Julie Green

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the answer. So there are no additional increases planned beyond April 1st. Is that correct?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On the line above, there is the shelter enhancement fund. It was $416,000 last year, and it is $256,000 for the coming fiscal year. Could the Minister tell us the source of this money, what it is used for, and why it went down? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, what kinds of energy efficiency and furnace maintenance and so on is being offered to ensure that the houses themselves are in the best possible condition, in addition asking people to lower their utility consumption? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, has work started on either of these projects? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hope that I can take that as a commitment that the Minister will look into making the payments faster.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, we recently heard a report of a local woman being shortchanged on an NWT court-ordered support payment because a BC court lowered the amount of money payable under the order. Now, NWT payment levels are set with an eye, of course, to the cost of living here, so a payee's income goes down in BC.

It seems to me that it is wrong that a court there should lower the amount owed under an NWT judgment. My question is: will the Minister commit...

I thank the Minister for his commitment to look into this area and figure out how we can plug this loophole. It is one that benefits some of the most disadvantaged people in our territory, who are single mothers.

Another shortcoming I pointed out was the difficulty in collecting payments from the selfemployed. I will remind the Minister that maintenance payments we collect very often lift the cost of social assistance off the public purse. It is worth making an effort here, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister commit to having his maintenance enforcement people sit down with the tax department...

Mr. Speaker, the experiences of many single parents -- predominantly women -- who rely upon maintenance enforcement payments are generally not good. Our measures for collecting these vital family supports have improved over time, as have penalties such as lifting the driver's licences of deadbeat debtors, but, as a constituent of mine who is very familiar with these processes has pointed out to me, provisions for collecting and paying garnishees still leave a lot to be desired.

A major failing is that the thinly staffed maintenance enforcement office must track down people owing maintenance...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I don't think that that name will stand the test of time. I am wondering whether the department is planning to name that building? Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, February 23, 2017, I will move the following motion: I move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Great Slave, that, notwithstanding Rule 14, when this House adjourns on February 23, 2017, it shall be adjourned until Tuesday, February 28, 2017;

And further, that any time prior to February 28, 2017, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may...

We are talking about people who are self-employed, so I do not see how the Charter concerns relate there. I would ask the Minister, when he is looking at how to plug the loophole of finding out who is employed, that he include the people who are self-employed?

Another sort of antiquated portion of this problem is that remittances are forwarded by cheque in the mail; two things which will disappear in our lifetime, Mr. Speaker. We need to tighten up the time frames and methods on these payments. I am told that a change in regulations would make that happen. Will the Minister commit to looking at...