Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know the Minister has heard me speaking in a similar vein by suggesting examination of an alternative model that has not been well used but has a record of success where it was tested and that’s the guaranteed basic income. I appreciate the Minister’s agreement to look at that and perhaps consider something like that for a regional model if the economics worked out. I think right now we are doing not too bad a job of holding people where they’re at, but I don’t think that’s the goal of our government. We want to help them out of poverty and into employment and better...

Thanks, Madam Chair. I know the Minister and I had a conversation in the House here about developing an energy efficiency act, and I know the Minister is aware that the most recent Energy Charrette once again recommended both in the short term and the medium term that we get in place an energy efficiency act. Can I ask, is that budgeted for in this budget?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It’s always hard to penetrate the smoke and mirrors, as I’ve said before, but I appreciate that. I’m glad to hear it’s staying within early childhood.

I’d like to follow up on my colleague’s mention of the healthy food for children and youth and just ask the Minister if he’s been aware of this excess of tens of thousands of goose eggs in the Beau-Del and the potential availability of them for consumption by residents, and the geese for that matter. A wildlife management problem where there are excess birds and eggs that we could be taking advantage of. Is he aware of this...

I’ll leave it at that, Madam Chair. I know there are many efforts around the world now for zero consumption, zero net consumption buildings and I know this department is interested in making progress in that direction. So, I’ll look forward to further gains there. I’ll leave it at that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I had a couple of questions on this page. I see the Early Childhood Worker Grant Program is increased over last year, and I’m happy to see that. How has the uptake been on that so far this year and what sort of increase does this mean for workers? I know that early childhood workers’ salaries are typically much lower than the value that we put on them, so I support this program. I’m just wondering about the update and how that’s working.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I know asset management is obviously a huge program for the government. This division has been doing a lot of work on the utilities and so on. Where are we at on the utility side for asset maintenance, or is that in another division? The intent of moving it all into this department was to be able to see where the opportunities for savings were and act on those. I’m just wondering where we are on that.

Also, there is a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions element to that, which is in this division. If I could just get general comments on where we’re at with respect to our...

Thanks to the Minister. Obviously, we know the policy and it’s not working. I’m asking the Minister to do some outreach and make sure that the grandparents know what options are available to them. Just saying that this is available to them does not do the job. Some grandparents who are fostering grandchildren informally have incomes that disqualify them from receiving support either financially or for housing issues that arise as a result of the unplanned expansion of their families, consideration needs to be given to revising voluntary agreements so struggling grandparents more easily qualify...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks for all the response. I am happy with that. I didn’t express it well, but I was interrelating whether climate change impacts were having an effect on carry-overs. I think we are starting to get at it: the water levels on the river, the smoke has had an effect on some construction in Yellowknife, delays with the highway shipment and so on. Those sorts of things that, as the Minister said, are not known to be climate change but certainly very consistent with it and possibly related. I think I started to hear a response there. Sorry for the confusion. If there are any...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my Member’s statement, keeping children with their families is the best way to support and build stronger families, the ultimate goal of child and family services. We need to work with families right when they are struggling, and apprehension needs to be a last resort. Increasing financial support to grandparents to enable care for their grandchild is an appropriate policy goal.

How will the Minister direct the department to reach out to grandparents caring for children not their own, to make it easier for them to accept help? Mahsi.

Nothing further.