Charles Dent

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We're aware that there were 23 this year who applied after the deadline and the current regulation doesn't allow any consideration past that deadline, but the new regulation will allow it and as long as the regulation gets changed before the end of this semester, a person will be able to apply for consideration.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Members are aware, the Government of the Northwest Territories is working to make sure that we coordinate support services for residential school survivors. What we're hoping to do is provide a government-wide support system for emotional support, for financial counselling, for helping claimants fill out forms, if necessary. We want to be ready to respond to family violence, including elder financial abuse, and ensure that we're offering victim services. ECE has been assigned the lead and, at this point, a coordinating group has been formed which...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For instance, the library in the city of Yellowknife was built by the City of Yellowknife and it's run and operated by the City of Yellowknife. So what has happened in those communities that have libraries, the communities themselves have generally been responsible for providing them.

Last year, ECE helped six communities expand the services that they deliver through their school libraries to open them to the public. Where we can find ways to assist communities to do that, when we have the funds we're prepared to jump in. But when it comes to building a brand new...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As part of the Income Security Program, we are, in fact, trying to streamline all of our processes for delivering subsidy services to our citizens. I have committed to reporting to the Standing Committee on Social Programs as we work through that process. I'd be happy to commit to delivering the same information in this House.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will certainly challenge my department with that suggestion. If it would speed up the process, then I think it’s something we should take a look at.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think that we're talking about two different things here. Right now, the LHOs are responsible for delivering the housing to clients, almost like a landlord. So they set the rents. The rents are not related to the income of the family or the occupants of the house. Each house has a rent that is established by the LHO. People then come to ECE, as they would in Yellowknife or any other market community, to get a subsidy so that they can afford to pay whatever rent is set by the LHOs. At ECE, it's not a question of how much the rents are; it's a question of how you...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll put that on the agenda for our next meeting for discussion. But I want to assure the Members that the membership on this committee right now is at the most senior level. We're talking about deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers who are actually involved in this now. I think that tells the Members the importance that this government puts on this sort of work, and I want to make sure that we're keeping it at the most senior level. So we will have the discussion, but I'm quite satisfied that right now this issue is being given the level of importance...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm not positive, but I do believe that the issue of residential schools is dealt with in our curriculum in the Northwest Territories. I'll have to undertake to provide the Member with more details in writing as soon as I can. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd be happy to meet with the Member and see if we can find a mutually convenient time in the very near future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department has no capital funds in its budget for any libraries in the Northwest Territories. Having said that, I've offered previously to meet with the Member and representatives from Behchoko to see if there's anything that we can, perhaps, look at in a joint proposal. But at this point, this government doesn't have any money for any library for capital expenditure. Thank you.