Debates of May 30, 2024 (day 19)

Date
May
30
2024
Session
20th Assembly, 1st Session
Day
19
Speaker
Members Present
Hon. Caitlin Cleveland, Mr. Edjericon, Mr. Hawkins, Hon. Lucy Kuptana, Hon. Jay Macdonald, Hon. Vince McKay, Mr. McNeely, Ms. Morgan, Mr. Morse, Mr. Nerysoo, Ms. Reid, Mr. Rodgers, Hon. Lesa Semmler, Hon. R.J. Simpson, Mr. Testart, Mr. Thompson, Mrs. Weyallon Armstrong, Hon. Caroline Wawzonek, Mrs. Yakeleya
Topics
Statements

Question 219-20(1): Support for Income Assistance Clients

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, and I'll focus in on income support area. My question directly to the Minister is what type of peer and support counselling does income support provide their clients from day to day? Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's nothing on a daily basis as in day to day. But income assistance clients do have access to their client navigator whenever they do need. And also within the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, there are also career development officers that are based in all of the regional offices, for example North Slave, South Slave. And these are also persons that individuals on income assistance would have access to. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What information is tracked in the sense of how many clients use this service? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, statistics like that are not something I easily have at my fingertips but with a little bit of warning, I can definitely get that for the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll waste my third question by saying would the Minister be willing to supply it? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I would definitely be willing to get that information for the Member. Thank you.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is productive choices a formal requirement of income supports, and is it buttressed with counselling? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the 19th Assembly, the income assistance program underwent a review, and one of the changes that were made during that review was removing the productive choices requirement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.