Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 7 on the Order Paper.

---Unanimous consent granted

Does committee agree that Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Act, is ready for third reading?

---Bill 24 approved for third reading

Mr. Speaker, I will entertain those numbers when the Minister has them for me. That would be great.

We know that this Temporary Foreign Worker Program is, as I said, delivered here through the NWT Nominee Program. We know that a recent ITI Economic Opportunity Strategy implementation plan proposed strengthening this NWT Nominee Program. However, there has been little information on the proposed timeline of action. There hasn’t been any mention of any anticipated resources required.

Can the Minister share with the House what is this action plan and how much is this going to cost taxpayers?

Thank you, committee. I’d like to turn your attention to Bill 24, clause 1.

---Clauses 1 and 2 inclusive approved

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I discussed some of the concerns surrounding a Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Admittedly, the Alberta Labour Minister earlier this week indicated that Ottawa is over-reacting with the foreign worker moratorium and that responsible employers are being unfairly punished. Ultimately what we are hearing from many of the big western provinces is that they want to have more control over the program. It’s about a month since the temporary freeze on the program. I thought it would be important to see what our Minister of Education, Culture and Employment has to...

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program has been a hot button topic for Northerners and Canadians for the past month. This program is delivered in the NWT by the Department of ECE and ITI as the NWT Nominee Program.

This program of last and limited resort is designed to be accessed by employers facing genuine acute labour shortages and only after Canadians are not available to fill the job. Admittedly, opponents of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program argue it takes jobs away and drives down wages. Proponents argue that not enough Canadians are willing to work in certain...

Madam Chair, I am encouraged to get that type of information, and I think committee would also be interested in receiving that.

Lastly, this is a question I brought up two years ago when we had the opportunity to look at this bill. Last time we increased it to $40 million. It was the fact that if we are going to do the work of opening up a bill to do a consequential amendment to the act, the fact that the appeals program was also noted as being an opportunity in this area and, again, I ask once again.

The student financial assistance appeals process is in dire need of a review. When can we...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d like to welcome the Minister and department here today. I have just a kind of an opening general comment only because, as we become better at public accounts as some of the Members here on this side of the House, the whole issue of tangible capital assets and how we depreciate those assets as we prepare for the upcoming fall here, we see changes in what has not been spent according to the budget. We are looking now at those appropriations that are kind of a carry-forward for infrastructure.

My opening question is: How is depreciation now calculated with these...

I’ll accept the update from the Minister. I appreciate it. No further questions.