Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I begin, I would like to formally acknowledge and admit my error. I recognized the Mineral Development Strategy Advisory Group as the opportunities group. In all fairness, we’ve been receiving panels, advice for strategies, frameworks and many other things. They can have my apologies. They’re all blended together. Thank you for your fine work.
My question is for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Does the Minister of Education recognize that there is a serious problem here for opportunity for those people who live in an impoverished situation? There’s an unfairness that many of the children won’t ever be able to participate in music programs, arts programs and even some extracurricular sports programs.
What does the Minister recognize in this impoverished situation, and furthermore and more importantly, what is he willing to do once he recognizes this particular issue? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I do believe there were three or four questions in there; I can only answer one. With the distance that has been brought to our attention through the poverty strategy that we have engaged with the public, NGOs, it is important for us to be part of that as income support. We have made some changes over the years, even major changes in 2007 that reflect on communities’ needs. Along the way we have been making changes. We are glad we are part of the Anti-Poverty Strategy that is coming forward in this Assembly, along with other strategies as well. It is important for us to be part of the process. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
One good thing, the Minister clearly can count because he said there were a couple of questions in there, maybe three, but since 2007 he has proven he can’t answer one of those three or number of questions highlighting those changes.
There have been no changes. I pulled out the regs. There are zero changes providing these opportunities for kids for poverty.
What does the Minister really recognize and what is he willing to do about this situation that children who are part of families on income support cannot participate in music, extracurricular arts or even extracurricular sports? There is a fairness and equity here. We are missing a huge opportunity to do something. I would like to hear it.
Mr. Speaker, we are doing something. I am answering his questions as well. Part of the curriculum that we deliver, K to 12 and beyond that, we provide a music program. We provide various other programs in the school as well. We will continue to enhance our programs. These are areas that we are very interested and also we are working closely with the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs to deliver those programs, even after-school programs. We are involving the parents. We are trying to make a difference. We are making programs deliverable, even working closely with the college and different agencies to deliver these additional programs beyond K to 12. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I pulled the regulations. There is nothing that talks about this. If the Minister wants to talk about funding education through K to 12, let’s talk about that, but K to 12 funding doesn’t support the initiatives I’m talking about. I’m talking about income support. Welcome to the file. Please. My goodness. Under income support there is nothing that supports music, arts and extracurricular sports.
What is the Minister willing to do on that? Will he launch on this opportunity to say, let’s investigate this and let’s do something to ensure that these children have the same opportunity as other children deserve? Let’s do something and we can do it today. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we do provide basic fundamental funding to the clientele that we service, the income support clientele. The funding that we provide is shelter, food and clothing.
Again, we are working through various programs such as Municipal and Community Affairs have numbers of programming through NGOs such as we do.
As the Education, Culture and Employment department, we provide almost $7 million in various NGO funding that consists in a breakdown in the communities of various funding that is accessible by the parents, by the children, by the community members. Continuously we have been providing that to the communities and we will continue to strengthen our programming into the communities even more. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Clearly, the Minister doesn’t get it. When we start talking about the communities, the fact is this: income support provides food and shelter, yes, that is a given, we all know that. But why do the children in those situations… They don’t ask to be on income support. The families are there because of various reasons. We are not here to debate that.
The question I am asking is this: We need to be opening up doors. The Minister has the power that is in this directive; let’s start doing something today. Even if it starts with $500 per head, per child, to get them into music, sports, arts, let’s give them the same opportunities other families certainly give their kids, and these kids deserve them equally. If he is saying no to this, he is saying they are worth less, and I take exception to that.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Clearly, we are not saying no. We are saying we are providing these opportunities for these children.
In the Northwest Territories Anti-Poverty Strategy, there will be a targeted action plan coming forward. This consists of all these departments sitting here. We are very serious, we want to make changes and it will reflect those changes as well. Thank you.
Member for Inuvik-Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
