Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement earlier today with questions for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. The 58 percent failure rate on case files in income security with a $15 million annual budget is horrifying. In over half the files, we don’t know if public money was properly accounted for. So we’re failing in our basic duty to get the best use of funds and put them where they are most needed, but we are also failing in our intent to reduce the potential for human suffering.

Part of the department response to the report says ECE had not...

Sorry. I dragged off there. To see what will be recovered through the Disaster Relief Fund. I know it won’t cover all, but I think we were hoping it will cover a lot of it. If I can just get that completed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Auditor General of Canada’s report on the delivery of income security programs contains shocking confirmations of failure in service. For we Members who frequently intervene on behalf of constituents receiving completely unsatisfactory treatment, the findings are no surprise. The report stresses the vital importance of ensuring vulnerable citizens are supported in their times of need and help towards greater self-reliance. In many of our communities, where there simply aren’t enough jobs, it’s income assistance or starve. For the injured, disabled and ill, there is...

I think I’ve got it. This is just simply the higher cost of electricity. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The million dollars, is that to look after Nunavut artifacts at our cost? Is that what that’s all about?

Okay. So is this $1.212 million strictly with respect to the Inuvik situation?

Thank you. I appreciate that we’re going to look at this and figure out how to try and repatriate people, including children. I guess the frustrating part is the Standing Committee on Social Programs did have a close look at this, made recommendations. I don’t think the program review office needs to redo that work. What’s needed now is some implementation on those recommendations.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I also wanted to ask a couple of questions on this. I know we’re putting in some millions of dollars to basically buy down the electricity rate throughout the NWT until a couple years down the road when we’re done with the increases, but I see here that we’re also covering them as they got bought down. They actually get parcelled out to the various customers and, obviously, GNWT is the biggest customer here, including the Housing Corporation. This is all on top of the 11 point something million for the Territorial Power Subsidy, so I don’t think it’s got anything to do...

Thank you. Obviously, it looks like, according to those figures, we’re talking about a 28 percent increase for adults and something along those lines for children. It seems like an extraordinary increase there to me. Is there any explanation for that? Thank you.

That’s ringing bells now. Have the values of the bonds gone up or down?