Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Can the Minister explain how the thresholds in the proposed supplementary health benefits were arrived at and what data was used to inform them? Thank you.
Thank you, Member. Minister for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I appreciate the question. The data was arrived at using income figures supplied by the NWT Bureau of Statistics. The target group for this initiative is people who don't have any insurance of any kind, so the examples were geared towards a lower income threshold. However, there is now a tool on the site which people can enter their income into, and they will find out what level of copay they will be required, if any. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm glad to hear about the tool. I think that's really useful, and people can answer their own questions before they come to us to ask. I guess my question would be that data provided by the NWT Bureau of Statistics, how old is that data? I'm curious because we've really seen over the last year or two, postpandemic, an escalating rise in the cost of living. So I'm wondering if the last two years, that change, has been factored into these thresholds. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I don't have that information with me.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm hoping that the Minister will provide me with that information, and I'll take that as a commitment.
Can the Minister explain how the situation of multigenerational living arrangements are going to be taken into account? Often, you know, we've seen in the past where a grandmother is helping out children, and they come to live with her, and then she is penalized for having that additional income in the House even though there is no overall rise to the amount of money she has herself; can the Minister speak to that. Thank you.
Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the intention is to look at individual income at this point. But what I want to stress is that this is not a program at this point. It's a discussion. We have provided four months worth of public consultation, and that now extends until November the 23rd. There are many ways to participate, including a town hall that will take place in mid November with more information to come. So if people feel that there should be a different way of calculating income, that it should be household income or some other form, then certainly that input is welcome. Thank you.
Thank you final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm glad to hear that there is still time to input on this. I guess at times, though, in this era of overconsultation and survey burnout, it is tough sometimes for the public to realize that they still can input on things and other times when things are inputted on, the government just does what they want anyway. So not a question, just more of a comment. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.
