work together. Those conversations are happening.

I don't have an answer right now. This situation is evolving, but I know that we are working to find solutions to all of those issues. As many Members have rightly pointed out today, we have seen some great strides in terms of the social supports we offer, and we...

The Member is absolutely correct. With the lack of summer employment, it is going to make it very difficult for summer students. As well, some of their parents, too, maybe have lost their jobs. It's going to make a very tough situation.

The federal government has announced increases to the Canada Student Loans Program. The Northwest Territories opted out of the Canada Student Loans Program back in the '80s, I believe, in order to create our own program tailored to Northerners. It is more generous to Northerners, but, as a result, we don't get that increase that the Canada Student Loans Program...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following nine documents "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 34-19(2), Income Security Client Banking Issues;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 62-19(2), Improving Income Assistance Administration;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 97-19(2), Income Assistance;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 111-19(2), Mental Health and Suicide Resources for Students;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 147-19(2), Day Care at Ecole J. H. Sissons;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 156-19(2), Women in Trades;" "Follow-up Letter for Oral Question 170-19(2...